Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 419
“Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8,9.
SATAN, who is called by various names in the Scriptures, all descriptive of his bad qualities, was once an angel of God— perhaps one of the chief among the fiery ones—
“Foremost of the sons of light, Midst the bright ones doubly bright.” Sin, all-destroying sin, which has made an Aceldama out of Eden, soon found inhabitants for Hell in Heaven itself, plucking one of the brightest stars of the morning from its sphere and quenching it in blackest night.
From that moment this evil spirit despairing of all restoration to his former glories and happiness has sworn perpetual hostility against the God of Heaven. He has had the audacity openly to attack the Creator in all His works. He stained creation. He pulled down man from the throne of Glory and rolled him in the mire of depravity. With the trail of the serpent he despoiled all Eden’s beauty and left it a waste that brings forth thorns and briers—a land that must be tilled with the sweat of one’s face. Not content with that—inasmuch as he had spoiled the first creation—he has incessantly attempted to despoil the second.
Man once made in the image of God, he soon ruined. Now he uses all his devices, all his crafts, all the power of his skill and all the venom of his malice to destroy twice-made man created in the image of Christ Jesus. With ceaseless toil and untiring patience he is ever occupied in endeavoring to crush the Seed of the woman. There is no believer in Christ, no follower of that which is true and lovely and of good repute, who will not find himself, at some season or other, attacked by this foul fiend and the legions enlisted in his service.
Now, behold your adversary. Yes, though you cannot see his face, or detect his form, believe that such a foe withstands you. It is not a myth, nor a dream, nor a superstitious imagination. He is as real a being as ourselves. Though a spirit, he has as much real power over hearts as we have over the hearts of others, no, in many cases far more. This is, I repeat it, no vision of the night—no phantom of a disordered brain. That wicked one is as sternly real this day as when Christ met him in deadly conflict in the wilderness of temptation. Believers now have to fight with Apollyon in the Valley of Humiliation.
Woe to the professors of godliness who are defeated by this deadly antagonist. They will find it a terrible reality in the world to come. Against this prince of darkness we utter afresh this morning the warning of the Apostle, “Whom resist steadfast in the faith.”
I shall now speak to four points. First of all, Satan’s incessant activity —“He walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Secondly, we will dwell awhile upon his terrible roaring. Thirdly, upon his ultimate aim, seeking to devour God’s people. And then, lastly, let us take up the exhortation of Peter—and show how Satan is to be overcome.
I. First then, SATAN’S PERPETUAL ACTIVITY. Only God can be omnipresent, hence, Satan can only be in one place at one time.
Yet, if you will consider how much mischief he does, you will easily gather that he must have an awful degree of activity. He is here and there and everywhere tempting us here and anon scattering his temptations in the countries which are antipodes to us—hurrying across the sea or speeding over the land. We have no means of asserting what are his means of flight. But we may easily infer from his being so constantly in all places that he must travel with inconceivable velocity. He has, besides, a host of fallen spirits who fell with him. This great dragon drew with his tail the third part of the stars of Heaven—and these are ready to execute his will and obey his behests, if not with the same potency and force which belongs by hereditary right to their great leader, still with something of his spirit, his malice and his cunning.
Think for awhile how active he must be! We know that he is to be found in every place! Enter the most hallowed sanctuary and you shall find him there. Go where men congregate upon the Exchange and you shall lack no signs of his being present there. Retire into the quietude of the family circle and you will soon detect in bickerings and jealousies that Satan has scattered handfuls of evil seed there. No less in the deep solitude of the hermit’s cave might you find the impress of his cloven foot. You shall sail from England to America and find him there amidst the clashing of swords.
You shall come back and journey across the mighty empire of Russia and find him there in the tyrant’s heart and perhaps, too, even in the enmity which is excited in the breasts of those who are oppressed. You shall go into the wilds where foot of Christian missionary never trod, but you shall find that Satan has penetrated into the far interior and tutored the untutored barbarian. You shall go where the name of Jesus is as yet unknown, but you shall find Satan having dominion there. He is the prince of the power of the air. Wherever the breath of life is inhaled the poisonous miasma of temptation is a thing familiar. They that dwell in the wilderness bow before him—the kings of Seba and of Sheba offer him gifts—yes and the dwellers in the isles acknowledge him too often as their king.