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TOPIC: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks About the Tempter (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 045. A Cowardly Weapon
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A Cowardly Weapon
Then he is fond of using force. Violence is peculiarly his weapon, from the stage of simply threatening to use it, on through its active use both in personal and in large mass movements. If one man kills another, it is commonly called murder. If a big organized crowd of men do the same thing in a more or less skilled way, it is called war.
I am not discussing either the question of armies or of warfare. That's a separate question, with many facts to be noted on both sides before a fair conclusion can be reached. Many of the great armies are simply huge policing organizations keeping order on the street where the national crowds pass by, and jostle each other in passing.
But violence, force, mere brute force is one of Satan's favourite modes of action, and reveals his character. Settling differences by resort to mere animal strength is of course putting the whole affair on the very lowest basis. Mere might is made the standard of right, though it almost always means putting the wrong up as the right, or in place of it. All use of this lowest means of attaining one's own ends, whether among individuals or with crowds of men, is from this great usurper-prince.
Its commonness in social life, using one's social advantage to crowd down, or crush another; in business life, where it is so universally practised, using whatever advantage may come into one's hands to crush a rival or compel him to come to your terms; in political, and even in Church circles, reveal how widespread is the subtle influence of this great spirit-foe of ours. It reveals, too, his personal characteristics. There is nothing more contemptibly cowardly than the use of mere force to attain one's ends, This leads directly to another trait that should be very sharply marked—Satan is a coward. He is a mean, contemptible coward. He is fond of bluster and brag. He will come with his suggestion of doubt to some dear old saint of God, lying in a bed of illness, weak in body and tired in mind, and will worry and tease and torment her until she is almost in despair. Ugh! he is a contemptible coward. He prefers to attack somebody weaker than himself.
He is afraid of our Lord Jesus. He has no courage for a stand-up, square fair fight with an equal. Under such circumstances he will slink off. He is afraid of us, too, when we cling so close to Jesus that we two are as one. Resist him, and he will sneak off, and hunt for some one off his guard. Now it is good to remember this trait of cowardice. Cling close to our blessed Master; never get out of His presence; resist this great coward in the great Name, and you are safe.
But with that put in this—he is persistent. He has bull-dog tenacity. He knows how to hang on. There is just one thing that will out-do his persistence, and that is our insistence in our Lord Jesus' Name. He can't stand that. When he hangs on you hang on just a bit longer. He is defeated, and he knows it. Our Lord is Victor, and we know that. The tempter's persistence is bluster. Steady insistence, steady claiming the power of our Lord Jesus' Name, insistence, steady insistence—he can't stand that.