in our hands; it and all the other weapons must be appropriated to the heart and life. It is inter esting that there is no armor provided for the back since there is no need to retreat. When we use God’s provision, there will always be spiritual victory. Third, me must hnom and be living the W ord of God. The foundation of all spiritual stability is our obedience to Bible doctrine and to do this we must know and understand the Word of God. The prime attack of Satan is upon those unstable in the truth, those “ tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind o f doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). It has been my experience and I’m sure yours also that many are privileged week after week to be under the Word o f God. An even greater privilege is to be in the Word of God for yourself. Praise God for true teachers of His Word, true preachers o f the riches of divine grace—but this is not enough; we must be studying it for ourselves. Today there are many ways we can do this. We can take advantage of special training classes in our local churches. Bible institutes and colleges in our major cities teach evening classes where we can learn how to study the Bible for ourselves. Correspondence courses also can be of great help. But the purpose o f all of this should be that we learn to know the Word of God and its doctrines, live our lives in light of it, discern the issues of our day, and contend for the faith. Fourth, me may be disciplined by the hand ot God. Although we don’t like to remind ourselves of it, divine discipline is nevertheless clearly taught in Scripture. Believers who resist the will o f God for their lives and stray from His path will be chastised as only God Himself can do. Our Lord has the prerogative o f removing that one from paths of service or even from this life. This is especially true in the area of apostasy for it is imperative that we teach the truth o f God’s Word, not error. This is why the writer to the Hebrews warns that we examine our own hearts “ lest there be in any of you an evil heart o f unbelief, in de parting from the living God” (Heb. 3:12). Al though it is the unbeliever who is an apostate and involved in Satan’s web of fulfilling and promot ing his purposes, it is the believer who is warned against it. Early in the church age, Irenaeus and Athan asius stood aaginst the apostasy o f their day and the world listened. John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, George Whitefield, D. L. Moody and R. A. Torrey stood in their day and changed the course o f his tory. Will not the world listen again if we but contend for the faith in our day?
reason can there be for the lack of individual wit ness for Christ? Why else have so many been sidetracked in our land and around the world? Satan also opposes Christian giving for the cause o f Christ. Almost any group with a worthwhile humanitarian cause has little trouble raising money or putting on a benefit. But those who are serving the Lord and living unto Him have an almost im possible task of raising support and executing visionary projects. The believer’s prayer life is also opposed as he seeks to depend upon God for day by day problems. Why is it that there is so little prevailing prayer today? With so great a need and with what is a humanly impossible situar tion, how important it is to pray for ourselves and for the souls of the world. If we are then living in an apostate age and yet not to be affected by it, if believers are the special objects of Satan’s master strategy, what should we be doing and how should we be living today? Certainly, there is a God-given answer to this crucial problem if we would but abide by His basic principles found in His Word. First, me must know the purposes, plans, and strategies oi Satan, The Christian is in an invisible war, a war against demonic spiritual forces, and therefore he must clearly recognize the enemy. Satan tries, how ever, to deceive us as he has deceived the whole world. The Apostle Paul warns that we not be lifted up with pride or we will fall into the con demnation of the devil (I Tim. 3 :6 ). The words lifted up mean to make a smoke and therefore “ to befog the mind.” Satan is trying to befog our minds by the insidious use of pride. He has de ceived the world as to his own existence, causing many to think that he is unreal. He has beclouded the truth that salvation comes through the shed blood of Christ so that many think it is obtainable through works or human effort. He has deceived the world into believing that sin is falling short of God’s standards, with the result that many think only what society considers evil is sin. We must, therefore, know Satan’s purposes and strategies today and the place apostasy plays in his over-all scheme. Satan is powerful and superhuman, but not omnipotent. God tells us, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4 :7 ), but how are we to do this? It cannot be by ourselves for it is a spiritual, invisible warfare. It can only be resisted by our using the weapons God has provided: the girdle of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes o f the Gospel of peace for the feet, shield o f faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:11-17). But all of these are to be put on, applied, used. We cannot fight such a battle holding a Bible Second, me must resist the devil hg using the armor God has provided.
Dr. Edgar C. James is Director o f The Graduate Division of Calvary Bible College, Kansas City, Missouri.
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NOVEMBER, 1969
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