My dear readers,

(Extracts from RPG Workbook Vol II No. 12, December 1989, edited by Dr SH Tow)

1. OUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL (1 PETER 5:5-9; JOHN 8:44)

While the child of God is securely held by the Father's hand (Jn 10:28,29), nevertheless, he is the target of attack by a deadly foe, the Devil or Satan. The Devil is the enemy of our souls, wily, restless ruthless and powerful. Besides, he is invisible, coming in disguise as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14) when in fact he is a roaring lion. What do we know of the devil's works?

a) "Satan hath desired … sift you as wheat" (Lk 22:31) There were our Lord's prophetic words to Peter (the writer of our epistles). Self-assured and haughty; Peter boasted that he was ready to die for the Lord. That very night he wilted under pressure and denied the Lord three times. "Sifted" by Satan, Peter stumbled and fell.

b) Satan "a murderer... a liar, and the father of it" "There is no truth in him" (Jn 8:44). The devil's business is to sow seeds of "murder" or hatred among the flock. He is "the accuser of the brethren" (Rev 12:10) as he accused Job before God (Job 1:9; 2:4,5). His one ambition is to spread lies and create discord among brethren and thus divide the church.

c) Source of false doctrines. 1 Timothy 4:1 Satan's master stroke in the end time is to subvert the Church by sending forth "seducing spirits" to spread "doctrines of devils" and "damnable heresies" (2 Pet 2:1). By these falsehoods, the devil sows distrust against God, to turn men against their Maker, even as he did in the garden (Gen 3:1-5).

d) Source of "bitter envying and strife" (James 3:14-16) When "bitter envying and strife" engages the minds of church members, it manifests the "wisdom descendeth not from above,but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” It leads to confusion and every evil work. At the root of the strife is pride which caused Satan's downfall (Isa 14:14,15; Ez 28:17).

How should we conduct ourselves when confronted by Satan?

ANSWER: Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

2. RESIST THE DEVIL (1 PETER 5:5-14; JAMES 4:7-10)

In the above reading we considered the devil's works which may be summarised as: a) implanting pride in the heart and b) creating doubt in God's Word. Out of these come all the evil works which create havoc in the church. The Apostle in today's passage gives vital instruction which, if faithfully obeyed, will frustrate the devil and his evil purposes.

a) Mutual submission. This is the best "antidote" against pride, for pride is the great disturber and disrupter, the cause of bitter dissension and upheaval in the church. To preserve harmony, members of the church should practice mutual submission. Firstly, there is the submission due to the older and more mature member. Younger members should learn to submit, with due respect and reverence. Then there is the submission "one to another", the readiness to humble oneself to another with better grasp of the truth, or "in honour preferring one another", with a readiness to bear one another's burdens. Finally, "humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time."

b) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom resist stedfast in the faith. Our wily foe is ever looking for an entry, some unguarded point, some weak spot. Even the most spiritual is not immune from attack. No one should assume that he is stronger than the adversary. "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor 10:12). Eternal vigilance is the price of victory over Satan. The Apostle writes from bitter experience: "Be sober! Be temperate, self-controlled, not given to carnal passions or inordinate desires. Be vigilant! Be watchful and alert as one approaching impending danger." The enemy is nearer and smarter than we think.

Say no to him and every evil prompting that comes. Resist - and the devil will flee, frustrated and defeated.

KEYNOTE: To resist is to say no to the evil one.

3. EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES - I (2 PETER 1:1-4; HEBREWS 11:8-16)

God's promises are exceeding great and precious because they pertain unto life and godliness; by the same promises we are made partakers of the divine nature. God's promises never fail. They stand firm and inviolable because God cannot lie. They were first made to Abraham some 4,000 years ago, and also to us his seed. They are made sure and stedfast by the Gospel Covenant.

Men make promises one day and break them the next. Men are men: often unreliable, fickle, changeable. They promise and find later that they have neither the means nor the will to perform. Their promises are of none effect. Then they have to "eat their words." Not so with God. His promises are as good as His name. They are faithful and true. All the promises of God in Christ are yea and amen (2 Cor 1:20).

Why are God's promises "exceeding great and precious"? Because by those promises we are made "partakers of the divine nature" and by them we are given "all things that pertain unto life and godliness."

Simply put, we receive eternal life and become sons of God. That life we do not yet have in its fulness. Nevertheless, because of God's precious promise, it is as good as ours even now.

God came to Abraham with a promise of a land - a land he had never seen, an inheritance. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. But when he arrived in Canaan - what a disappointment!

Ur of the Chaldees was so much better. But God's promise was the heavenly Canaan, "a better country" (Heb 11:16). By faith Abraham saw the city that had foundations, whose maker and builder is God (Heb 11:10). He saw it afar off (Heb 11:13) and confessed that he was a stranger and pilgrim on the earth. So Abraham followed the Lord, living in tabernacles, sustained and nourished by God's "exceeding great and precious promises."

QUESTION: How long did Abraham follow the Lord?

God bless you dear readers.

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,
Dr SH Tow, Founding Pastor