Bible Commentaries
Luke 11

Verses 13-26

Satan's Strategies against the Son of God

INTRODUCTORY WORDS

The Scripture chosen for this study describes a continual conflict which existed between Christ and Satan. The Lord Jesus is the "Stronger Man" of this Scripture, while Satan himself is the "strong man." The strong man is endeavoring to put his hand upon men, however, the real strategy of Satan is centered against the Son of God. Everything beloved of the Son is hated by Satan, and is opposed by him. Our Scripture gives us, however, positive assurance that the Stronger Man will overcome the strong man, and take from him his armor wherein he trusted, dividing the spoils.

When Jesus Christ came on the scene the demons trembled before Him, and He cast them, out with a word. Satan himself, was not so easily vanquished. Conflict between him and the Lord began far back in history. It focused its fury against the Lord during the period of Christ's earthly life. Although Satan was vanquished by the Lord, he was not altogether conquered. His work continues to this hour with deadliest intent, and amazing force against the Church which is Christ's Body. Thus Satan will continue until, finally, he is cast into the pit of the abyss.

We wish to suggest a few things which lead up to Satan's direct conflict against the Son of God.

1. Satan and creation. When God first created the heavens and the earth. He created them not waste and void; therefore we take it that Genesis 1:2 describes God's curse upon the original creation. This judgment and its cataclysmic catastrophe was brought about, we have no doubt, as a sentence upon Satan for his pre-historic activities against the Almighty.

2. The first murderer. When Cain rose up against his brother he must have been empowered of the devil. We read that Satan was a murderer from the beginning, and the murder of Abel was in the beginning so far as man's history is concerned.

3. Satan in Noahic days. As we see the whole earth by sin, we cannot fail to grasp something of Satan's mighty power against the race. Even the fallen angels who are under Satan's sway, had much to do with man's pitiful state at the time of the flood.

4. Satan and Babel. The spirit that prompted the sons of men to build the Tower of Babel was the spirit of pride. This spirit came from Satan's maneuvering. He is the consummation of all that lifts itself up against God.

5. Satan and Babylon. Satan had entrenched himself in the heart of Nebuchadnezzar and his great city which dominated the first world empire. It is not difficult to see in Nebuchadnezzar's boastfulness the spirit of the devil. Thus we could go on through the history of the Old Testament, and we would find Satan ever active against God and God's world.

I. SATAN AND THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS (Matthew 2:16-18 )

The twelfth chapter of Revelation describes the dragon standing before the woman ready to devour her child as soon as it was born. This Scripture gives a secondary reference to the Lord Jesus, and it refers incidentally, and, in its backward look, to the time when Satan sought to slay the infant, Christ, as soon as He was born.

How did it happen? Herod had inquired diligently of the wise men where Christ was to be born. He did this under pretext of going down to worship Him. Herod's real objective was, however, that he might slay the holy Infant.

During the centuries Satan had endeavored to make impossible the birth of the promised Seed of the woman. Now, that the Seed was born, and the annunciation of the angels had been made, Satan entered into Herod.

The result was Herod's edict that in all Judea every male child from two years of age and under should be killed. Thus it happened that "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children."

Satan's strategy failed because God, by night, gave Joseph warning saying, "Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."

We can learn a great lesson here. The slaughter of the "innocents" was undertaken in order to slay Mary's holy Babe, not because Satan or Herod had ought against the "kiddies" in Judea. Thus we see that Satan's attack against the saints is, in reality, an attack against the Son of God. For His sake we are counted as "sheep for the slaughter."

II. SATAN AND THE WILDERNESS TEMPTATION (Matthew 4:3-4 )

From the slaughter of the innocents unto the temptation in the wilderness there lay a period of thirty years. During most of that time Christ had been shielded from the attack of the enemy. He had dwelt with His mother and with Joseph in the city of Nazareth, and had followed the carpenter's trade. Now, however, Christ had gone to the river, Jordan, where He was baptized of John.

After His baptism He stood, and lo, the Heavens were opened, and a voice from Heaven said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The effect of this voice was startling, indeed, so far as the Satan dominated principalities and powers of the air were concerned.

Satan immediately was forced by the Spirit to meet the Son of God face to face.

The conflict took place in the wilderness whence the Spirit led the Lord. The temptation followed along the general lines of the temptation which overcame the first Adam. Christ was tempted from the viewpoint of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. To every thrust of Satan He was impervious. He proved Himself to be not only the all-conquering Christ, but the impeccable Son of God. In each case of the threefold testing Christ met Satan with the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Thus, He threw down His enemy and vanquished him. In this victory Christ did not achieve our redemption, but He proved Himself to be the Son of God worthy of all praise, and a possible Saviour.

Let us comfort our hearts with the fact that we have a Lord who conquered Satan, and who leads us in the train of His triumph and makes us more than conquerors.

III. SATAN AND THE HILL AT NAZARETH (Luke 4:29 )

After the temptation in the wilderness Jesus Christ went into the city of Nazareth where He had been brought up as a youth. As He entered into the synagogue, He took from the attendant the scroll of the Prophets, and began to read these words: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."

Having closed the Book He began to speak from these words. At first the people marveled at His gracious message. However, as the Master proceeded, He evidently began to speak of how Satan had imprisoned the people and blinded them to the truth of the glory of God. It was because of this that He told them that He had come to open the prison doors, and to set them free. Immediately the people were enraged against Him, and they led Him to the brow of the hill upon which the Temple was built that they might cast Him off and kill Him.

In all of this we plainly see Satan trying to do away with the Lord Jesus; he would have killed Him if he could.

From the pinnacle of the Temple he had already asked Christ to cast Himself down. Now, from the brow of the hill he was intent on thrusting the Lord over and down to His physical destruction. With majestic power, however, the Lord quietly moved away leaving Satan, and the Satan-dominated crowd, amazed at the power of the Man of Calvary.

Shall we not once more take comfort? No weapon raised against us can prosper. The Lord is saying, "Because I live, ye shall live also." He offers His life as security for ours and that sufficeth.

IV. SATAN AND THE GALILEE STORM (Luke 8:23-24 )

As the disciples, accompanied by the Master, were crossing the Sea of Galilee the Lord, being weary, lay soundly sleeping in the boat. As He slept a tremendous storm came rushing down from the hills, and fell upon the lake turning it into the madness of fury.

The boat was about to sink, as it was rapidly filling with water. Peter awoke the Master, saying, "Master, Master, we perish." With nothing of fear, yea, without a shadow of worry, the Master quietly arose. He rebuked His disciples with the words, "Where is your faith?" Then He held up His hand, and addressing the waves and the winds said: "Peace be still" (Mark 4:39 ).

We read that "there was a great calm." Who was it, think you, had whipped those waves into madness? Satan, realizing that he could not cope with Christ while awake, sought to attack Him while He was asleep. Perhaps Satan thought: "While Christ is unawares, I will sweep down with Euroclydon force against the little boat, and overwhelm the Son of God. This, however, Satan could not do, yea, nor can he do it now.

We who sail the sea of life need have no fear so long as the Lord rides with us in the boat. Storms may come and storms may go, but God's children go on forever.

There hath no temptation, no attack from Satan, overtaken us, but that God is able to deliver us. Yea, and He will deliver those who put their faith in Him.

A little girl, seeing a picture of Christ asleep in the boat, said: "I wouldn't have been afraid as long as Jesus was there." Why, then, should we fear?

V. SATAN AND THE CRUCIFIXION (Colossians 2:15 )

As the three years of Christ's ministry came to their close the clouds darkened deeply over the Master's head. The thunders began to roll, as the lightning" flashed across the sky of His life. All men seemed set against Him. Those who had eaten of His loaves and fishes joined with the rabble in seeking His death. In the upper room the Lord finally sat with His disciples, saying, "The hour is come; behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners." Then it was that Satan entered into Judas, and Judas went to the scribes and Pharisees and sold his Lord for thirty pieces of silver.

Out into the Garden of Gethsemane the traitor led the haters of the Son of God. From thence the Lord Jesus was led to Caiaphas and Annas, and then to Pilate in the judgment hall. Plainly we see demonized men, Satan-driven, centering themselves against the Son of God. Surely that night was a devil-filled night. Christ said it was their hour and the power of darkness. When finally the ordeal before Herod and Pilate had passed; when the anguish of the whipping-post was over; when the crushing weight of the Cross under which He fainted was behind Him, and when the Son of God was upon the Cross numbered with the transgressors, with the principalities and power of the air commandeered by Satan, and Satan-energized and driven men all gathered with one heart and mind against the Son of God and God, the Son. Then the Lord all alone met them and vanquished them triumphing over them in it. In His seeming hour of defeat, He wrought His greatest victory.

VI. SATAN AND THE ASCENSION (Ephesians 1:19-20 )

We would have thought that Satan would have given up the fight with the bruising of His head at Calvary, but no he is determined to press on against every obstacle and every power. Satan is still the prince of the power of the air, for we read in Ephesians that Jesus Christ ascended up far above all principalities and powers, and took His seat at the right hand of God.

We cannot for a moment believe that He went up above those principalities and powers, unopposed. If ever there is to be a war in heaven, there was one then. He who went up above principalities and powers went up through them. The very fact that He sat down at the Father's right hand with Satan and his forces under His feet is sufficient proof that He is reckoned a Victor.

The twenty-fourth Psalm may be indeed the Psalm of Christ's Return, but we love to think of it in its relation to His ascension. Hear the words, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in."

This was the cry of the ascending hosts who accompanied our Lord on His upward way. Down from the parapets of Heaven came the response: "Who is this King of Glory?" The second call given by the ascending hosts is: "The Lord mighty in battle"! Do these words not have a reference beyond Christ's conflict, and victory over Satan in the wilderness of temptation, in His earth life, and in the conflict at the Cross? Do they not strongly suggest the conflict in the skies as the Lord ascended, a conflict where the Lord proved Himself strong and mighty in battle?

One thing we know: that the Lord Jesus Christ now sits with the Father, a Victor, and He is able and willing to lead us in the train of His triumph, and to acclaim us more than conquerors because of His own conquest.

VII. SATAN AND THE SECOND COMING (Revelation 12:7-9 )

When the Lord Jesus Christ went up into Heaven, He went up above principalities and powers above the air and all of its forces. When the Lord Jesus Christ descends from Heaven into the air, Satan must be cast down to the earth, inasmuch as it would be impossible for Christ to dwell in the same realm where Satan rules. Our text describes this war in Heaven. The first battle in the air was as Christ went up; the second is as Christ comes down.

We read that Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought against Michael.

We remember that there had been another conflict in the skies when Michael contended with the devil over the body of Moses. That seemed to be in the nature of a dual between the mighty archangel, Michael, and the mighty fallen angel, Satan. When Christ comes again, however, the conflict will be enlarged, Michael will be joined by his angels, and the dragon, by his angels. Satan will not prevail, but will be cast down to the earth.

A warning will then be sounded to the people inhabiting the earth: "Now is come salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night." Then the voice will add: "Rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."

Thus do we read of the great battle wherein Satan once more will meet defeat. It is not, however, until the end of the Millennium that Satan is altogether overcome. At the beginning of the thousand years, a great angel will lay hold upon him, chain him, and cast him into the abyss! After the Millennium Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, where he will forever be shut out from God, and God's children, and God's universe.

AN ILLUSTRATION

During the war of the sixties, Mr. Seward, Secretary of War under Mr. Lincoln, said something like this: "We will whip the South in just six months." The reason he spoke thus, was because he had not rightly judged either the strength or the vitality of the South. He did not know what the South was made of. So it is, that when you go out and fight against the devil you may imagine that you have a little battle on hand, and you will not therefore be fully prepared to meet your enemy. The devil is not merely a myth. I believe in the old-fashioned devil; I don't mean that he is old-fashioned at all, he is up-to-date. I mean that I believe in the old-fashioned Bible story of the devil, a literal devil, a devil of marvelous and unspeakable power. It is of that devil we speak today.

Verses 14-26

The Strong Man and the Stronger

INTRODUCTORY WORDS

The whole scope of this study is centered in the strength of the Stronger Man, superabounding over the strength of the strong man. That is, Satan is strong, but Christ is stronger. By way of introduction we suggest two things:

1. The might and power of Satan, the strong man. Michael was one of God's chief angels, and yet, when contending with the devil about the body of Moses, he "durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee." Among men we often hear Satan belittled. He is called the "old-scratch," and the "bad-man," and "old nick." Little children are taught that they must look out or the "bad-man" will get them, as though they, themselves, in their own strength, could conquer him providing they were good. We know very well that if Michael needed to call upon God to meet Satan's power, that it is folly for us to belittle him.

2. The supremacy of the might and power of Christ, the Stronger Man. If Satan were stronger than Christ, what hope have we? But, since Christ is stronger than Satan, we have no cause for fear. Our Lord has promised to lead us in the train of His triumph. We are made more than conquerors in Him. All through the ages Satan has sought in every way to overcome God and His Christ. He has not done this, excepting in the wilderness temptation, or perhaps on the Cross, by personal combat. He has wrought, rather, by strategy, against God's creatures. He entered the Garden in order to deceive and to ensnare the first parents. He enticed Cain away from God and his need of atonement.

It is not difficult to trace the mark of the serpent through the ages. Sometimes it seems as though he was almost victor. He certainly has strewn the world with wreckage, but in spite of it all, there is a Stronger Man than he.

Christ met the devil in the wilderness and vanquished him, casting him back into the lair of his defeat. Christ met Satan throughout a three-year ministry and was always supreme. He cast out evil spirits; He laid low the power and prowess of the devil. Christ met Satan on the Cross and utterly spoiled him, triumphing over him. Christ met Satan, in His ascension, but passed up through principalities, and powers, and the world rulers of this present darkness, taking His seat at the right hand of God, far above them. Christ will Come Again and Satan will be bound. Finally, at the end of the thousand years, the Lord Jesus will cast Satan into the lake of fire for evermore.

I. THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST OVER DEMONS (Luke 11:14 )

The opening verse of our study reads: "And He was casting out a devil." We do not know to what extent demons may possess men today. We do know that when Christ was on earth there were many who were demon-possessed, and there were many from whom He cast out demons. We have this thought that if Christ were moving around in the midst of the masses today, there are many people who would be found to be demon-possessed. We remember how, on one occasion, a certain man tried to cast out demons. The evil spirit, however, said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?" Accordingly, it seems to us that the reason demons are not discerned in their ravages against the race is because there are but few saints who cause them fear.

This was a dumb man. No one, perhaps, would have dreamed that he was demon-possessed, and yet, when the demon was gone out, the dumb spake and the people wondered.

II. A CORRUPTING CHARGE (Luke 11:15-20 )

When Jesus cast out the demon that was dumb, some said, "He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of devils." Jesus knew their thoughts and He said, "Every Kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divideth against a house falleth." If Christ had been working under the authority and power of Satan, Satan would have been working against himself. This was a strange charge, therefore, which was made against the Son of God. Satan is too wise to spoil his own goods.

Jesus Christ also told these questioners that if He with the finger of God was casting out demons, no doubt the Kingdom of God was to come upon them. Think of it, the One who was able to deliver, was with them but they knew it not. They utterly failed to grasp the meaning of His miracles, and the mercy of His ministrations. He was there as the One who was able to deliver, but they charged Him as being Satan-sent and Satan-endued. In this they were coming grievously near that sin against the Holy Ghost for which there is no forgiveness. Let men beware lest they say that the work of the Spirit of God is the work of the devil. God forbid. This may be bordering on the unpardonable sin.

III. THE STRONG MAN ARMED (Luke 11:21 )

We immediately recognize Satan as the strong man. We wonder if we can as readily recognize the armor wherewith he was armed, and the palace which he keeps?

If we would know the armor of the strong man, we should discover the methods by which he seeks to withstand the Lord, on the one hand, and with which he aggressively fights against the Lord, on the other hand.

We know the armor of the believer: his head bears the helmet of salvation; he wears the breastplate of righteousness; his loins are girded with truth; his feet are shod with peace; he holds aloft the shield of faith, and sways the Sword of the Spirit.

Satan's armor may be akin to these, but quite the opposite: his head wears the breastplate of the negation of salvation; doubts, skepticism, denials of Christ, compose his helmet.

Satan's breastplate may be a display of righteousness because he transforms himself into an angel of light, and his angels are ministers of unrighteousness. His righteousness is a standing rejection of the righteousness which is by faith, and of the need of the Blood.

Satan's girdle is lies. He knows nothing of the proclamation of truth. He was a liar from the beginning. He is the father of lies. His chief asset is to deceive the whole world with a lie.

Satan's feet are shod with the gospel of self-accomplishment. He knows nothing of the Gospel of peace in Christ. If Satan keeps his goods in peace, it is a false peace. He says peace, when there is no peace. The peace which Satan proclaims is a peace of death: it is the peace of one who is insensible to danger; the peace of an opiate.

Satan's shield is a shield of unbelief. Against it he thinks that every dart of truth must fall. He denies that God is; he denies that Christ is the Son of God. Satan rejects the Virgin Birth; the Substitutionary Work of Calvary; Satan ridicules the literal, bodily Resurrection of Christ. He mocks the personal corporal and visible Return of Christ. Satan's sword is the sword of the defamation of the Word of God. He wields the sword of Satanic wisdom; the sword of human scholarship moulded after the manner of his own genius. With error and negations of the truth of the inspired Word, he thinks to defame and destroy the authority of God. He indulges in false religions, based on the power of man, and glorying in the accomplishments of the flesh. He fights the faith under false statements put forth under the name of philosophy and science. This is the armor wherein he trusted.

IV. THE STRONG MAN'S PALACE AND GOODS (Luke 11:21 )

Where is it that Satan is enshrined? What is his palace? So far as this study is concerned, the hearts of men are the palace where Satan dwells, and the endowments of men, their mind, their will, their affections, etc., are the goods which he keeps in peace.

We need not be amazed that Christ gives this conception of Satan's palace. We who are saved, are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. We know how Christ said, "We will make Our abode with [you]." He and the Father both sup with us.

No marvel then if Satan may dwell within us. Of old he entered the serpent. The Bible distinctly says that Satan entered into Judas. Thus, in a sense, that is very real, the human life and heart is the palace that Satan keeps, and human lives with their endowments, are the goods which are his.

One other thing is worthy of note: Satan's goods are kept in peace. We may have wondered why the unsaved, following diverse lusts, and held in Satan's snares, are at peace, and yet, so it is. They think themselves secure; they know no fear; they are believing a lie; they are asleep under strong delusions; they are unconscious of their danger, because they are blinded to their real estate.

V. THE STRONGER THAN THE STRONG MAN (Luke 11:22 )

1. The Strong man overcome. Jesus Christ said once, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me * * to preach deliverance to the captives, * * to set at liberty them that are bruised."

Thank God we are not saved to be left dupes and slaves to Satan's sway! Satan can no longer subdue and hold captive the one who has met the Stronger than the strong man. The man of Gadara who was driven of the devil; the woman who was bound of the devil and bent double, alike, were delivered.

2. The strong man's armor taken away. When Christ comes in, Satan is robbed of his armor. The Christian finds himself truly set free. The darts of unbelief make no dent against his shield of faith. The slurs against the Blood make no inroads against his helmet of salvation. The devil, at every turn, finds the armor wherein he had trusted, useless, against a soul that is saved and satisfied in Christ.

Error fades away before the truth as shadows flee before the sun. Denials of Christ and His Deity, His Virgin Birth, His Vicarious Death, His Literal Resurrection, and Second Coming, succumb under the blessed indwelling realization of the Christ Himself.

3. The Stronger than the strong man dividing the spoils. Colossians reads: "Having spoiled principalities and powers, * * triumphing over them in it." Our text reads that He "divideth his spoils." The same blessed dividing of the spoils is set forth in Isaiah 53:12 "Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong."

Christ seems to be saying to us, "My victory is yours." All that My Cross accomplished is yours. My victory of death and hell is yours, for I hold in My hand the keys of death and hell. My ascension is yours "because I live, ye shall live also." Ye, too, shall ascend up through the clouds and be for ever with the Lord.

VI. A GREAT WARNING (Luke 11:23-25 )

The Lord Jesus gives a very striking illustration of the one who. seeks deliverance from the strong man without seeking His presence and power.

1. He described the unclean spirit going out of the man. We do not have the reason for his going out, given. Perhaps the man himself had, in remorse for his evil ways, made the "palace" (the heart and life) too uncomfortable for the unclean spirit. The man may have "resolved," or "signed the pledge." He may even have sought the Master's aid, and the spirit seeing Christ near had become affrighted and had gone away. Perhaps the man had sought the Lord's aid, and the Lord had driven him out.

2. He described the unclean spirit going about and seeking rest. Demons evidently desire to be housed in human lives. They do not want to be disembodied. Leaving one life, they seek another.

3. He described the unclean spirit as returning and finding the house, where he had formerly dwelt, both swept and garnished. The man had been delivered from the demon, and, as a result, he had cleaned up his life. The man, however, had made one great and fatal mistake. He had, perhaps, been delivered by the Lord Jesus, but he had not kept tryst with Christ. That is, he had not gathered with Christ. He had gotten the unclean spirit out, but he had not taken the Stronger One in. He was, indeed, reformed, but not regenerated; he had done many things, but had omitted the supreme thing.

VII. THE LAST ESTATE WORSE THAN THE FIRST (Luke 11:26 )

When the unclean spirit found his former house swept and garnished, but empty, he went and found seven other spirits worse than himself. Thus enforced, he pressed his barricade against the life of a man once demonized and then delivered. The eight demons forced their way into the life and he found himself altogether undone worse than he had been formerly.

We do not have the picture here of a man who is saved and then goes back into sin and loses his salvation. We have just what Christ said, a life once indwelt by an unclean spirit and then delivered and reformed, but finally more terribly demonized.

Let us not press the lesson beyond the plain teaching. The teaching is this: It is fatal for a life to expect complete and full deliverance from demoniac possession apart from the presence of Christ. There is none other who can cope with the power of Satan, but Christ. None other than the Stronger than the strong man, is able to cast out the strong man in a final and effective deliverance.

AN ILLUSTRATION

Our only hope of victory over the strong man is in Christ.

He who met the tempter and vanquished him will surely care for us when we are tempted.

Can we not see the Lord in the upper room as He prayed for His own?

Dr. Len. G. Broughton says:

"I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil." "I do not understand that this is so much a prayer for the keeping of their souls from final destruction. It seems to me that Jesus had already delivered Himself on that point. Back yonder in Solomon's Porch, Jesus, in speaking of His mission, said: "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand." I would not be dogmatic about this truth, and yet it does seem to me that this teaching lies at the very root of the deeper spiritual life. A soul once born from above is for ever passed beyond the destructive power of Satan. The life may be made a wreck, as is often the case, but I cannot believe that a soul once born, actually born again, is ever unborn. Such a thought so minifies God that I am not surprised that many people feel at liberty to trifle with Him. Jesus' prayer here is that they may be kept from the evil. What a comforting thought this should be to poor tempted humanity! Beloved in Christ, there is no need that we should yield to temptation, pleading the weakness of the flesh. The prayer of Christ is a guarantee of a way of escape. Ours is to appropriate what He by His prayer has provided. Ours is to surrender, to look up, to receive the benefits of this prayer. By faith we overcome temptation. Oh, tempest-tossed soul, art thou tired, and what is thy weakness? Is it appetite? He is thy drink. Is it greed? He is thy wealth. Is it passion? He is the "chiefest among ten thousand," the One "altogether lovely." Whatever the temptation, let us not forget that Jesus Christ desires that we shall be kept from the evil. And not only does this desire have to do with us when we are tempted, but has to do with us before the tempter comes. It is ours to appropriate the prayer of Jesus to be delivered from the tempter. Rowland Hill, the grand old preacher, used to pray every morning, "Don't let the devil tempt me to get mad today." This was only appropriating the prayer that Jesus Himself is making.