SATAN
CHURCH
MYSTERY
32
AND THE
OF THE
`To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God' (Acts.
26:18).
`Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye
have learned; and avoid them ... I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly' (Rom. 16:17,19,20).
`In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the
acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken
captive by him at his will' (2 Tim. 2:25,26).
`Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have
a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil' (1 Tim. 3:6,7).
3.
SOME EXPLANATION AND APPLICATION OF THESE SCRIPTURES.
Some Christians seem to be so indifferent to the power of Satan and to minimise it to such an extent that they are
easily blinded to his activities, and are a source of danger to the church through negligence. There are some, on the
other hand, who appear to magnify Satan's activity and authority out of all due proportion. Attending their prayer
meetings or conferences one seems to hear the name of Satan almost as frequently as the name of God. Christians
of this second class are usually the more earnest and zealous believers, and such are even a greater menace to the
church in this regard than their indifferent brethren.
Our theme here is not Satan and the Satanic system, the casting out of demons, and similar subjects, but rather
the more limited one - `Satan and the church of the mystery'.
We believe that the church of the One Body is a unique company, having a complete guide for its doctrine and
practice, and all necessary knowledge in those writings, called for convenience, `The prison epistles'. While we
cannot rule that a believer should not resort to the Gospels or the Epistles of Peter for instruction concerning Satan
and other subjects, we do maintain that it is an evidence that something is wrong when a professed member of the
One Body, who has apparently endorsed the distinctive dispensational position of the mystery, leaves the epistles of
this calling and reverts for instruction on this great theme to the scriptures written to the Circumcision or to the
Gospel records of a time before the Lord had overcome death, the Devil, and the grave.
Either the epistles of the mystery are complete, or they are deficient. So far as we are concerned we make the
declaration unfeignedly, that we believe that God has included all necessary instruction for the church of the
mystery within the pages of the `prison epistles', and any doctrine or practice that takes its origin in Scriptures
confessedly addressed to believers on other dispensational planes, stands thereby excluded and judged as error.
Paul makes ten references to Satan throughout the whole of his written ministry of fourteen epistles. Eight of
these references belong to the epistles written before Acts 28. Two are found in the first Epistle to Timothy; and not
one reference in Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians or 2 Timothy.
Paul mentions Diabolos, `The Devil', nine times in his epistles. Two of these references are in Titus and
Timothy. `The aged women, likewise, that they be ... not false accusers (devils)' (Tit. 2:3); `For men shall be ...
false accusers (devils)' (2 Tim. 3:2,3). The remaining seven references are found in Ephesians, 1 Timothy,
2 Timothy and Hebrews.
The other title of Satan, The Wicked, is used by Paul twice, both references being in Ephesians 6.
We believe that the whole matter of Satanic authority and demon possession, so far as the church of the One
Body is concerned, is settled positionally. The very position of the church in Christ, far above all, raises that church
above Satan's province. This we now proceed to show from Scripture, and for convenience of approach to the
subject we adopt the following headings :
1. PROMISE