Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadQuiet Talks by Samuel Dickey: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks About the Tempter: 080. Recognition Half the Fight
TOPIC: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks About the Tempter (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 080. Recognition Half the Fight
Other Subjects in this Topic:
Recognition Half the Fight
An attacking enemy unrecognized has his battle half won. Recognition is a long step toward His defeat. If we know something of the tempter's way of fighting it will be an immense help in recognizing and resisting and defeating him. Our Lord Jesus was victorious in the Wilderness, partly because He was keen in recognizing the tactics used against Himself. His keenness in recognizing made him quicker in resisting.
The tempter has one of two aims in coming to us. First and most of all, he wants to get us away, and keep us away from God. That is his first aim, of course. But there is a second aim, which has not been recognized so quickly or so much. It is against those of us who are Christians. No small part of his effort is directed against those of us who want to be true. And the thing he is driving at there is to steal away our peace and our power.
There are many who would not do anything they know to be displeasing to the Master. They conscientiously guard that side of their lives. The tempter's favourite mode of approach with such is to steal away their sweet peace of mind and heart. For in stealing away peace, he is also stealing much of their power. There can be fulness of power going out, only as there is fulness of peace within.
And he is also constantly trying to take away our power directly, or to make it less so far as possible. By sin, by selfishness in some subtle shape, by attacks upon bodily conditions, by making us tired, or depressed, or discouraged, or switching us on to some side track, he can do much to switch us off from the full touch with God, through which only can come fulness of power in life and service. If we are to enjoy full peace of heart, and a steady even poised course of action full of God's power, we must know something of the tempter's fighting tactics, and be prepared to meet and match him constantly.
Let me begin with just a word about his tactics against us corporately. He is a keen fighter against the Church as a whole. The main thing he is driving at here is to divide the Church. He is an adept at divisive tactics. Under one cover or another he aims to separate one body of believers from the others. He knows the tremendous power there is in unity. He knows so well the resistless power against himself of united prayer, of united action, of a united spirit controlling, that he has done his utmost to kill that spirit of unity.
I do not mean to speak disparagingly of the term, when I say that Satan is a keen theologian. Anything of any sort that divides the Church, or splits up any group of Christ's followers, suits his purposes. And in saying that I am not now pleading for a universal unity of churches, for unity sometimes means dishonour: Loyalty to the essential Gospel of our Lord, and to His person, will prevent the union that is sometimes thought of.