The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-10-03

And how can it be otherwise? Satan
| is the prince of this world. He rules
| the world to-day. VIII Satan cast
out Satan? A house divided against
itself cannot stand. The world il
| fighting Satan, and all the while he is
| in the midst of its councils, and bring
ate endeavors. And up to the coming
of Christintothew world Satan had never
suffered final defeat or lost a decisive
battle. 1t was victory with him all
the way through the sad and dark
pages of the worlds history. No in
dividual, no family, no nation had sue
ceeding in routing him or destroying
his power. All through the long CEN
turtles in which God was working out
His eternal purposes and preparing
for the coming of the Christ Satan
seemed to have his own way. He
led into sin every son of the Adamic
race; he saw Gods chosen people
scattered and destroyed; he thought
he was winning in the great contest
against the Almighty God of the
universe, for he failed to see the
thread of faith from the broken and
sinful lives of those who believed in
God running back to Heaven down
which was drawn the Deliverer in
fultillment of the promise that the
seed of the woman should bruise the
serpent's head. Satan's vision could
not penetrate the. inner council
chambers of Heaven; he could not
know how the Lord was preparing
to nightly deliver the Devil-ridden
world
Our Deliverer.-The song of the an
gels that announced the birth of
Saviour at Bethlehem brought joy
full message to sin-cursed earth,
but it struck terror to the heart of
Satan. God had been teaching man
through the centuries the long and
painful lesson that he was a failure
and unable in his own strength to
win a victory over Satan, or by his
own righteousness to attain Heaven.
And while He was revealing to man
his sinfulness and his need, Satan
was coming to believe in his heIIish
pride that he was always to be the
victor. But when God sent His Son
as the mighty Deliverer of the hui
man race, then was enacted the gil
gantic battle of the ages and Satan
met his first defeat and his power
was broken forever.
Then was Christ led of the spirit
into the wilderness to be tempted Of
the Devil" He must of necessity
meet the arch enemy of God and de-
feat him in terrific battle. The pic
ture which Bunyan draws of Chris
tian's meeting with ApollyOn gives
in a graphic and realistic way some
thing of what that contest between
Christ and Satan in the wilderness
must nave been, and the victory won
there made the triumph of Bunyan's
Christian possible. 1t is the only
way of victory. Satan fears no foe
but Christ, from whose presence he
fed in the wilderness after his re-
peated and complete temptations.
There is none other name under
Heaven given among men, whereby
we must be saved,'' because the name
of Jesus is the only sound which can
put Satan to rout and bring deliv-
erance to the sin-stained and tempted
heart.
If the man with the unclean spirit
had let Jesus do his housekeeping
and take up His dwelling place in the
heart after it had been swept and
garnished, the company of devils
would never have dared come back
again seeking to take up their abode
there The world will have to turn
to Christ if it ever gets rid of the
Devil and his angels. There is no
cure for the ills of the sin-cursed,
weary old world but the blood of
Jesus Christ, which can wipe out all
marks of the cloven hoof and BAN
ish it's owner to the bottomless pit.
Hedged About.-With all of Satan's
sangfroid in the presence of God he
was i'll at ease. There was a fly in
his ointment. AS he had journeyed
to and fro through the earth he met
that perfect and upright man Job,
who eschewed evil and would have
nothing to. do with the Devil, and it
troubled him to see that he was not
able TO exercise dominion over him.
Job was prosperous and happy, and
the Devil could not come at him be-
cause the protecting arm of God was
thrown around him. Satan charges
that Job is serving God because He
blessed and protected him. Hast
not thou made an hedge about
him?" he petulantly asks. Yes. God
had. and thanks be to His blessed
name, He does so to this day to those
who love and serve Him. The Devil
can't get near us while we stay with
God, except as the Lord let's him in
order to try us, for ''the trying of
your faith worketh patience, but let
patience have her perfect work, that
We NAV be perfect and entire, want
ing nothing Whom the Lord low
eth, He chasteneth," and He makes
Satan furnish the elbow grease.
Satan begged the privilege of test
ing Job. He thought he could make
him curse and turn from God. He
a ffiicted Job until all the dross in
his nature was burned out. At first
Job sees only himself and his suffer
ings and misfOrtunes, but he never
doubts God. and at last out of the
mist and darkness of his Affections
he catches a glimpse of the Lords
face. and eXclaims: Il have heard
of Thee by the hearing of the ear;
but now mine eye seeth Thee. |
] abhor myself, and re-
peut in dust and ashes" 1t was
worth all that Job endured to see |
Gods lace and to behold His right |
eousness that made him abhor any |
inherent goodness in himself. God |
makes the wrath of the Devil to |
praise Him even unto this day, and |