The Methods of Christ against the Tempter
Before I proceed to Satan’s particular temptations, I will show you the contrary methods of Christ in the conduct of his army, and opposing Satan.
I. Christ’s ends are, ultimately, the glory and pleasing of his Father and himself, and the saving of his church, and the destroying the kingdom of the devil; and next, the purifying his peculiar people, and calling home all that are ordained to eternal life.
But more particularly, he looketh principally at the heart, to plant there, 1. Holy knowledge. 2. Faith. 3. Godliness, or holy devotedness to God, and love to him above all. 4. Thankfulness. 5. Obedience. 6. Humility. 7. Heavenly-mindedness. 8. Love to others. 9. Self-denial, and mortification, and contentment. 10. Patience. And in all these, 1. Sincerity; 2. Tenderness of heart; 3. Zeal, and holy strength and resolution. And withal to make us actually serviceable, and diligent in our Master’s work, for our own and others’ salvation.
II. Christ’s order in working is direct, and not backward, as the devil’s is. He first revealeth saving truth to the understanding, and affecteth the will by showing the goodness of the things revealed; and these employ the thoughts, and passions, and senses, and the whole body, reducing the inferior faculties to obedience, and casting out by degrees those images which had deceived and prepossessed them.
The matter which Christ presenteth to the soul, is, 1. Certain truth from the Father of lights, set up against the prince and kingdom of darkness, ignorance, error, and deceit. 2. Spiritual and everlasting good, even God himself, to be seen, and loved, and enjoyed for ever, against the tempter’s temporal, corporal, and seeming good. Christ’s kingdom and work are advanced by light: he is for the promoting of all useful knowledge; and therefore, for clear and convincing preaching, for reading the Scriptures in a known tongue, and meditating in them day and night, and for exhorting one another daily; which Satan is against.
III. The means by which he worketh against Satan, are such as these: 1. Sometimes he maketh use of the very temper of the body as a preparative; and (being Lord of all) he giveth such a temperature as will be most serviceable to the soul; as a sober, deliberate, meek, quiet, and patient disposition. But sometimes he honoureth his grace by the conquest of such sins, as even bodily disposition doth entertain and cherish.
2. Sometimes by his providence he withdraweth the matter of temptations, that they shall not be too strong for feeble souls: but sometimes his grace doth make advantage of them all, and leave them for the magnifying of its frequent victories.
3. Sometimes he giveth his cause the major vote among the people, so that it shall be a matter of dishonourable singularity not to be a professed christian; and sometimes, but exceeding rarely, it is so with the life of godliness and practice of christianity also. But ordinarily, in the most places of the world, custom and the multitude are against him, and his grace is honoured by prevailing against these bands of Satan.
4. He maketh his ministers his principal instruments, qualifying, disposing, and calling them to his work, and helping them in it, and prospering it in their hands.
5. He maketh it the duty of every christian to do his part to carry on the work; and furnisheth them with love, and compassion, and knowledge, and zeal in their several measures.
6. He giveth a very strict charge to parents to devote their children, with themselves, to God; encouraging them with the promise of his accepting and blessing them; and commandeth them to teach them the word of God with greatest diligence, and to bring them up in the nurture and fear of God.
7. He giveth princes and magistrates their power, to promote his kingdom, and protect his servants, and encourage the good, and suppress iniquity, and further the obedience of his laws; though, in most of the world, they turn his enemies, and he carrieth on his work without them, and against their cruel persecuting opposition.
8. His light detecteth the nakedness of the devil’s cause, and among the sons of light, it is odious, and a common shame. And as “wisdom is justified of her children,” so the judgment of holy men condemning sin, doth much to keep it under in the world.
9. His providence usually casteth the sinner that he will do good to, into the bosom and communion of his holy church, and the familiar company and acquaintance of the godly, who may help him by instruction, affection, and example.
10. His providence fitteth all conditions to their good; but especially helpeth them by seasonable, quickening afflictions. These are the means which ordinarily he useth. But the powerful inward operations of his Spirit, give efficacy to them all.