[He was once as bright a morning star as any in heaven. But he rebelled against the Most High, and incurred his dis- pleasure0. Full of hatred against God, he sought to efface his image from our first parents. Through subtlety he prevailed to the destruction of them and usd. Nor does he cease to assault those who through grace are restored.]
He desires to agitate and distress them —
[This is evidently implied in the expression in the text. He has various ways of effecting his purpose. He may harass us with temptations and persecutions : he may perplex us by artful insinuations and suggestions. His efforts were exerted against all the Apostles e: but the more eminent any are, the more they are hated by him. Peter was distin- guished for his knowledge and intrepidity1: yea, he had had a peculiar honour conferred on himg. On this account Satan's malice raged against him more especially.]
But his ultimate end is to prove them hypocrites, or to make them apostates —
[This was evidently his design in assaulting Jobh, and in asking permission to try the Disciples1. Nor would he leave one faithful person upon earth. " As a roaring lion he seeks to devour all". He can do nothing indeed but by Divine permission k: but if suffered to fulfil all his will, he would destroy every soul. His influence on the herd of swine shews what he would do to men1 : not one vassal of his would escape the fate of Judas"1.]
But God has not left his people without means of resistance —
II. Our security from his assaults —
God has both armed his people for the combat, and given them a great Deliverer —
Faith is the grace whereby he enables us to main- tain our stand —
[It was by faith that we were translated from Satan's
c 2 Pet. ii. 4. d 2 Cor. xi. 3. e 'Y/iag.
f Matt. xvi. 16. s Matt. xvi. 18. h Jobi. 9, 11. and ii. 5.
1 'E^jji-TJcaro seems to imply a kind of challenge, as in the case of Job, wherein he undertook to prove them to be but chaff, if God would suffer him to make the trial.
k He could not afflict Job more than God saw fit to suffer him : nor could he enter into the swine without our Saviour's permission, Matt. viii. 31.
1 Matt. viii. 32. m Compare Luke xxii. 3. with Matt, xxvii. 5.