THE KING’S BUSINESS
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must speak. It is set forth in 2 Cor. 4 :3-4 R. V .: “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: (4) in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them.” We read here that it is the work of Satan to blind the minds of unbelievers in order “that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them.” It is evident then that the Devil is-the author of false views, especially false views about Christ. He is the author of Unitarianism, and the denial of the Deity of our Lord in all its forms. He so blinds the minds of men who submit to his blinding that the Divine “glory of Christ,” “who is the very, image of God,” is hidden from them. This explains why it is that Unitarianism in all its various forms persists even after its folly has been so often exposed. Satan’s i work along this line is to culminate at the appearing of the Anti-Christ, “Even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power, and signs and lying wonders, .and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not.the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2 Thess. 2:9-10, R. V.). IV. Our Duty Regarding the Devil. In conclusion a few words concerning our duty regarding the Devil. 1. Eph. 4:27 teaches us that we are to give no place to him. That is to say, we are to leave no opening for him. He is ever seeking an opening. We should see to it that he gets none. The context sug gests that we give an opening to him by | being angry and continuing in wrath (■v. 26). This door into the heart is a favorite one with the Devil. 2. Jas. 4:7 teaches us that we are to “resist the Devil,” and that, if we do resist him, for all his cunning and power, he will flee from us. Although the Devil is strong,
doctrine has been a more prolific source of the vilest sins than, even the saloons. 2. But Satan not 'merely tempts men to sin by insinuating doubts of God’s Word, he also has his synagogues and ministers among men to do his work. Let us turn to Rev. 3:9: “Behold, I give of the syn agogues of Satan, of them that ‘say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” What I wish you to notice here is these words, "the synagogue of Satan." In this case it was a Jewish synagogue, but now- a-dayi it is often a so-called Christian church. But in 2 Cor. 11:14-15 we have an even more remarkable passage: “For even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. (15) It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” Here we are told that Satan has his ministers. They do not advertise them selves as ministers of Satan, oftentimes they are not even conscious that they are; they put themselves forward ,as “ministers of righteousness.” They advocate "ethical culture," a system of salvation without atoning blood. They are frequently men of very attractive personality and great intellectual brilliance and ability, but they are doing the Devil’s work. Satan is never so dangerous as when he “fashions himself into an angel of light,” and no other minis ters of his are so dangerous as, the men and women of attractive personality and brilliant intellectual gifts who are under mining the faith of God’s children, or who are teaching various forms of seductive and alluring error; “Christian Science,” “New Thought,” (or Spiritualism), “Oc cultism,” and all those species of cults. 3. We have not time to speak here of Satan’s work as the author of sickness, (Acts 10:38; Luke 13:16) an$ as the one who has the power of death (Heb. 2:14). 4. But of another work of the Devil we
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