The Devil Knew He Could Wait

 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 6
Listen from:
2 Corinthians 11:14; 1 Peter 5:8
There is a story of an old Christian slave in the South whose master was an infidel. One day the master went duck-shooting with his slave, and turning on him sud­denly, he said,
“How is it, uncle, that the devil never tempts me, and always worries you? Why should he tempt a Christian more than an infidel?”
Before the slave could find an answer, a flock of ducks came within range and the master fired into them. He then directed the slave to hurry to secure the wounded birds first, and let those that were dead wait till last. When the slave returned to his master he had found his answer:
“You see, master, I reckon it is this way about the devil. He thinks I’m only a poor, wounded soul that he wants to make sure of first, but you are surely his, and so you can wait.”
There was a great deal to the old man’s reasoning. When a man is truly born of God, it seems as if every influence of evil is arrayed against him, and unless the work is genuine he will not stand. I know of a certain man who spoke against alcohol who was once a poor, wretched drunkard. A short time after his conversion he was asked to speak in his native town, and when he came on the stage it was found that liquor had been sprinkled about the floor in order that its fumes might tempt him to drink again.