IN our talk last week, dear children, we were speaking of the great enemy of souls, and how sin, sorrow and death had come into the world because Adam and Eve had listened to him and through him, were led to disobey God. Now, this great enemy, Satan, was not willing to stop when he had brought misery and ruin to Adam and Eve. He has been busy ever since, trying to lead people astray; he attacks old and young, and he will be pretty sure to come to you.
What would you do if he would come to you? Do you think you would run away from him? That would not do, for it would only make him bolder and he would pursue you. What could you do then? Would it be right to strive with him? It is not right to strive and fight with your playmates; God is not pleased with this, and He is not pleased when men take the sword and go forth to fight with their fellow men. He says, “they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” But, if it was right to stand against Satan, how could you, a little child, meet such a powerful foe—stronger than thousands of men put together? I once asked some sunday school children this question and a little boy quickly raised his hand; “and what would you do, Gerald?” I asked. “I would blow him up with gun powder,” was Gerald’s reply.
This dear child was very earnest and evidently thought he had hit upon a plan to vanquish the dreadful foe; he did not know that all the gun powder in the world would have no effect upon Satan, because he is a spiritual foe, whom God calls “the prince of the power of the air”—a “wicked spirit” that could not be hurt by any common weapon.
But it is right to withstand this evil one, and there is a way in which it can be done; there is, too, a weapon to be used against him, and it is one which even a little child can handle. That weapon is a sword—not a sword made of steel, such as men use when they war with one another, but a sword that Satan cannot resist. It is “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” May be you will think that is a strange kind of a sword, but when you learn to use it, you will find it has great power.
A sunday school teacher asked her class of little scholars what they would say to Satan if he tried to get them to play with children who used bad words. A number of hands went up, and a bright little girl of five years was called upon for the answer. She said, “I would say to him, “My Son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” Prov. 1:1010My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. (Proverbs 1:10).
That dear child was learning to use the sword of the Spirit, before which Satan cannot stand. And it is what I wish every boy and girl who reads this paper could learn the use of.
It was with this sword that the Lord Jesus overcame Satan when He was tempted of him in the wilderness. Jesus was very hungry, for He had not eaten anything for nearly six weeks, and Satan went to Him and told Him to command the stones to be made into bread. Jesus, who is God, could quickly have done this, and thus have shown His power and satisfied His hunger, but He would not act without the word from God the Father.
He did not, like Eve, do what Satan had proposed; He knew the character of His dreadful foe, and He met him with the sword of the Spirit; He said “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Jesus would wait for the word from God before He would satisfy His hunger.
Three times Satan tried to lead Jesus into-what would not be pleasing to God, but each time, Jesus took the sword of the Spirit and met him with, “It is written”—and then Satan left him.
Do you understand, dear children? Do you think you can meet Satan with the sword? Suppose he comes and tries to make you put out your hand to take what does not belong to you, telling you no one will see or know anything about it! Could you answer him no, for it is written, “Thou shalt not steal?”
Suppose he tempts you to do what your parents have told you not to do; could you say to him, no, for it is written, “Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord”? Suppose he tries to make you tell a lie—could you say to him, Oh! no, for “All liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone!” If you can meet him thus, you will be using the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, and you will gain the victory. R.
ML 10/15/1899