The Life of Faith, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. The power of Satan to tempt, by working both upon the mind and affections, Epheſ. 6.16. enlightened; how Faith overcomes his temptations; 1 Pet. 1.5 opened; Luk. 11.21, 22. illuſtrated; the general uſe of Faith in respect of all the pieces of our ſpiritual Armour; Epheſ. 6. from verſ. 14. to verſ. 19. explained.
SAtan is the chief enemy we have to conflict with, and when he deſired to have Peter, that is, to have him in his power, as Job 2.6. Chriſt prayed for him that his faith might not fail, Luk. 22.31, 32. ſuppoſing he might be able to abide the encounter while his Faith held out. The influence of Angels both good and bad is certainly as the influence of the heavenly Bodies, very ſtrong, though we are little ſenſible thereof. The devill is foreign, he works powerfully or effectually in the children of diſobedience, Epheſ. 2.2. he can doubtleſs by the ſtirring of Phantaſms, and moving the ſpirits, work much both upon the judgement and affections, and theſe have alſo a mutual influence upon each other. He could put it into the heart of Judas to betray his Maſter, Joh. 13.2. He could fill the heart of Ananias and Saphira to lye to the Holy Ghoſt, Act. 5.3. He can take advantage of a ſinners grief and trouble to ſwallow him up of ſorrow, 2 Cor. 2.7, 11. He can take away the Word out of mens hearts (by diverting their minds to ſome other thing) leſt it ſhould ſettle in their hearts, and they be thereby perſwaded to believe, Luk. 8.12. He can repreſent things to the mind by ſtirring of Phantaſmes when they are not repreſented to the outward ſenſe; and he is ſo cunning, he knows how to apply actives to paſſives, how to fit and ſuite temptations to mens tempers and inclinations, as Judas being a thief, Joh. 12.6. that is, a covetous wretch, he could ſuggeſt to him the advantage of betraying his Maſter; and then Satan, when Objects are preſented either to the ſenſes or imagination, can ſtir the ſpirits, and work upon thoſe humours which may exceedingly encreaſe thoſe paſſions, which ſuch Objects are proper to, and this is as ſpreading the ſails when the ſhip is carried by wind and tide; and hence is that violence of luſt which is ſpoken of formerly, Chapter 7. the Proverb being true here, that he muſt needs go whom the devill drives. And hence are thoſe dreadful temptations to Despair, the devill holding mens minds intent chiefly upon ſuch things as may encreaſe their fears, and thereby diverting them from ſuch things as might give them ſome hopes; and then working upon the melancholick humours of the body, which have ſtrange operations on the mind to beget moſt ſad and diſmal apprehenſions, therefore it is no marvel if he can ſwallow us up of ſorrow. He that pleaſes to ſatisfie himſelf more fully about theſe things may conſult Voetius de natura & operationibus daemonum, 960, &c.
Now Faith quenches all the fiery darts of Satan, Epheſ. 6.16. In which place the Apoſtle alludes to the cuſtome of thoſe who uſed impoyſoned Arrows or ſhafts in their fights, which Job ſpeaks of, Job 6.4. the venome of which doth exceedingly burn and torment the fleſh where they ſtick. Whatever the temptations of Satan be they are very troubleſome to the ſoul, but Faith doth either as a Shield keep them off, or as a ſoveraign Balſome allay the heat of their poyſon, it either prevents or cures them.
Now Faith overcomes theſe temptations.
Firſt, As we thereby have Union and Communion with Jeſus Chriſt, of which I have before ſpoken, we are kept by the power of God through Faith to ſalvation, 1 Pet. 1.5. It is the power of God which keeps us, but this it doth by Fai…h, both as by Faith we derive a divine power to our ſouls, and as the power of God ſtrengthens our Faith. Chriſt by Faith dwels in the heart, Epheſ. 3.17. and then we have one ſtronger in us than he that is in the World, 1 Joh. 4.4. who takes his armour from him and divides the ſpoyl, Luk. 11.21, 22. takes from him thoſe things wherewith he fortified himſelf, and ſerves himſelf of them, as a Conquerour enriches himſelf with the ſpoyl, and arms himſelf with the weapons of his enemy. Satan ſometimes ſerved himſelf of our Wiſdom, Reaſon, Thoughts, Affections, which Chriſt brings into captivity to his own obedience, Rom. 8.7. 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. Our members, which were weapons of ſin to uncleanneſs, are made Inſtruments of righteouſneſs unto holineſs, Rom. 6.19. Our goods, or riches, which were fuel to our Luſts, are now conſecrated to Gods uſe; and by Faith we have recourſe to Jeſus Chriſt for dayly ſupplies of Grace, whereby we are enabled to ſtand out againſt all the powers of hell, and through which we are more than Conquerours, Eph. 6.10. Rom. 8.37. Iſa. 40.30.
Secondly, By Faith we overcome the temptations of Satan, as we ſet to our Seals that God is true, Joh. 3.33. Man fell at firſt by believing the devill rather than God, Gen. 3.3, &c. and we muſt now ſtand by believing God rather than the devill. How effectual would this be againſt temptations to Atheiſm, Blaſphemy, Unbelief, Deſpair, if we could keep cloſe to the Word of God? And when we find in our ſelves any temptations to unworthy thoughts of God, to diſtruſt his Promiſes, or argue againſt the comforts of his Word, let us preſently ſuſpect the hand of Satan, as David ſuſpected the hand of Joab, 2 Sam. 14.19. God is true, and cannot lye, but the devil is a lyar, and the father of it, Joh. 8.44.
Thirdly, it is by Faith that we make uſe of all our ſpiritual armour; ſo that ſome from thoſe words, above all, Epheſ. 6.16. do infer the uſefulneſs of Faith for the ſecuring all other parts of our ſpiritual armour, and therefore is to be taken upon them all, and not the preheminence thereof above them.
But to come to the particular parts of this armour. As
Firſt, Truth, if we take it with reference to the mind or judgment, and thereby underſtand ſoundneſs of Doctrine, which indeed is neceſſary for keeping together the reſt of our ſpiritual armour, this is evidently a fruit of Faith, as appears by what hath before been ſpoken of Faiths aſſent to the Doctrine of the Goſpel; and the Apoſtle, Acts 24.14. ſhews why he kept cloſe to the Truth, though it was branded with the name of Hereſie, and particularly, to the Doctrine of the Reſurrection, which was accounted ſuch a Paradox by the Philoſophers of Athens, Act. 17.18. He believed God with an implicite faith, in whatſoever was written in the Scriptures. Or if we take Truth as it reſpects the heart, or for ſincerity, which indeed adds worth to all other Graces, they being as Diamonds, exceeding precious if true, good for little if falſe, and this is the fruit of Faith, as Faith purifies the heart, and as by faith we ſet God before us, Heb. 11.27. there being no greater motive to ſincerity than a ſence of the preſence of God, Gen. 17.1. So for Righteouſneſs, if we underſtand it of the imputed righteouſneſs of Chriſt for Juſtification, this is a Breſt-plate …enſing the heart and conſcience againſt the darts of Satan, Rom. 8.33. though we have many wounds in other parts of the body, if the heart be found we may recover, but a ſtab there kills. So if the conſcience be untouched, we may be able to ſuſtain other infirmities, Prov. 18.14. And this I have before proved to be the fruit of Faith, and ſhewed how Faith improves it in urging the Promiſes; if we hereby underſtand inherent righteouſneſs, this is alſo a Breſt-plate, Pſ. 25.20. Pro. 13.6. 2 Cor. 1.12. Nil conſcire ſibi, &c. is as a brazen wall to a man, Hor. Epiſt. So Job, cap. 31. having made a large profeſſion of his own integrity, ver. 35. faith, if his Adverſary ſhould write a book againſt him, he would bind it to him as a Crown, and he would go boldly to him and not be afraid to declare to him the number of his ſteps, that is, to give him a particular account of his whole life. And this I have alſo proved to be a fruit of Faith. And whatever is meant by the ſhoes of the preparation of the Goſpel, if it be ſuch furniture as the Goſpel prepares, this is of no uſe to us without Faith, as I have before ſhewed, Chap. 5. where I have alſo ſaid enough to prove that it is by Faith that we weild the Sword of the Spirit, which our Saviour made ſo much uſe of in his encounter with Satan, Mat. 4. That by the Helmet of Salvation is meant hope, is plain from 1 Theſ. 5.8. and whether it be called an Helmet becauſe it chiefly preſerves the head, ſecuring us againſt errour, as one thinks, Templer on Jude 3. p. 11. Or take it in a larger ſence, I have before ſhewed, that Hope neceſſarily ſuppoſes Faith, the work of Hope being to expect the accompliſhment of the Promiſe which Faith believes. And Prayer, which the Apoſtle commends as a general means for the uſe of our ſpiritual armour, cannot be rightly performed without Faith, ſo that our ſpirituall combate may well be called, The fight of Faith, 1 Tim. 6.12. ſeeing it is by Faith that it is wholly managed.