yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one"
142 Back to the Cross
tent! But now there was not room for both. And since the traveler could not drive the donkey away, he himself had to go outside the tent and allow the animal to stay in the tent! If believers today are complacent in small things, a little leaven will leaven the whole lump. The Devil will advance ten feet if he is given but one inch. Let us totally destroy his factory in us by the power of the Lord.
7. Preserve a heart of love: "to whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also . . . that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan" (2 Cor. 2.10,11). An unloving and unforgiving heart usually gives place to the Devil. An unforgiving spirit opens the door to the works of Satan. If believers know more concerning the things in the spiritual realm, they will not be unloving and unforgiving. For should the adversities and persecutions which we suffer appear to come from men, we nonetheless discern the fact that behind every misunderstanding, every cutting word or every distress lie the evil spirits. Our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against the evil spirits. Whatever happens, we need to ask the Lord to rebuke Satan and destroy his work. Loving and forgiving enable us to be more than conquerors.
8. Be especially careful of our speech: "let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one" (Matt. 5.37). The Devil does not like Yea, yea and Nay, nay; he loves yea as nay and nay as yea. I once heard a zealous believer say, "It seems that I cannot control my mind. Sometimes I unconsciously take yea as nay, and nay as yea. Though I will to overcome this, I just cannot." Before anyone ever believed in the Lord his mind had been blinded by the Devil (2 Cor. 4.4). But then after he is saved the Holy Spirit enters into his spirit and enlightens him so that gradually all the coverings in his mind are being removed (for no one can understand all the truth immediately after believing). By consecration and obedience to the Holy Spirit his mind is being renewed (see Rom.12.2). Having put off the old man, the spirit of his mind is renewed (Eph. 4.22-23). Then he is able to say what he wants to say,