Newport weekly independent., 1903-06-12

--3tcopyright, 1903, by ]. M. Edson)
How tfse Enemy of Man's Soul May
 Be Made to Flee

or the lower animal nature, by way of the higher human nature or temporal ambition, and by way of the religious instincts or spiritual pride. Every temptation which comes to man may be classified under one of these three divisions. It is illustrated by the three fold temptation of Jesus in the wilder ness. 1t is with a conception of the full scope of temptation which leads John to write: All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world"
 The devil is a great general, even if he is coward and poltroon, and he has long since learned that the weakest point is the place where victory is most likely to be won. A great many people willfully or carelessly refuse to recog- nize that they have weakest point. ~ UR text is suggestive of the bat O tlefeld. When the devil is around 1t either means fight or surrender. The devil never fights unless he has to. His favorite method is to suggest truce at the very start. If the soul consents, he encamps on the spot and immediately sets his snares which en- trap the soul and bring it under his power James, who tells us to resist the devil in the opening portion of his letter shows us how the devil operates. He takes the matter up at the point where the soul has entered Sr.&A 4I- I I latter has camped on the spot. Then says James. ''man is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." These words describe accurately the way in which the devil wins his conquest over the soul. The devil has come in the guise of some temptation. Instead of inn mediate resistance and no parleying the voice of the devil is listened to as he pleads for hearing. It is at this point that temptation begins to be sin. The devil, given his oppor- tuHity, is not slow to hold up the temptation in it's most attractive light. He covers up the sting. He makes it appear to be thing great ly to be desired. He works his spell as he did in the garden with Eve and makes the thing desired look good and wholesome and delightful. Here is where ''man is drawn away of his own lust and enticed," and it is only a step farther to the full commission of the deed and the complete victory of the devil over the soul q
 "Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
 As to be hated needs but to be seen
 Yet seen too oft familiar with her face,
 We first endure, then pity. then embrace" T HE above lines of Poe is the
 thought of James expressed poetically, and shows the process by which the soul is brought to final and unconditional surrender But if it is case of fight. let us go out to the battlefield and witness the conflict
 In Bunyan's Holy War, wherein the author graphically describes the sub iugation of the town of Mansoul by the devil and its subsequent deliv- erance by Emmanuel. the son of the good and great King Shaddai. Capt. Resistance is represented as standing on the walls of the town to defend it against the attack of the devil, and it is not until this brave defender has been killed that the devil is able to win his conquest over the town of Mansoul. And how often this scene is being reenacted to-day. The town of Mansoul attacked, Capt. Resist ance, the only fighting man in the place, goes out to give him battle. If he be killed the town is absolutely at the mercy of the enemy. Capt
 Resistance may be brave, he may fight hard. yea even desperately, but if he is not properly equipped for the conflict he will at last fall before the "fiery darts of the Wicked One" Re sistance must be intelligent to be eff fectual. One must understand the degree and quality of resistance which turns an attacking devil into fleeing devil. There is a resistance which repels the devil, but does not l cause him to flee. He never shows his back in such a ease. but inst backs off face front and knows he has been delayed but not defeated. The devil isn't made to tremble a bit
 in the face of the resistance which some people offer, for he is quick to | discover that it lacks the true stay ing qualities. Man fails to equip his Capt. Resistance with the armor that can protect and the sword which can wound the devil and make him fee. i FAITH is the only armor which will
 turn the poison darts of the devil Without this shield in the hand, Capt. Resistance is sure to be killed sooner or later. This is bit of armor which comes from Gods workshop, and the devils mostpowerful guns have never been known to penetrate it. To-day when nation produces a new and powerful gun, the other nations seek to construct armor for its ships and forts which will offer safe and sure resistance to it's steel-pointed missiles