Chapter 6

The third efficient cause: Satan. His special malice in this temptation, commission, access to, and advantage over us in this temptation, by reason of the darkness in us.

Thus far our own hearts, upon the Holy Ghost's deserting, become authors to us of this darkness.

But herein believers wrestle not alone with flesh and blood and the darkness thereof, but do further conflict also with those spiritual wickednesses, the princes of darkness (Ephesians 6:12), about their interest in those heavenly privileges (as the phrase there used may be well interpreted) — even with Satan and his angels. Whom this apostle compares to a roaring lion that seeks whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). And like as when God makes this natural darkness and it is night, then the young lions creep forth and roar after their prey, as the psalmist says (Psalm 104:20-21): so do these roaring lions, now when God has withdrawn the light of his countenance and night comes on, and those damps and fogs of jealousies and guilt begin to arise out of a man's own heart — then come these forth and say, as David's enemies said in his distress: 'Come, let us now take him, for God has forsaken him; let us now devour him and swallow him up with sorrow and despair.' And as God says of those enemies of his church (Zechariah 1:15): 'I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction': so when God is angry with his child, and but a little, and does hide his face but for a moment — yet Satan watches that hour of darkness (as Christ calls it, Luke 22:53) and joins his power of darkness to this our natural darkness, to cause (if possible) blackness of darkness, even utter despair in us.

Now concerning Satan's working herein, we will (as in the former) more distinctly treat thereof by way of explanation of it: 1. more generally, 2. more particularly.

The third efficient cause: Satan. His special malice in this temptation, his commission from God, his access to us, and the advantage he gains over us through the darkness within us.

This far, our own hearts — upon the Holy Spirit's deserting us — become authors of this darkness within us.

But in this, believers do not wrestle alone with flesh and blood and the darkness within them. They also conflict with spiritual wickednesses, the rulers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12), over their claim to heavenly privileges — that is, with Satan and his angels. The apostle compares him to a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Just as when God makes natural darkness and night falls, the young lions creep out and roar after their prey (Psalm 104:20-21) — so these roaring lions emerge when God has withdrawn the light of His countenance and night descends, and the fog and damp of jealousies and guilt begins to rise from a person's own heart. Then they come forth and say, as David's enemies said when he was in distress: 'Come, let us take him now, for God has forsaken him; let us devour him and swallow him up with sorrow and despair.' And as God says of His church's enemies in Zechariah 1:15 — 'I was only a little displeased, and they helped to make the affliction worse' — so when God is but slightly angry with His child and hides His face only for a moment, Satan watches that hour of darkness (as Christ calls it in Luke 22:53) and adds his power of darkness to our natural darkness, aiming to produce — if possible — utter blackness and despair.

Regarding Satan's working in this, we will treat it more fully by way of explanation: 1. more generally, 2. more specifically.