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TOPIC: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks About the Tempter (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 046. At His Strongest—weak
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At His Strongest—weak
A friend told me of her nephew, who was under her care for a time while his parents were in India. The family devotional reading was in the Book of Revelation. There had been some hesitation about taking up that book, when it came in regular order, lest the children might not understand. But with the aunt's insistence that the children could get more than one might think, it was decided to take it up. One day the little fellow abruptly said, "Satan will have two big punishments, won't he?" His aunt was surprised, and sought to draw out his thoughts. "He will be put into the pit and then into the lake of fire," the child said. Evidently he had taken in much more of the family reading than they had supposed. So his aunt tried to instruct him further. How well she succeeded is suggested by the little man's remark one night as he was going to bed. As though talking half to himself he said, "Satan is very strong, we can't do anything against him," in a tone that suggested an element of fear in his mind. Then his face brightened, and his tone of voice completely changed, as he said, "but with Jesus, we are a hundred times stronger." Then as he was being tucked in he said, "Oh, I should say, with Jesus we are a thousand times stronger."
That was wholesome reading and instruction for that child. The two definite impressions of the greatness of the foe, and of the greater power of our Lord, and that that power was ours, will be of great value to him as he grows in his Christian life. We should couple our Master with ourselves as the boy did, "with Jesus we are a thousand times stronger"—and more! Let's remember that. It will put new life into our insistence, and it will put our enemy to flight.
Satan tries to imitate the beauty and personal attractiveness which were his but have been spoiled by his sin. He has great power, he is a subtle organizer, and has a splendidly compacted organization of spirit-beings at his nod and beck. His mentality is distinctly of secondary grade, but his experience with us men is so long and matured and intimate that he has enormous advantage.
He has a devilish knack of tenacity, of persistence. He loves deceit and is peculiarly skilful in using it. Rugged honesty is one of the sure checkmates for shutting him up in a corner. He uses force and delights in its use. And he is a contemptible coward.
This reveals much of his supposed strength, much of his real strength, and reveals too, how much less is he than our wondrous Victor, the Lord Jesus. "Greater is He," so much greater that you can't put into words how much greater. But you can know how much when the thick of the fight is on.
The intelligent surrender of all our powers and activities to the Mastery of our Lord, the thoughtful cultivation of the Holy Spirit's presence and practical sovereignty, the daily quiet time alone with God's Word, the spirit of humble dependence upon our Lord—these will bring to us a simple, sane sense in recognizing the enemy, regardless of disguises, and will make us strong in resisting and overcoming him at every turn of the road.