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30 - Enmity Between Man and Satan - The Great Controversy · Sacred Texts Archive

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  Chapter thirty enmity between man and Satan. I will put enmity between thee and
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  the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy
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  head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. The divine sentence pronounced against Satan
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  after the fall of Man was also a prophecy, embracing all the ages to
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  the close of time and foreshadowing the great conflict to engage all the races of
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  men who should live upon the earth, God declares, I will put enmity.
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  This enmity is not naturally entertained. When man transgressed the divine law,
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  his nature became evil, and he was in harmony and not at variance with
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  Satan. There exists naturally no enmity between sinful man and the originator of sin.
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  Both became evil through apostasy. The apostate is never at rest, except
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  as he obtained sympathy and support by inducing others to follow his exams. For
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  this reason, fallen angels and wicked men unite in desperate companionship. Had not
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  God specially interposed, Satan and man would have entered into an alliance against Heaven,
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  and instead of cherishing enmity, against Satan, the whole human family would
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  have been united in opposition to God. Satan tempted man to sin, as
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  he had caused angels to rebel, that he might thus secure co operation in
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  his warfare against Heaven. There was no dissension between himself and the fallen angels
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  as regards their hatred of Christ, while on all other points there was discord.
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  They were firmly united in opposing the authority of the ruler of the universe.
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  But when Satan heard the declaration that enmity should exist between himself and the
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  woman and between his seed and her seed, he knew that his efforts to
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  deprave human nature would be interrupted, that by some means, man was to
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  be enabled to resist his power. Wan's enmity against the human race is kindled
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  because through Christ, they are the objects of God's love and mercy. He
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  desires to thwart the divine plan for man's redemption, to cast dishonor upon God.
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  By defacing and defiling his handiwork. He would cause grief in Heaven and
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  fill the earth with woe and desolation. And he points to all this evil
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  as the result of God's work in creating man. It is the grace that
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  Christ implants in the soul, which creates in man enmity against Satan. Without
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  this converting grace and renewing power, man would continue the captive of Satan,
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  a servant ever ready to do his bidding. But the new principle in the
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  soul creates conflict where hitherto had been peace. The power which Christ imparts enables
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  man to resist the tyrant and usurper. Whoever is seen to abhorse in instead
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  of loving it. Whoever resists and conquers those passions that have held sway within,
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  displays the operation of principle wholly from above. The antagonism that exists between
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  the spirit of Christ and the spirit of Satan was most strikingly displayed in the
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  world's reception of Jesus. It was not so much because he appeared without worldly
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  wealth, pomp, or grandeur that the Jews were led to reject him.
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  They saw that he possessed power which would more than compensate for the lack of
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  these outward advantages. But the purity and holiness of Christ called forth against him
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  the hatred of the ungodly. His life of self denial and sinless devotion was
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  a perpetual reproof to a proud, sensual people. It was this that evoked
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  enmity against the Son of God. Satan and evil angels joined with evil men,
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  all the energies of apostasy conspired against the champion of Truth. The same
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  enmity as manifested toward Christ's followers as was manifested toward their master. Whoever sees
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  the repulsive character of sin, and who strength from above resists temptation, will
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  assuredly arouse the wrath of Satan and his subjects. Hatred of the pure principles
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  of truth and reproach, and persecution of its advocates will exist as long as
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  sin and sinners remain. The followers of Christ and the servants of Satan cannot
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  harmonize. The offense of the Cross has not ceased. All that will live
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  godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Satan's agents are constantly working under his
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  direction to establish his authority and build up his kingdom in opposition to the government
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  of God. To this end, they seek to deceive Christ's followers and allure
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  them from their allegiance. Like their leader, they misconstrue and pervert the scriptures
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  to accomplish their object. As Satan endeavored to cast reproach upon God, so
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  do his agents seek to malign God's people. The spirit which put Christ to
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  death moves so wicked to destroy his follower. All this is foreshadowed in that
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  first prophecy. I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
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  thy seed and her seed, and this will continue to the close of time.
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  Satan summons all his forces and throws his whole power into the combat.
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  Why is it that he meets with no greater resistance? Why are the soldiers
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  of Christ so sleepy and indifferent because they have so little real connection with Christ,
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  Because they are so destitute of His spirit. Sin is not to them
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  repulsive and abhorrent as it was to their master. They do not meet it
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  as did Christ, with decisive and determined resistance. They do not realize the
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  exceeding evil and malignity of Sin, and they are blinded both to the character
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  and the power of the Prince of darkness. There is little enmity against Satan
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  and his works because there is so great ignorance concerning his power and malice,
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  and the vast extent of his warfare against Christ. And his church. Multitudes
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  are deluded here. They do not know that their enemy is a mighty general
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  who controls the minds of evil angels, and that, with well matured plans
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  and skillful movements, he is warring against Christ to prevent the salvation of souls.
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  Among professed Christians, and even among ministers of the Gospel, there is
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  heard scarcely a reference to Satan, except perhaps an incidental mention in the pulpit.
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  They overlook the evidences of his continual activity and success. They neglect the
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  many warnings of his subtlety. They seem to ignore his very existence. While
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  men are ignorant of his devices, this vigilant foe is upon their track every
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  moment. He is intruding, his presence in every department of the household,
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  in every street of our cities, in the churches, in the national councils,
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  in the courts of justice, perplexing, deceiving, seducing everywhere, ruining
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  the souls and bodies of men, women and children, breaking up families,
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  sowing hatred, emulation, strife, sedition, murder. And the Christian world
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  seem to regard these things as though God had appointed them and they must exist
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  Satan is continually seeking to overcome the people of God by breaking down the barriers
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  which separate them from the world. Ancient Israel were enticed into sin when they
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  ventured into forbidden association with the Heathen. In a similar manner, are modern
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  Israel let astray. The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them
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  which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who
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  is the image of God, should shine unto them. All who are not
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  decided followers of Christ are servants of Satan. In the unregenerate heart, there
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  is love of sin and a disposition to cherish and excuse it. In the
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  renewed heart, there is hatred of sin and determined resistance against it. When
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  Christians choose the society of the ungodly and unbelieving, they expose themselves to temptation.
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  Satan conceals himself from view and stealthily draws his deceptive covering over their eyes.
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  They cannot see that such company is calculated to do them harm, and
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  while all the time assimilating to the world in character, words, and actions,
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  they are becoming more and more blinded conformity to worldly customs. Converts the
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  Church to the world, It never converts the world to Christ. Familiarity with
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  sin will inevitably cause it to appear less repulsive. He who chooses to associate
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  with the servants of Satan will soon cease to fear their master. When in
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  the way of duty we are brought into trial, as was Daniel in the
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  King's court. We may be sure that God will protect us, but if
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  we place ourselves under temptation, we shall fall sooner or later. The tempter
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  often works most successfully through those who are least suspected of being under his control.
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  The possessors of ten talent and education are admired and honored, as if
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  these qualities could atone for the absence of the fear of God or entitlement to
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  his favor. Talent and culture considered in themselves are gifts of God. But
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  when these are made to supply the place of piety, when instead of bringing
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  the soul nearer to God, they lead away from Him, then they become
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  a curse and a snare. The opinion prevails with many that all which appears
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  like courtesy or refinement must in some sense pertain to Christ. Never was there
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  a greater mistake these qualities should grace the character of every Christian, for they
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  would exert a powerful influence in favor of true religion. But they must be
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  consecrated to God, or they also are a power for evil. Many a
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  man of cultured intellect and pleasant manners, who would not stoop to what is
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  commonly regarded as an immoral act, is but a polished instrument in the hands
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  of Satan. The insidious, deceptive character of his influence and example renders him
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  a more dangerous enemy to the cause of Christ than are those who are ignorant
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  and uncultured. By earnest prayer and dependence upon God, Solomon obtained the wisdom
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  which excited the wonder and admiration of the world. But when he turned from
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  the source of his strength and went forward relying upon himself, he fell a
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  prey to temptation. Then the marvelous powers bestowed on this wisest of kings only
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  rendered him a more effective agent of the adversary of souls. While Satan is
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  constantly seeking to blind their minds to the fact, let Christians never forget that
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  they wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
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  against the rulers of the darkness of this world against wicked spirits in high places.
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  The inspired warning is sounding down the centuries to our time. Be sober,
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  be vigilant, because your adversary, the Devil, as a roaring lion,
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  walketh about, seeking whom he may devour on the whole armor of God,
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  that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
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  From the days of Adam to our own time, our great enemy has been
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  exercising his power to oppress and destroy. He is now preparing for his last
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  campaign against the Church. All who seek to follow Jesus will be brought into
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  conflict with this relentless foe. The more nearly the Christian imitates the divine pattern,
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  the more surely will he make himself a mark for the attacks of Satan.
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  All who are actively engaged in the cause of God, seeking to unveil
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  the deceptions of the evil One and to present Christ before the people, will
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  be able to join in the testimony of Paul, in which he speaks of
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  serving the Lord with all humility of mind. With many tears and temptations,
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  Satan assailed Christ with his fiercest and most subtle temptations, but he was repulsed
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  in every conflict. Those battles were fought in our behalf. Those victories make
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  it possible for us to conquer. Christ will give strength to all who seek
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  it. No man without his own consent can be overcome by Satan. The
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  tempter has no power to control the will or to force the soul to sin.
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  He may distress, but he cannot contaminate. He can cause agony,
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  but not defilement. The fact that Christ has conquered should inspire his followers with
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  courage to fight manfully the battle against sin and Satan. End of Chapter thirty