heaven to the earth (Rev. 12.7-9). He shall be bound with chains and
146 Back to the Cross
from the evil one" (2 Thess. 3.3). Be strong in the Lord and trust in His protection. Commit all your spirit and soul and body to the Lord, and trust in Him, for He will do it. Believe and act in faith as though you are already being kept. Such act of faith will secure the keeping of God.
5. Pray: "Our Father . . . , deliver us from the evil one" (Matt. 6.9,13). As we pray, let us not merely remember ourselves and God. We should not forget Satan, "the evil one," either. We must ask God to deliver us from the wiles, deceit, control, influence, attack and snare of that Evil One. We shall be delivered if we so pray. But how is it that we can be delivered from the Evil One? The answer is to be found in these words: "for thine [God's] is [1] the kingdom, [2] and the power, [3] and the glory, for ever. Amen" (Matt. 6.13 mg.). These do not belong to Satan. They are God's "for ever. Amen." This prayer of deliverance is based on God's kingdom, power and glory; and therefore, it cannot go unanswered; for if God does not deliver us from the Evil One, His kingdom and power and glory shall suffer. Since kingdom, power and glory do not belong to the Enemy, why then should we endure his attack, oppression and ravage?
6. The intercessory prayer of the heavenly High Priest: "I pray not that thou shouldest take them from the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil one" (John 17.15). What have we to fear since we now have our Great High Priest praying for us? We ought always to trust in the intercession of the Lord Jesus that it is most effective, believing that God the Father will secretly keep us from the Evil One because of the prayer of Christ. Do not allow the Enemy to suggest to us that we shall soon meet danger. Instead, we should have confidence in the intercessory prayer of our Great High Priest, believing confidently that God the Father will surely keep us from the ravaging of the Evil One.
7. The end of the Enemy. Satan the Adversary shall be cast out of heaven to the earth (Rev. 12.7-9). He shall be bound with chains and
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thrown into the abyss (Rev. 20.1-3). After the thousand years of the reign of Christ, he will be set free temporarily, and he will deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth so as to stage a counterattack against God. In the end, however, he shall be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20.7-10). Since the Enemy is destined to fail, why should we not rise up and advance? Should we not be even more courageous by our knowing that the defeat of the Enemy is predestined?
We should always stand on Romans 6.11. Reckon ourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God. Take up the whole armor of God so as to overcome the world, the lusts of the flesh, and the Devil. Be the elite soldiers of God and fight the good fight. Cast down the strongholds of Satan and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10. 4-5). Let us not only be kept whole, but let us even be able to challenge the Tempter by our being strong prayer-warriors. Frustrate the devices of the evil spirits and walk and work together with Christ. Triumph today and reign in the age to come. Amen.