Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 2 · Verse 13
1 JOHN 1.13. The middle Part.
I write unto you young men, becauſe you have overcome the Wicked one.
WHy doth he call them young men, and not Brethren, as before he called old men Fathers?
Anſ. Becauſe then he had not diſtinguiſhed them from others, for all Chriſtians are brethren one to another.
1 Obſerve here, Firſt, their Adverſary, the wicked one.
2 Their Victory, They have overcome the wicked one. This wicked one is Satan, 1 Joh. 5.18. Mark 5.37. Mat. 13.19. Mar. 4.15. he is called Satan, he being once one of the nobleſt creatures, nobler than man.
Doct. The chiefeſt of the glorious Creatures of God, may become the chiefeſt wicked one.
He is called foreign that wicked one, foreign, and it implies.
1 That he excells in wickedneſſe, his Underſtanding moſt blind, his will moſt rebellious, his affections moſt corrupt.
2 It implies, he is the Father of all ſin, Mat. 5.37. Joh. 13.2. Joh. 8.44. he is called the Father of Lyars.
3 It implies, That Satan takes pains to doe evill, is induſtrious to doe evill, foreign a foreign, labour, he traverſeth the World, goes about continually doing evill, 1 Pet. 5.8. Job 1.7. he is inſigniter improbus.
But how comes it to paſſe, that he that was a glorious Angel is now become that wicked one? The cauſes of his deprivation were partly accidentall and outward, partly inward; accidental, as
1 God did not elect him to ſtand, as he did ordain ſome Angels, 1 Tim. 5.21. ſo that he was left to a poſſibility of falling, though not to a neceſſity.
2 His condition being a creature gave occaſion to his fall. God being infinitely good, his will is the rule of good; now he being a creature, Gods Will is his rule, and he may not attend to the rule, and then he doth evil.
3 But thirdly, There was an inward cauſe that led him to ſin, and that was the pride of his nature, not made ſo, but he exalted himſelf, 1 Tim. 3.6. which implies; that he ſaw man made after the Image of God, and he was a glorious creature attending on God himſelf, and was puft up with his glorious condition, and deſpiſed man, that was to live on the earth, and dreſſe the Garden.
Ʋſe 1. May teach young Scholars, not to pleaſe themſelves in any gifts of Nature though never ſo excellent, for even an Angel that excelled in Wiſdome hath fallen away, and become that wicked one.
Ʋſe 2. It may teach them to take heed how they enter into the calling of the Miniſtry in their young years, eſpecially before they be humbled, it was the cauſe of Satans fall, that he was puft up with his office; it is a wonder to ſee, when Scholars are admitted into the Miniſtery in their young times, how they deſpiſe the people, think themſelves unmeet to condeſcend to Peaſants, but they will rather exerciſe their Gifts in the Univerſity, and ſo fall into the condemnation of Satan.
3. Hence you may ſee part of the Image of Satan, why was he called that wicked one? becauſe he excells in wickedneſſe, and is the Father of ſin, and takes pains to doe evill; ſo, do you ſee men excell in wickedneſſe, lead on others to ſin, take pains in miſchiefe? ſuch a one bears the Image of Satan upon him. When Paul ſaw Elimas hardned in miſchief, leading on others, and taking pains to keep the Deputy from the faith, he calls him, the childe of the Devil, Act. 13.10.
4 Hence we learn, If the Devil have got this Name by excelling in wickedneſſe, and drawing on others to ſin, and taking pains to doe miſchief; then on the contrary, b… how much the more any excell in goodneſſe, ſtrive to draw on others to God, and take pains in it, they are the more like God their Father.
Becauſe ye have overcome the wicked one.
All overcoming implies a fight, ſo that when you read of their overcoming, it implies that young men have ſtrong wreſtlings with Satan.
Doct. Satan, as he is an enemy to all mankind ſo especially to young men.
He doth not write to Fathers or Babes, that they have overcome the wicked one, as if it were not ſo proper to them, but he chiefly incourages young men, I write unto you young men, implying, it was a proper work for them. Obſerve all the temptations of Satan in Scripture, and where you ſhall read of one old man tempted by Satan, you ſhall read of ten young men; when did Satan ſet upon Eve, was it not preſently after her firſt creation? our Saviour was not above thirty years old when Satan tempted him; Peter when he was tempted was young: we ſhall finde few falls of Gods Saints, but it was in their young dayes, except two, Noah and Solomon, who fell in their old dayes; and leſſe ſhall we read of Children, 2 Kings 2.22. but Satan, chiefeſt aſſaults have alwayes been againſt young men.
Reaſ. 1. Why Satan chiefly ſets upon young men, it is from the vigour of their nature and parts which God gives them, their courage, their ſtrength, and fervency; therefore Satan ſtrives to draw them on, and he knows, that if they get looſe from him, they will doe him leaſt and doe God moſt ſervice, more than either old men or Children; therefore he ſtrives chiefly to draw them on; indeed God ſometimes makes uſe of the weakeſt, but Satan alwayes makes uſe of the ſtirring, quickeſt ſpirits among men.
2. Becauſe he hath moſt advantage to ſurprize them; no age ſo ſubject to temptation, 2 Tim. 2.22. Fly youthfull luſts, yet he was not more ſubj…ct to luſts than others, nay, he was of a weak abſtemious natu…e, 1 Tim. 5.23. yet Paul charges him to take heed of youthfull luſts; if ſuch a weak abſtemious nature was ſubject to youthfull luſts, then it implies, that no age is ſo ſubject to be led into luſts, as youth.
3. From the counſel of God, whoſe purpoſe it is then to magnifie his Grace when corruption is ſtrongeſt, therefore God himſelfe, who is that foreign, to magnifie his Grace, lets looſe Satan upon young men; ſo it was with our Saviour, Mat. 4. It is the purpoſe of God, that where ſin abounds, Grace ſhould much more abound, Rom. 5.20. therefore it is, that young men are moſt ſtrongly aſſaulted, that God may magnifie his Grace.
But why doe the temptations of young men exceed all other ages?
Why, Children are not yet come to the luſts of youth, and old men are paſt them, ſo that young men are moſt liable to temptations and diſcouragements.
Ʋſe 1. It may therefore teach young men to fear their Eſtates; if they have not ſtrong temptations, it is a ſign the Devill hath ſtrong hold already, and ſo is in peace, but otherwiſe they are ſubject to ſpirituall aſſaults.
Three Temptations Satan commonly aſſaults the Sons of men with.
1. Againſt their effectual Callings; their repentance, he perſwades them it is yet too ſoon to look towards repentance; and they are more liable to evill company, given more to pleaſures and delights than old men, and impatient of Counſell; and if God break through this,
2. Then he puts them to queſtion their Faith and Adoption, whether they be Gods Children or no? their ſtrong luſts make them doubt of it, and if Gods Grace break through this,
3. He tempts them about their ſanctification, he will fill their hearts with unclean luſts; and if a man break through theſe, he hath much cauſe to magnifie Gods Grace.
Ʋſe 2. To teach young men, ſeeing Satans aime is chiefly at them, to ſtrive to grow ſtrong againſt him, watch warily againſt him, that the evill one touch you not.
And there are three eſpeciall Graces to help young men againſt the aſſaults of Satan.
1. Sobriety; watch to Sobriety, be ſober and vigilant, 1 Pet. 5.8. take heed of intemperancy, and inconſtancy.
2. Stand ſtedfaſt in the faith, 1 Pet. 5.9. not truſting to your own ſtrength or courage, but relie upon God; while young men are confident of themſelves, as Peter, they fall, but if you ſtay your ſelves upon God, he will ſupport you.
3. Treaſure up the grace of Humility, that you think not highly of your ſelves, which is the folly of youth; God reſiſts the proud, and gives grace to the humble.
And there are three Duties which I commend to young men.
1. Diligence in your Callings: the want of which overthrew David; when he was idle, Satan took advantage to tempt him to uncleannes, 2 Sam. 11.12.
2. Frequency in Gods ordinances, in reading and hearing the Word, v. 14. the more you treaſure up the Word, the more power and ſtrength you have againſt Satan, and the more you receive the Sacrament, the more ſtrength you get, for this is the end of receiving the Sacrament, to get ſtrength againſt your luſts.
3. Be frequent in Prayer, and that will help you much, James 4.7, 8. Draw near to God, complain of the ſlipperineſſe of your nature, of your weakneſſe to withſtand Satans aſſaults, and intreat God to give you ſtrength that you may hold out.
Doct. Satan may be overcome, and is often-times overcome, and diſappointed of his hold, even by young men, againſt whom he had moſt advantage.
I write unto you young men, becauſe you have overcome the wicked one.
Q. 1. What is it to overcome Satan?
A. It is a borrowed ſpeech from the Victory of Souldiers in War, and Souldiers overcome either by killing their enemy, or ſpoyling, or captivating, or putting to flight their enemies, now Satan cannot be put to death, he is a Spirit, and ſo is not capable of death, onelyonly of the ſecond death.
And to lead him captive, that Victory is onelyonly peculiar unto Chriſt, Eph. 4.8. He led captivity captive.
But for the two laſt, ſo young-men may overcome Satan, they may ſpoile him, and put him to flight, for ſpoyling, Chriſt hath done the worſt, Col. 1.15. he hath ſpoyled Satan. But,
1. For putting him to flight, Young men may doe this, James 4.7. which implies, that there is a poſſibility in young men, and a power to ſtand, and not to yield to his temptations; for though he hath a power to delude our Sences, and may hurry a mans body about, yet he cannot captivate our Wills, therefore ſtand, reſiſt, give no place, and if you doe ſo, he will fly from you for ſhame, he hath no power longer to hold out, when he ſees a man ſtand out againſt him; God hath not given him liberty to purſue us unto death, but if we ſtand out againſt him, he will fly from us. So it was with our Saviour, firſt he tempted him about his Son-ſhip, If thou be the Son of God command that theſe ſtones be made bread; then he tempted him to preſumption, to caſt himſelfe down from the Pinacle of the Temple; and then he tempted him with the glory of the World, All theſe will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worſhip me; but becauſe our Saviour ſtill reſiſted his temptations, and Satan could not prevail, he departed; if a man ſtand out ſtrongly, Satan flies indeed, if a man yield never ſo little, he makes uſe of the leaſt advantage, and will preſſe it; but if you ſtand faſt, and yield not, he will be gone from you, his very pride and inſolency makes him ſcorne to trouble himſelfe with any Creature, he diſdains to be overcome by him, therefore he will depart. Thus Joſeph was ſtrongly aſſaulted, Gen. 39.9. but he reſiſts and anſwers with much affection, How can I doe this great wickedneſſe and ſin againſt God? He had long reſiſted and ſtood out againſt the temptations of his Miſtreſſe, and therefore ſhe no more ſolicites him with that thing, but takes another courſe, falſly to accuſe him to his Maſter, and ſo cauſed him to be caſt into priſon.
2. A Young-man may not onelyonly put him to flight, but he may alſo ſpoyl Satan, that is, he may take advantage by his aſſaults, to grow more wary, more holy, more obedient, more fruitfull, and ſo he ſpoils Satan; if a Chriſtian enrich his ſpirit by the temptations he meets with, he makes a ſpoile of Satan; the riches of the Souldier is the ſpoil of the Enemy: when young men ſtand faſt, and make a ſpoil of Satan, and grow more humble, and meek, and obedient, they ſhall ſo much the more overcome Satan; Job was ſtrongly tempted by Satan to blaſpheme God, but yet he ſtands faſt, and not onelyonly ſo, but takes occaſion to bleſſe God, Job 1.21. ſo when Satan tempts him by his wife, ſee how he anſwers, Job 2.10. Michal tempts David by deriding him, when he danced before the Ark, but he grew more zealous by it, 2 Sam. 6.20, 21. ſo John 3.26. They would have ſtirred up John to emulate Chriſt, but that ſtirred him up to magnifie him more than ever he did before, and give the moſt honourable Teſtimony of him.
Q. How come young men to overcome Satan?
1. By the bloud of the Lamb, his power is queld by the death of Chriſt.
2. By the power of the Word that dwells in them, v. 14.
3. By the power of the Spirit, that is ſtronger in them, than he that is in the world, 1 John 4.3, 4.
Ʋſe 1. Since young men may, and doe ſo overcome the World, it muſt teach young men to make this their glory, to be fighting this ſpiritual battell; there is no gifts they ſhould ſo much pleaſe themſelves in, as in this, Prov. 20.29. What a ſhame is it for young men to ſhew their ſtrength in powring down ſtrong drink, and ſpend their ſtrength upon women? what a pittifull thing is it, for young men to ſtrive to overcome one another in drinking and gaming? &c. nay, were they valiant in war, yet how much more honourable is it to fight the Lords battells, to over-wreſtle our luſts? when a young man ſhall ſingle out that grand Captain the Devill, and foil him in war, that is truly honourable; if Satan in a ſpeciall manner ſtrive to overcome you, then ſtrive you moſt againſt him, ſtand out againſt him, reſiſt him, and yield not to him; and examine what ſpirituall battells you have had with Satan, if none, then your caſe is not good.
Ʋſe 2. May hearten the feebleſt Chriſtians not to be diſcouraged with conflicts; many a ſoul ſaith, my corruptions are ſo ſtrong, and my luſts ſo powerfull, I ſhall never be able to ſtand out againſt them, and overcome them, why St. John writes here to young men, whoſe corruptions were ſtrong and violent, and yet he ſaith, You have overcome the wicked one.
Ʋſe 3. Of reproof to old men and children, if they doe not overcome; children are not come to, and old men are paſt the dints of luſts; therefore they may be the more aſhamed, if they be given to voluptuouſneſſe, and gluttony, and gaming, and lying, and company-keeping; Children and old men, their bodies are dead to ſuch luſts.
Ʋſe 4. It exhorts all, though we cannot put Satan to death, or captivate him, yet what we may doe, let us doe; in every temptation, let us ſtand faſt, and put him to flight, and labour by temptations to ſpoil him, let his temptations make you more humble, and fruitfull, and obedient: this is the greateſt honour of a Chriſtian, thus to put Satan to flight and ſpoil him.