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While those blessed words remain God's truth for us, shall we deny them by admitting
for one moment that Satan can have any authority over us? Never! Even John (who did
not write for the church of the mystery) taught differently:--
"The whole world lieth in the wicked one" (I John 5: 19).
"He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one TOUCHETH HIM
NOT" (I John 5: 18).
Can any honestly believe
Col. 1: 13
and yet endorse a statement such as the
following?
"One day God may let a storm from the pit break upon you, not because He wants to
weaken and overthrow you, but that you may be sure of your foundation, add to your
strength, and understand the conditions of your security."
Is it possible that the writer of such a statement can have the remotest idea of the
"foundation" and "strength" of our position in and with Christ, or the real "conditions of
our security"?
It is a Satanic device of the first importance to attract attention from the Lord to Satan.
Does Satan ever whisper into the ear of any of his dupes the blessed words of Col. 1: 13?
Does he ever torment a soul with the words "delivered", "translated", "presented",
and the like? Does he not make them believe that he still has power over them, that
God often exposes them? etc. What is it that drives so many children of God to the
God-dishonouring conclusion that, as sure as any child of God steps out in faith, and
something in the way of illness or trouble follows, the latter is "of the Devil"? Are we to
believe that God definitely steps aside, and purposely allows Satan to attack those who
seek to trust in Him? We will certainly believe this when we see it written "in the Book",
but we have no faith in the mere reasonings and "experiences" of men, and especially of
those who seek to introduce into this dispensation of the ascended Christ features that
belong to the days of His flesh.
In the last epistle written by Paul before his imprisonment he said:--
"I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of
the gospel of Christ" (Rom. 14: 29).
"The God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly" (Rom. 16: 20).
He may have spoken of something beyond what he then knew, but however this may
be, the subjection of Satan beneath the feet of the church of the mystery is a fundamental
truth of Eph. 1: To turn from darkness to light, and from the authority of Satan unto God,
is the inspired forecast of Paul's prison ministry (Acts 26: 18). To allow demon
possession or Satanic authority into the realm of the church at the right hand of God, is to
assist Satan and his lie and not to resist him.
Peter could rightly say to the dispersion of Israel, to whom he ministered, that "your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,
whom resist" (I Pet. 5: 8, 9), but he did not mix the dispensations. He knew the sphere of