The Christians in Complete Armor, Religious treatise · Introduction 3 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of the Saints victory over their ſubtile enemy, and whence it is that creatures ſo overmatch't ſhould be able to ſtand againſt Satans wiles.
THe ſecond Branch of the Apoſtles Argument followes, to excite them the more vigourouſly to their armes; and that is from the poſſibility, yea, certainty of ſtanding againſt this ſubtile enemie, if thus arm'd, That ye may be able to ſtand againſt the wiles of the devil. So that this gives the Apoſtles argument its due temperament: for he meant not to ſcare them into a cowardly flight, or ſullen deſpaire of victory, when he tells them their enemy is ſo ſubtile and politick: but to excite them to a vigourous reſiſtance, from the aſſured hope of ſtrength to ſtand in battel, and victoriouſly after it; which two I conceive are comprehended in that phraſe, (ſtanding againſt the wiles of Satan. Sometimes to ſtand implies a fighting poſture; ſo verſe 14. Sometimes a conquering poſture, Job 19.25. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he ſhall ſtand at the latter day upon the earth. That earth which was the field, where all the bloody battels were fought betwixt him and Satan, on it ſhall he ſtand, when not an enemy ſhall dare to ſhew his head. So that taking both theſe in: the Obſervation is,
Doct.Satan with all his wits and wiles ſhall never vanquiſh a ſoule arm'd with true grace; nay, he that hath this armour of God on, ſhall vanquiſh him. Look into the Word, you ſhall not finde a Saint, but hath been in the liſt with him, ſifted and winnowed more or leſſe by this enemy, yet at laſt we finde them all coming off with an honourable victory: as in David, Job, Peter, Paul, who were the hardeſt put to it of any upon record, and leſt ſome ſhould attribute their victory to the ſtrength of their inherent grace, above other of their weaker brethren, you have the glory of their victories appropriated to God, in whom the weak are as ſtrong as the ſtrongeſt. We ſhall give a double Reaſon of this truth, why the Chriſtian who ſeemes to be ſo over-match't,2 Cor. 12.9 Jam. 5.11. is yet ſo unconquerable.
Firſt, the curſe that lies upon Satan and his cauſe.Pe…ſ. 1. Gods curſe blaſts whereever it comes. The Canaanites with their neighbour-Nations were bread for Iſrael, though people famous for warre; and why? They were curſed Nations. The Egyptians a politick people; Let us deal wiſely, (ſay they) yet being curſed of God; this lay like a thorne at their heart, and was at laſt their ruine; yea, let the Iſraelites themſelves, (who carry the badge of Gods Covenant on their fleſh) by their ſins once become the people of Gods curſe, and they are trampled like dirt under the Aſſyrians feet.Iſa. 10.5. This made Balak beg ſo hard for a curſe upon Iſrael, Now there is an irrevokeable curſe cleaves to Satan from Gen. 3.14, 15. And the Lord ſaid to the Serpent, Becauſe thou haſt done this, thou art curſed, &c. which place, though partly meant of the literal ſerpent, yet chiefly of the devil and the wicked, (his ſpiritual ſerpentine brood) as appeares by the enmity pronounced againſt the Serpents ſeed and the womans, which clearly holds forth the feud between Chriſt with his ſeed, againſt the devil and his. Now there are two things in that curſe which may comfort the Saints. Firſt, the curſe proſtrates Satan under their feet: Ʋpon thy belly ſhalt thou go, which is no more then is elſewhere promiſed, that God will ſubdue Satan under our feet. Now this proſtrate condition of Satan aſſures believers, that the devil ſhall never lift his head (that is, his wily policy) higher then the Saints heele. He may make thee limp, but not bereave thee of thy life, and this bruiſe which he gives thee ſhall be rewarded with the breaking of his own head, that is, the utter ruine of him and his cauſe. Secondly, his food is here limited and appointed. Satan ſhall not devoure whom he will. The duſt is his food, which ſeems to reſtrain his power to the wicked, who are of the earth earthy, meere duſt; but for thoſe who are of a heavenly extraction, their graces are reſerved for Chriſts food, Cant. 7.13. and their ſouls ſurely are not a morſel for the devils tooth.
The ſecond reaſon is taken from the wiſdom of God, who as he undertakes the ordering of the Chriſtians way to heaven, Pſ. 37.24. ſo eſpecially this buſineſſe of Satans temptations. We finde Chriſt was not led of the evil ſpirit into the wilderneſſe to be tempted, but of the Holy Spirit, Mat. 4.1. Satan tempts not when he will, but when God pleaſeth: and the ſame Holy Spirit which led Chriſt into the field, brought him off with victory. And therefore we finde him marching in the Power of the Spirit (after he had repulſed Satan) into Galilee, Luke 4.14. When Satan tempts a Saint, he is but Gods meſſenger, 2 Cor. 12.7. There was given to me a thorne in the fleſh, the Meſſenger of Satan to buffet me. So our Tranſlation. But rather as Beza, who will have it in caſu recto, the Meſſenger Satan, implying that he was ſent of God to Paul; And indeed the errand he came a- was too good and gracious to be his own, Leſt I ſhould be exalted above meaſure; The devil never meant to do Paul ſuch a good office: but God ſends him to Paul, as David ſent Ʋriah with letters to Joab, neither knew the contents of their meſſage. The devil and his inſtruments both are Gods inſtruments, therefore the wicked are called his ſword, Pſ. 17.13. Iſa. 10.15.his axe: now let God alone to wield the one and handle the other. He is but a bungler that hurts and hackles his own legs with his own axe; which God ſhould do, if his children ſhould be the worſe for Satans temptations. Let the devil chooſe his way, God is for him at every weapon. If he'll try it by force of armes, and aſſault the Saints by perſecution, as the Lord of Hoſtes, he will oppoſe him. If by policy and ſubtilty, he is ready there alſo. The devil and his whole counſel are but fooles to God. Nay, their wiſdome, fooliſhneſſe. Cunning and Art commend every thing but ſinne. The more artificial the watch, the picture, &c. the better; but the more wit and Art in ſin, the worſe, becauſe it is employed againſt an All-wiſe God, that cannot be out-witted, and therefore will in the end but pay the workmen in greater damnation. The fooliſhneſſe of God is wiſer then men, yea then the wiſdome of men and devils, that is, the meanes and inſtruments which God oppoſeth Satan withal. What weaker then a Sermon? who ſillier then the Saints in the account of the wiſe world? yet God is wiſer in a weak Sermon, then Satan is in his deep plots (wherein the State-heads of a whole Conclave of profound Cardinals are knock't together:) wiſer in his ſimple ones, then Satan in his Achitophels and Sanballats; and truly God chooſeth on purpoſe to defeat the policies of hell and earth by theſe, that he may put ſuch to greater ſhame, 1 Cor. 1.21. How is the great Scholar aſhamed to be baffled by a plain Countrey-mans argument? thus God calls forth Job to wreſtle with Satan and his Seconds, (for ſuch his three friends ſhewed themſelves in taking the devils part) and ſure he is not able to hold up the cudgels againſt the fencing-Maſter, who is beaten by one of the ſcholars. God ſits laughing while hell and earth ſit plotting, Pſal. 2.4. He diſappointeth the devices of the crafty, he breaketh their ſtudied thoughts and plots, as the words import, Job 5.12. in one moment pulling down the labours of many yeares policy. Indeed as great men keep wilde beaſts for game and ſport, (as the fox, the boare, &c.) ſo doth God Satan and his inſtruments, to manifeſt his wiſdom in the taking of them. It is obſerved, that the very hunting of ſome beaſts affords not only pleaſure to the Hunter, but alſo more ſweetneſſe to the eater. Indeed God by diſplaying of his wiſdome in the purſuit of the Saints enemies doth ſuperadde a ſweet reliſh to their deliverances at laſt. He brake the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gave him to be meat to his people. After he had hunted Pharaoh out of all his formes and burrowes, now he breaks the very braines of all his plots, and ſerves him up to his people, with the garniſhment of his wiſdom and power about.