STANDING READY AND STRONG IN THE VICTORY OF CHRIST (22 OF 44)
Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-17
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Standing Ready and Strong in the Victory of Christ (22 of 44)
Series: The Church at Ephusus: God's Calling, Empowering, and Instruction for the Church
Patrick Edwards
Ephesians 6:10-17
Introduction
The 19th century French poem, ''The Generous Gambler,'' by Charles Baudelaire tells the story of the narrator meeting the Devil, but in this meeting finding that the Devil is no where near as gruesome and terrifying as the medieval poets might have him believe. Instead, in speaking with the Devil, the narrator finds the Devil to be quite generous, offering power and treasure to those whom he meets without asking for anything in return. However, once the Devil leaves the man, the man is left with doubts and wonders about whether or not this meeting has really taken place, and whether or not the Devil will be able to grant the man all he wanted. Ironically, the narrator concludes with a prayer to God, hoping that the Devil will grant him all his desires. The meaning of this poem lies in the famous quotation which comes from it, ''My dear brothers, never forget, when you hear the progress of enlightenment vaunted, that the devil's best trick is to persuade you that he doesn't exist!'' Simply put, by the end of this short story the Devil has convinced the man to sell him his soul without the man even knowing it.
A few years back, I was teaching a theology course for the seminary when I had a student ask me whether or not the study of angels and demons is important since the Bible has so little to say about it. There were really two troubling parts to that question: First, the Bible does actually have a considerable amount to say about the spiritual realms. Second, the reason we fail to grasp this reality is because we read the Scriptures with an anti-supernatural perspective that causes us to gloss over such pertinent passages. Essentially, I find that Baudelaire was right about the greatest trick of the Devil, for the Evil One has seemingly succeeded in conv ...
Series: The Church at Ephusus: God's Calling, Empowering, and Instruction for the Church
Patrick Edwards
Ephesians 6:10-17
Introduction
The 19th century French poem, ''The Generous Gambler,'' by Charles Baudelaire tells the story of the narrator meeting the Devil, but in this meeting finding that the Devil is no where near as gruesome and terrifying as the medieval poets might have him believe. Instead, in speaking with the Devil, the narrator finds the Devil to be quite generous, offering power and treasure to those whom he meets without asking for anything in return. However, once the Devil leaves the man, the man is left with doubts and wonders about whether or not this meeting has really taken place, and whether or not the Devil will be able to grant the man all he wanted. Ironically, the narrator concludes with a prayer to God, hoping that the Devil will grant him all his desires. The meaning of this poem lies in the famous quotation which comes from it, ''My dear brothers, never forget, when you hear the progress of enlightenment vaunted, that the devil's best trick is to persuade you that he doesn't exist!'' Simply put, by the end of this short story the Devil has convinced the man to sell him his soul without the man even knowing it.
A few years back, I was teaching a theology course for the seminary when I had a student ask me whether or not the study of angels and demons is important since the Bible has so little to say about it. There were really two troubling parts to that question: First, the Bible does actually have a considerable amount to say about the spiritual realms. Second, the reason we fail to grasp this reality is because we read the Scriptures with an anti-supernatural perspective that causes us to gloss over such pertinent passages. Essentially, I find that Baudelaire was right about the greatest trick of the Devil, for the Evil One has seemingly succeeded in conv ...
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