The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-02-17

tlOner Cnere was
some atmosphere or influence that
might contaminate him, and he is pray
ing that he might be delivered from
that contamination. The reyisers of
the Bible have rendered splendid serv-
ice in correcting the translation at that
point, and in the petition we read, ''de-
liver us from the evil one" Certainly
no scholarly Interpretation Of that
passage in the original language would
make 1t mean less than deliver us
from the evil"-the definite article in
dicating that personality is in mind,
and the translation Is therefore, as
we find 1t in the revised version, fully
justified.
If we would give any honor to the
Scriptures that give us the Lords
Prayer, we must give honor to the
Scriptures also that teach most clearly
concerning the existence, the character,
the work and the destiny Of the devil.
In the scripture devils, or demons, are
spoken Of very frequently. We find
also that there is a prince of the de-
mons, who is called the devil, or Sa-
tan, or, as in the Greek of the New
Testament, diabolos, the latter word
occurring 33 times. The use of the
term devil, or Satan, is very frequent,
as If there was no question Of the real
ity and the personality referred to, as,
for instance, in the first chapter Of
Job, in the Gospels, in the Acts Of the
Apostles and in the Epistles.
While the field of operation of the
devil is largely in the heavenly or up
per regions, 1t is also on this earth, as
is proved by Job IL and Peter SIS.
the latter passage EesEtfng, .'the devil,
as roaring lion, walketh about, seek
ing whom she may deyour." 1t is APP
propriate, therefore, that men pray,
deliver us from the evil one"
Granting that there is such being
on the earth, is he in dormant or
active state? The words just used,
inferring that he is walking about
seeking whom he may devour, would
prove that he is very alert. He is busy
every moment, and does not hesitate
to enter the most sacred places to do
his diab0llcal work. If a man is not
| stirred up to the commission Of some
God or man-offending sin, the devil is
just as busy when he keeps him from
being interested in some positively
| righteous action, The present slum-
Der of Gods people in all lands and
churches, is just as much the work of
| the devil as his activities in countries
ravaged by war. The devil takes
myriad forms in his operation, now
binding the eyes of men lest the light
of the glory Of the gospel Of Christ
who is the image of God, should shine
unto them; or, when he sees the truth
drop into some needy heart, he at once
takes it up, as the bird takes up the
SEED fallen on the beaten pathway; or
when he knows man is receiving the
truth, he Immediately comes to thai
man and sows the seeds of error In
his heart, so that he cannot bear the
proper fruit; or possibly, he finds one
Of Gods children, most active and eff
Gent, and he gets In his way as hi
did with Paul and his companions or
more than one occasion.
Few of those who are in the Bible
called the children of the devil appeal
to recognize their father. They con
stantly do his bidding and afterwards
reap the reward of his deception ant
malice. Those who have become thu
children of God by faith in Jesu
Christ, are aware of the personality o
the devil, and are given certain spe
cific instructions as to how to dea
with him. They are told to be vigilan
and that they are to resist him; whel
he Expresses them sometimes yer,
hard in order to crush them, they ar
told, not to yield to him; and as b
sometimes appears before them in
fighting attitude, they are told to figh
him.
Probably it may be well to conside
the devil as concerned in the affair
of men generally. All the evil In tn
world-war, cruelty, oppression, dis
honesty, unkindness, graft, suspicion
jealousy, etc.--directly come from th
devil, who is a powerful personal bf
ing hating God and man. His chic
spite is vented against Jesus Chris
1t is most delightful to know that
day is coming when the devil will b
bound. when Jesus will reign Oh tn
earth. After that day he will be u
terly cast out, and this world, no
cursed with the result of mans sii
will be a place of delight. not onl
with men but with beasts OF the Gel
and With all the creation M we kno
1t