Contrasts between the Holy Spirit and the spirit of evil: 1. The dove, and the serpent; 2. the father of lies, and the Spirit of truth; 3. men possessed by dumb spirits, and men given wonderful utterance in diverse tongues; 4. the murderer from the beginning, and the life-giving Spirit, who regenerates the soul and quickens our mortal bodies; 5. the adversary, and the Helper; 6. the slanderer, and the Advocate; 7. Satan’s sifting, and the Master’s winnowing; 8. the organizing intelligence and malignity of the evil one, and the Holy Spirit’s combination of all the forces of matter and mind to build up the kingdom of God; 9. the strong man fully armed, and a stronger than he; 10. the evil one who works only evil, and the holy One who is the author of holiness in the hearts of men. The opposition of evil angels, at first and ever since their fall, may be a reason why they are incapable of redemption. (_b_) They hinder man’s temporal and eternal welfare,—sometimes by exercising a certain control over natural phenomena, but more commonly by subjecting man’s soul to temptation. Possession of man’s being, either physical or spiritual, by demons, is also recognized in Scripture. Control of natural phenomena is ascribed to evil spirits in _Job 1:12, 16, 19_ and _2:7_—“_all that he hath is in thy power_”—and Satan uses lightning, whirlwind, disease, for his purposes; _Luke 13:11, 16_—“_a woman that had a spirit of infirmity ... whom Satan had bound, lo, these eighteen years_”; _Acts 10:38_—“_healing all that were oppressed of the devil_”; _2 Cor. 12:7_—“_a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me_”; _1 Thess. 2:18_—“_we would fain have come unto you, I Paul once and again; and Satan hindered us_”; _Heb. 2:14_—“_him that had the power of death, that is, the devil._” Temptation is ascribed to evil spirits in _Gen. 3:1_ _sq._—“_Now the serpent was more subtle_”; _cf._ _Rev. 20:2_—“_the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan_”; _Mat. 4:3_—“_the tempter came_”; _John 13:27_—“_after the sop, then entered Satan into him_”; _Acts 5:3_—“_why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?_” _Eph. 2:2_—“_the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience_”; _1 Thess. 3:5_—“_lest by any means the tempter had tempted you_”; _1 Pet 5:8_—“_your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour._”