Satan and His Kingdom 59 said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan” (Matt. 16:22, 23). When the soul has yielded all in full surrender, and in dumb helplessness ceases from his own efforts to save him self, he knows by the Holy Spirit that he must take the Cross, and deny himself, if Christ is to see of the travail of His soul, and be satisfied. But “Be it far from thee,” cries the adversary, through the lips of even servants of God, who have dimmer visions of the things of God, and know not the eternal loss to the soul who listens to their plea. But “Get thee behind me, Satan,” the redeemed one must cry as he looks behind the human voice, and sees the adversary of God. He inflames the life o f nature into division and strife. “I f ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart . . . [it] is earthly, natural [or animal], devilish” (Jas. 3:14, 15, m.). James points out that all “jealousy” and “faction” has its source in the life which he calls animal, and “devilish” ! Satan is shown here to be the real power working through the fallen life of nature. Possibly when the believer has taken the Cross for himself, circumstances arise when “loyalty demands that he should stand up for a friend!” The spirit of faction comes in, or jealousy for others, and the adversary triumphs. The Apostle says that the wisdom which is from above is “without partiality.” All faction, all jealousy for the “own,” in friends, or denomination, is instigated by the evil one to keep the believer in the sphere lying under his rule. The wiles o f the devil concerning “revelations” “I know a man in Christ . . . caught up into paradise” (2 Cor. 12:2, 4). “I will love him, and will manifest Myself unto him” (John 14:21), is a promise made by the Lord on the eve of His passion. There is a moment when the promise is fulfilled, and Christ reveals Himself to the obedient heart, and the believer knows the Risen Lord. To some He is manifested in light above the brightness of the sun, as to Paul in a wondrous heavenly vision, and others are but con-
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