Devil (23)
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The devil is a great student in divinity and makes no other use of his Scripture knowledge than may serve his turn by sophistry to do the Christian a mischief, either by drawing him into sin or into despair for sinning, like some wrangling barrister who gets what skill he can in the law merely to make him the more able to put honest men to trouble by his vexatious suit.
Watchful and suspicious ought we to be in spiritual concernments. We should study and be acquainted with Satan's wiles and policy. The apostle takes it for granted that Christians are not ignorant of his devices (2 Cor. 2:11). "The serpent's eye," as one saith, "would do well in the dove's head." The devil is a cunning pirate; he puts out false colors and ordinarily comes up to the Christian in the disguise of a friend.
God had but one Son without corruption, but He had none without temptation (Heb. 2:17–18). Pirates make the fiercest assaults upon those vessels that are most richly laden; so doth Satan upon those souls that are most richly laden with treasures of grace, with the riches of glory. Pirates let empty vessels pass and repass without assaulting them; so doth Satan let souls that are empty of God, of Christ, of the Spirit, of grace pass and repass without tempting or assaulting of them.
Satan's masterpiece is first to work Christians to blot and blur their evidences for glory by committing this or that heinous sin, and then his next work is to rob them of their evidences for glory that so, though at the long run they may get safe to heaven, that yet Jacob-like they may go halting and mourning to their graves. Satan knows that whilst a Christian's evidences are bright and shining, a Christian is temptation proof. Satan may tempt him, but he cannot conquer him; he may assault him, but he cannot vanquish him.
He bears you the greatest malice who are engaged to do him the greatest mischief. He has found, by experience, that to "smite the shepherd" is the most effectual means to "scatter the flock." You therefore shall have his most subtle insinuations, incessant solicitations, and violent assaults. Reformed Pastor
The devil's empire is confined to place as well as time: he is the ruler of this lower world, not of the heavenly. The highest the devil can go is the air, called the prince thereof, as being the utmost marches of his empire; he hath nothing to do with the upper world. Heaven fears no devil, and therefore its gates stand always open.
"Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days" (Rev. 2:10). Here are four remarkable limitations upon Satan and his agents in reference to the people of God: a limitation as to the persons—not all, but some; a limitation of the punishment—a prison, not a grave, not hell; a limitation upon them as to the end—for trial, not ruin; and lastly, as to the duration—not as long as they please, but ten days.
Adam's fall was the devil's masterpiece; to bring men into his own condemnation is the trophy he glories in.
The hell of devils belongs to [God's] authority. They have cast themselves out of the arms of His grace into the furnace of His justice. They have by their revolt forfeited the treasure of His goodness but cannot exempt themselves from the scepter of His dominion. When they would not own Him as a Lord Father, they are under Him as a Lord Judge. They are cast out of His affection but not freed from His yoke. He rules over the good angels as His subjects, over the evil ones as His rebels. Selections
Though the devil be the greatest scholar in the world, and though he have more learning than all the men in the world, yet there are many thousand secrets and mysteries in the gospel of grace that he knows not really, spiritually, feelingly, efficaciously, powerfully, thoroughly, and savingly.Privy Key of Heaven
The devil is not fighting religion. He's too smart for that. He is producing a counterfeit Christianity, so much like the real one that good Christians are afraid to speak out against it.
New Quotes
In handling this point of Satan's subtlety, we shall consider him in his two main designs and therein show you his wiles and policies. His first main design is to draw into sin. The second is to accuse, vex, and trouble the saint for sin.
Many have yielded to go a mile with Satan that never intended to go two, but when once on the way have been allured further and further, till at last they know not how to leave his company.
The Christian wrestles not with his naked corruptions, but with Satan in them. Were there no devil, yet we should have our hands full in resisting the corruptions of our own hearts, but the access of this enemy makes the battle more terrible because he heads them, who is a captain so skillful and experienced. Our sin is the engine, Satan is the engineer; lust the bait, Satan the angler. When a soul is enticed by his own lusts, he is said to be tempted (James 1:14) because both Satan and our own lusts concur to the completing the sin.
But let no man so understand these things, as if the devil were able to do all things, and that whatever he wills, he can also do later. For his power is definite, or limited and restrained, so that he cannot do as much as he would: otherwise all things would have been overthrown and perished long ago.The Decades
I have never once feared the devil, but I tremble every time I enter the pulpit.The Life of John Knox by Thomas M’Crie (1813), p. 147.
Where riches hold the dominion of the heart, God has lost His authority. Covetousness makes us the slaves of the devil
See what sin is, and then tell me if there be not enough in it to draw forth tears. I know not what name to give it bad enough. One calls it the devil's excrement.
He serveth his greatest enemy who serveth the devil; his fellow, who serveth the lust of his flesh; his servant, who serveth the world.
Either I must lay hold of Christ or the devil will lay hold of me and drag me to the pit of misery.
Murder is a diabolical sin. It makes a man the devil's first born, for he was a murderer from the beginning. John viii 44. By saying to our first parents, 'Ye shall not die,' he brought death into the world.The Ten Commandments, 142
The long, dull, monotonous years of middle-aged prosperity or middle-aged adversity are excellent campaigning weather for the devil.
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2. Charles Spurgeon (135)
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4. Thomas Brooks (113)
5. John Calvin (107)
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7. J.I. Packer (95)
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14. Louis Berkhof (63)
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16. B.B. Warfield (59)
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