Section 3: First Device

Section 3

Satan’s Devices to Keep Souls from Holy Duties,

To Hinder Souls in Holy Services,

& to Keep Them Off from Religious Performances

Device 1 – Satan dresses up the world in such a way that it entraps and wins a person’s affections.  He presents the world in all its finery, which proves a bewitching sight to a world of men.  He tried this with Christ but could find nothing in Him for his temptation to work upon (Mt. 4:8-10). How many people have followed hard after God for a time until the devil beguiles them with the world’s finery and they start to neglect holy duties and eventually turn their back on them altogether (2 Timothy 4:10). Where a thousand have been destroyed by the world’s frowns, ten thousand have been destroyed by its smiles.  

First Remedy – To think on the impotency and weakness of things below.  A crown of gold cannot cure a headache.  Our own experience proves this when we see that all the riches and fame that men enjoy cannot keep them from common infirmities.  We also notice that great wealth cannot keep a man from falling into poverty.  Why then should something that cannot give you true comfort and security on earth keep you from gaining entrance to heaven?

Second Remedy – To think not only upon the impotency but the vanity of things below.  This is the sum of Solomon’s message in Ecclesiastes, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” He had tried all of these things and was able to pronounce with authority that anything but the fear of God was vanity (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  There are many thousands who would profess to agree with Solomon’s words, yet chase after these things as though there were nothing more glorious.  John Chrysostom once said that if he had an opportunity to gather the whole world before him, he would stand on a mountain and preach Psalm 4:2, “O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?”

If you say that you believe that the things of this world are vanity, why do you spend more time on thoughts of the world than on Christ, heaven and eternity? Why do you neglect your duty toward God to gain the world? Why are you so fervent in pursuing the world and so cold in your pursuit after God, Christ and holiness? Why are you so happy when the world smiles at you and so dejected when it frowns upon you? 

Third Remedy – To think often about the uncertainty and changeableness of all things here below.  Man himself is but a vapor (James 4:14), The Scriptures constantly remind us not to trust in the fleeting treasures of this world, which is itself only temporary.  Consider Proverbs 23:4-5, “Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it.  When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.” Again, 1 Corinthians 7:31, “and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.” Paul gave Timothy this instruction concerning rich men, “charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” 

As a bird hops from tree to tree, so do riches and fame hop from man to man. Where is the glory of Solomon today?  Where are the palaces of Nebuchadnezzar?  Where is the power of Alexander? Where is the authority of Caesar?  Those that had the most glory in life have often come to the most inglorious ends.  

Fourth Remedy – remember that the things of this world are dangerous to both the inner and outer man due to the corruptions of the heart.  A wealthy man’s riches are a strong tower in his imagination (Psalm 30:6).  They very often swell the heart with pride and make men forget and neglect God. Consider Moses’ pronouncement in Deuteronomy 32:15, or God’s sobering assessment of Judah’s once faithful King Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:16).  Even honestly gained riches are like manna; those that gathered less had no want, and those that gathered more than they needed daily found it a trouble and annoyance to them.  

Fifth Remedy – Remember that all the happiness of this world is mixed.  Our light is mixed with darkness, our joy with sorrow, our pleasure with pain, our honor with dishonor and our riches with wants.  Sorrow accompanies worldly joy, danger accompanies worldly safety, loss accompanies our labors and tears accompany our worldly purposes.  To chase after these things is to chase after vain hope and counterfeit joy.  

Sixth Remedy – Get better acquainted with and become assured of better and more glorious things. Consider the faithful of Hebrews 10-11.  That which lifted up their spirits to rise above this world was the assurance of better things.  They were looking for a city whose architect and maker was God.  This caused them to count all the glory of this world as something too contemptible to set their hearts upon.  The riches of heaven are the Holy Spirit, adoption, justification, remission of sin, and peace with God; these triumph over the riches of this life and the favor of men.  Those that become acquainted with the goods of the throne will easily trample on the goods of the footstool.  How much wiser is the man who works to acquire the things of eternity that will yield joy in life and peace in death!  Assurance of glorious things will breed in the soul a holy scorn and contempt of all the trivial things we valued before we met Christ.  

Seventh Remedy – Consider that true happiness and satisfaction is never to be had in the enjoyment of worldly goods.  The angels in heaven experience perfect happiness and blessedness yet they do not have the things of this world.  If happiness was to be found in these things, the Lord Jesus, who is the heir of all things, would have exchanged his cradle for a crown.  Will honor, riches, or the admiration of men comfort you when you die or will it be faith in the blood of Christ, the witness of the Spirit of Christ, the love and favor of Christ and the hope of reigning eternally with Christ? Happiness cannot be found in those things that cannot satisfy the soul of man, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). 

Eighth Remedy – Consider the worth of the soul.  The soul of man is worth more than a thousand worlds.  It is the height of folly to let it dwell upon the fading glory of this world when it is capable of union with Christ, of communion with the Father, and of enjoying an eternal vision of God.  Seneca once said, “I am too great and born to greater things than that I should be a slave to bodily passions.”

So much time has been spent on the remedies against this device of Satan because he usually does more harm to men by this one than all others.  We would be wise to always keep these words before us, “Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11).  Don’t let the things of this world keep you from the holy and heavenly services that will make you blessed while you live and happy when you die.  Blessed are they who prefer Christ’s spirituals and eternals above all temporary and transitory things.