Is the Devil a Myth?Wimberly, C. F. (Charles Franklin)
Religion
Is the Devil a Myth?
Wimberly, C. F. (Charles Franklin)
Devil; Good and evil
The great religious reformers since Paul's day have left a similar
testimony concerning this terrestrial enemy; his personality has never
been questioned by men who were positive powers in the realm of spiritual
warfare. After Martin Luther had produced a nation-wide reformation,
having been delivered from the bondage of a Benedictine monk by a
revelation to his own soul that the "just shall live by faith," he
declared: "Satan semper mehi dixit falsum dogma." Shall we deny the oft
told story that Luther threw his inkstand at them (demons) when they
actually appeared unto him in person? Is it unreasonable? They were
alarmed at his triumphs, and wanted to terrify him. The kingship of Satan
in the under world and upper world are Bible statements; his kingship in
the world about us is a Bible fact confirmed by human testimony.
XXIV
THE DEVIL'S HANDMAIDEN
"Be not drunk on wine wherein is excess, but be ye filled with the
Spirit."--_Ephesians v. 18._
"No drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God."--_1 Corinthians vi.
10._
The fallen Lucifer knew from the beginning that his work must necessarily
be in competition with the Son of God; therefore he has invested his
genius to originate a duplicate for all that Christ has done for us.
Knowing that the letter killeth, but the spirit maketh alive, he seeks to
furnish all the appearances, and as far as possible duplicate experiences:
Reformation without repentance; conviction without conversion; conversion
without regeneration; membership without adoption; baptism with water
without the baptism of the Holy Ghost; physical and emotional pleasure
without the "joy of salvation."
The prophet Isaiah exhorts the people to say: "Praise the Lord," and,
"with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation," and, "Cry out and
shout, thou inhabitant of Zion, etc." The Psalmist, also, gives out a
continuous stream of joyous praise. In all ages people have at sundry
times and places shouted out the joy of the Lord. This emotional
expression is by no means the only test of experimental salvation, as
nothing honours God so much as simple, unemotional faith; but there are
times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. This contrast of
emotional experience we wish to examine.
We must keep in mind the bitter rivalry between the Prince of light, and
the Prince of darkness. The heart of a contest of this character is the
expulsive power of the one over against the other. Satan studies
assiduously every experience, every angle of advancement of Christ's
kingdom, and proceeds to furnish a duplicate. He knows that the followers
of Jesus often rejoice with a fullness of joy--unspeakable, as it were; to
meet this, he soon discovered that the exhilaration of drunkenness
produced a splendid expulsive power. He proposes and promises his
followers all the joys furnished by his rival; however pleasant they are
always shams, and "at last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an
adder."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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