he addresses himself to the concerns of his soul, shall not see, that there is in him an impotence and reluctance, for which he cannot account, unless he acknowledge, what the Scripture so fully warns him of, a satanic agency.
But shall we be intimidated by this account, and induced to surrender ourselves to Satan without a conflict ? No. Formidable as he is, there is One above him, who circumscribes his powers, and limits his operations. He did, by God's permission, " cast some of the Ephesian church into prison, that they might be tried, for ten days* :" but, if he could have accomplished all that was in his heart, he would have cast them all into hell that they might perish for ever. So far from being irresistible, he may be resisted, yea, and vanquished too, by the weakest of God's saints.
To encourage you therefore to fight against him, we will shew,
II. How we may effectually withstand him —
The Apostle renews, though with some variation, the directions he gave before ; " not thinking it grievous to himself to repeat any thing that may conduce to our safetyf." St. Peter also was "careful to put Christians frequently in remembrance of many things, notwithstanding they knew them, and were established in the present truth g." Well therefore may we call your attention once more to the exhor- tation in the text. Indeed, if the putting on the whole armour of God was necessary to guard against the wiles of the devil, it can be no less necessary as a preservative against his power : and the exhortation enforced by this new consideration, cannot reasonably be thought an uninteresting repetition.
But we shall have no need to repeat any former observations, seeing that what is new in the exhor- tation, will afford abundant matter for profitable, and seasonable, remark.
e Rev. ii. 10. f Phil. iii. 1. 82 Pet. i. 12.