The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-11
MANS GREATEST ENEMY
DESCRIBED BY PAS10R|
Rev. c. A. Jcnkens' Sermon at
Calvary Baptist
Is DESTITUTE OF PRINCIPLE
satan Is Called Serpent Because OF
His Cunning and IAon Because of
His Power--Feli In Every Lcgisla-
turc, Senate and Church.

Rev Carter Ashton Jenkens de-
scribed mans greatest enemy to a
large congregation at Calvary Baptist
Church last night having for his
theme Who IL the DevilT" He said
in part:
The Scriptures reveal in unmis-
taxable language the existence OF a
person devil. whose malignant purpose
IS to destroy all that is fair in the
world. Some people feign to believe
satan to be only the evil principle in
man. But we first hear of Satan in
Eden as the serpent before there was
any evil principle in man. He caused
the evil principle. Then Christ was
tempted forty days Of the devil. But
Christ had no evil principle IN Him.
Satan Is the head OF great body
The Bible in the original never speaks
of devils, but demons. There is but
one devil. many demons.
In the case OF the Demoniac Of
Gadara. something In him Is repre-
sented as speaking. Whatever asked
permission to enter the swine was al
lowed to do so. What entered the
swine7 Was It the disease This
is absurd. since diseases can't speak
"'iN AiofS no tAiSlPllCG apart IToLu the
diseased person. Was it the man
himself? He could hardly divide up
among whole herd OF swine. And.
besides, the man was clothed and in
his right mind. and remained with
Jesus after the swine were drowned.
Character of the Devil.
The New Testament has revealed
satan as n murderer. deceiver, liar,
accuser, blasphemer wicked one. ad-
versary. seducer. corrupter. beguiler.
serpent, lion, dragon. He Is destitute
OF principle. wretched in his woe and
malignant in every design. He hates
God rather than man--seeks to rob
Him of praise and glory. He ruined
the race through Adam and Eve
sought to turn Christ from His mis-
sion; Is seeking today to destroy the
church--and how many ne has cor
rupted' Perhaps his unceasing ac-
tivity in destroying men Is due to his
hatred for God. Satan gloats In the
most horrible vice. He never has
holy thought or a noble desire He
Is fiend-at war with all that Is
good. on the side Of all that Is bad.
Tho history of the race Is largely a
record OF Satan's opposition to God.
Misconception OF Satan.
He is represented generally in pic
lures as a ludicrous sort OF beast He
ls portrayed as having hOrnS ana
forked tail. and black Perhaps this
fantastic delineation of Satan is based
on the fact that the Scriptures repre-
sent him as q beast. But this Is. of
course, figurative. since Satan has
neither horns nor tail nor Is he black
except in character He Is called a
serpent because OF his cunning, a
lion because of his power. The Bible
represents him as an angel OF light
He makes himself as attractive and
appears as pleasing as heavens own
light.
Ills Reaching Influence.
Perhaps no created being has such
vast influence over men. He leads
the wicked captive at his will--exerts
influence from the white House to
the nut. He Is felt in every Legisla-
ture, Senate and church on earth; and
every human heart has known his
power and temptation. No spot he
does not tread. no soul he does not
tempt: locks, bolts, bars and walls
can't shut him out. He is cunning
artful malicious. He spares not the
innocent youth nor the aged sire So
potent and universal is this influence
that 1t seems impossible for the mil
}ennium to come until the devil Is
bound and not TIL then will earth
keep jubilee thousand years."