p. 8 | SUBTLETY OF SATAN by E. Hilliard

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 10, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 44.

SUBTLETY OF SATAN.

By E. Hilliard

BY E. HILLIARD.

THE arch deceiver of the human family has had a long experience in beguiling the children of men. He has learned when one plan fails to immediately lay another with more devilish sagacity. Having been engaged in this for the uninterrupted period of nearly six thousand years, no class of men, no matter how intelligent and educated, are able of themselves to detect and escape his delusions. Our first parents, with giant minds, pure and perfect in their Eden home, were completely deceived and overcome by him, and this, too, after they had been faithfully warned of this subtle foe.

Let us briefly notice how Satan profits by his failures, and also how completely he is overcome when he undertakes to measure strength and wisdom with Christ.

When Paul and Barnabas were at Paphos in the Isle of Cypress, Sergius Paulus called for them and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer opposed them, and tried to turn Sergius Paulus away from the faith. But Paul rebuked him sharply in the name of the Lord:—

“Then Saul (who also is called Paul), filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, and said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.” Acts 13:9-11.

The powerful workings of the Lord astonished Sergius Paulus, and caused him to believe and accept the faith. Satan was defeated and cheated of his prey. His agent through whom he worked to deceive was disabled through blindness, and the cause of truth, for which Christ shed his blood, triumphed over the powers of darkness.

The next time that Satan encountered Christ’s work through Paul he changed his tactics. It was when Paul was at Philippi. It appears that a damsel followed them to the house of prayer, crying:—

“These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.” Acts 16:17, 18.

Instead of opposing, as at Paphos, he influenced his instrument to join with the servants of God. By doing this he thought he could better deceive the people. But again Satan lost his agent, and learned that this plan was just as unsuccessful as open opposition. He could not deceive the Spirit of God. Nevertheless the arch deceiver, with determined purpose and invincible will, followed closely upon the track of this faithful apostle.

When Paul was in the school of Tyrannus, God wrought special miracles by the hand of his faithful servant. The sick received handkerchiefs or aprons from the body of Paul, and their diseases departed from them, and evil spirits went out of them. Satan was losing his prey, and immediately planned to deceive the people. This time he had a much stronger force. Several of the vagabond Jews and the seven sons of Sceva engaged in the work.

“Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.” Acts 19:13, 14.

They were particular to mention the name of Jesus and Paul. This would cause the people to think that they were of the same faith as Paul. The evil spirits answered these sons of Sceva and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?” The man out of whom they ordered the evil spirit leaped on them, and overcame them, so those seven sons were stripped of their clothing, and left that house naked and wounded.

This time Satan went a little farther than to call Paul and his companions servants of God; he undertook to do work in harmony with Paul in the name of Jesus. But the defeat was more complete and the penalty more severe.

While it is true that Satan’s power is too strong for fallen humanity, and his plans too deeply laid to be discovered by a sin-blinded mind, Christ is too wise, too powerful, and too merciful to allow him the victory over a soul that trusts in him. If we have failed—been overcome—it is because we departed from Christ, our Strength, and placed ourselves upon Satan’s ground. If we have yielded to the subtle tempter, let us not be discouraged, but renew the battle in the name of Him who so easily conquers this arch deceiver. We read the following encouraging words in “Steps to Christ”:—

“We shall often have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes; but we are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God. No; Christ is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”

If we fall under the power of the fiendish deceiver, we need not remain there. Jesus pleads for us and will in his infinite love release us. When again set free, we should pray more fervently, believe more fully, and watch more closely.

Brainerd, Minn.