THE DEVILÂ’S PHRASEBOOK
Satan is the prince of spiritual darkness, a liar from the beginning, the angel of light who comes from the pit, the devouring lion who springs, unsuspected, on his prey. It is he who is constantly seeking to confuse men, destroy orderly life and wreck any kind of real civilisation. It is he who is unwearied in his attack upon all that God gives to men in His kind providence, by which to order their lives and enjoy what He has so richly given. It is he whose chief concern is to deceive, if it were possible the very elect.
This attack of the enemy is seen in the subtle perversion of truth and the constant “double think” of the day. In the political realm, for instance, “an orderly form of government by a democratically elected body” is misrepresented as, “the illegal suppression of minority groups”. Anarchy and revolution is glorified as the legitimate struggle for freedom.
Such double talk is serious enough in civil and political life, but even more dangerous in the realm of spiritual truth and in the church where the attack of the enemy is all the more powerful and subtle.
A number of brief illustrations will expose but a few of the ways in which many are being deceived.
| True religion | is called | the opium of the people. |
| Belief in the Bible as the verbally inspired Word of God |
is called | Bibliolatry |
| The final authority of the Scriptures in all matters of faith, experience and practise | is called | Dethroning the Holy Spirit, or subordinating the Holy Spirit to the Bible. |
| Contending earnestly for the faith | is called | religious bigotry, being doctrinaire; a closed mind. |
| Tossed about with every wind of doctrine | is called | Being open to the spirit, -which spirit? |
| Studying to show oneself approved | is called | Getting religion from books |
| Expounding the Scriptures and preaching the word | is called | Letter preaching; academic preaching, dry doctrine. |
| Giving double honour to those who labour in word and doctrine | is called | The evil of a one man ministry |
| The work of ruling elders | is called | Acting like little popes. |
| People with itching ears heaping to themselves teachers | is called | Edifying the body by the exercise of spiritual gifts |
| Touting the gospel like a worthless supermarket free offer | is called | Preaching the good news |
| An emotional, superficial, transient response to the gospel of decisionism | is called | Being soundly converted |
| Conviction of sin | is called | Morbid guilt complex, psychologically dangerous |
| Continuing repentance and sorrow for sin | is called | Not accepting the blessings and joys which are in Christ |
| Inner conflict of flesh and Spirit | is called | Refusing to accept the freedom offered to you in Christ |
| Following in the footsteps of the flock | is called | The tradition of the elders, inherited religion. |
| Growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord | is called | Increasing bondage to traditional views. |
| Patient continuance in well doing | is called | The same old rut. |
| Being settled down in a false profession of Christ | is called | Assurance; not giving way to unbelief. |
| An artificial smile and foolish jesting | is called | Joy in the Lord |
| Illness appointed by God for the trial of faith | is called | Evidence of lack of faith -to be healed. |
| Growing sobriety in life and appearance | is called | Adopting an upper middle class pseudo-christianity |
| Hope of heaven and the inheritance of the saints | is called | Pie in the sky |
| A sad disregard for New Testament precepts | is called | The liberty of the spirit -which spirit? |
| Insubordinate, divisive behaviour in churches | is called | The free exercise of spiritual gifts. |
| Orderly church government | is called | Bondage to man-made rules |
| Exercise of church discipline | is called | Quenching the Spirit |
| Any sincere attempt at scriptural reformation in the church | is called | Going wide, or going off the rails. |