Disappearance of the Devil.
It is a common ruse among noted bandits to circulate a report that the bandit is dead. The people in the vicinity of former raids begin to feel at ease, grow careless of goods and person, and the bandit makes a new raid with old-time success. So the devil has worked. He first of all disgusted the world with stories of horns and hoofs and cloven foot and barbed tail, till the educated and philosophical rejected it all, and the world is coming to believe that there is no devil. They did well to reject the stories of grotesque appearance, but they are making a fearful mistake in ignoring the fact that he is. But this goes with other Bible stories, and the Bible will eventually go with it in the minds of those who disregard its plainest teachings. For if anything is clearly taught in God's Word, it is that there is a personal adversary of God, of His people, of all good, who controls evil spirits, or demons; these seduce and possess the men who will yield to their influence. Of course the devil is pleased to have it so. As men progress in this belief, the next declaration will be that there is no evil and no sin, and hence no Saviour. There is a devil, “who, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” But praise God, there is also One mighty to save, and able to deliver us from all the snares of the devil. Jesus, the Son of God, met the great spiritual adversary, met all his wiles, all his power, and conquered in all for us, and conquered forever. The victory is ours now, if we will accept it by faith.