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We who "are called to be saints" are not ignorant of his devices. We know them, what they are, whence they come, and whither they lead. These are not matters of report or hearsay, but of personal knowledge.

I. HIS DEVICES IN DISCIPLINE. TOWARDS THE LAPSED. Their not being ignorant of his devices is assigned as a reason for the apostle's anxiety, "lest Satan should get an advantage of them." He was fearful lest he should overreach them in the matter referred to. That was a case of discipline. A notorious scandal had gained currency that "one should have his father's wife." The severe discipline had sufficed to produce the desired effect. Whatever might be the mind of "the many who inflicted" the censure, it would seem that there was a party among them unwilling to forgive the offence, remove the sentence, and restore the offender. To all of them the apostle says, "Ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow." And this exhortation is enforced by his own example in the person and presence of Christ. "To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person or in the sight of Christ" vers. 6-10). By their excessive severity in continuing the censure it was possible that the spirit of such an one would give way to despondency or despair, would entertain hard thoughts of God, of the government of His Church, and "thus draw back into perdition." In such a fatal issue the spirit would be lost to Christ and gained by Satan. On these accounts the apostle was anxious "lest Satan should gain an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." From this instructive case of primitive discipline it would appear that his devices to corrupt the Church of Christ, maintain a party spirit, and mar its unity, and prevent purity of communion were, and still are, these — no discipline, laxity of discipline, and partiality in discipline between rich and poor, master and servant, one party and another, on the One hand; and excessive severity of censure, disproportionate to the offence, and continued for too long a time, on the other.

II. HIS DEVICES TO PREVENT THE SALVATION OF THE LOST. If such are his devices to keep within those who ought to be without, and to keep them without when they ought to be received again within the Church, what are his devices in keeping sinners from Christ and His salvation? His chief devices, his master-machinations to prevent sinners "from giving themselves to the Lord," seem to be the four following.

1. No joy. There is no joy in Christ, no joy in His religion, no joy in His service, and no joy in His salvation. Christians go mourning without the sun. To become a Christian is to bid farewell to all joy, pleasure, and amusement for the life that now is. This device is specially intended for the merry-hearted. It will not stand examination. Try it by reason. Surely every one possessed of reason and speech will admit that the Maker of us all can make His creatures happy or miserable. For He is "the blessed, as well as the only wise God." Happy in Himself, He is also the source of all happiness to His creatures. The very supposition is not less irrational than it is impious. Is the knowledge of God, who is good as well as blessed for ever; faith in God; trust in His providence and promises; the hope of eternal life likely — are such exercises to inspire sadness? Assuredly not. And whether are the benevolent affections of "peace on earth and goodwill toward men," or malevolent affections toward God and men most fitted to give true and lasting joy? Try it by revelation. And what are its tidings? The gospel is not bad but good news from heaven to earth, from God to men. And is good news fitted to produce gladness or gloom, joy or sorrow? Tried by Scripture, no joy in religion is seen and shown to be a lying device and a lying wonder of Satan. Try it by experience. Now on what does real joy or happiness depend? Not on worldly conditions or external circumstances, but on the state of the mind and heart. Well, "The good man shall be satisfied from himself" — not with himself but from himself — "out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned." For what does he pray? "Rejoice the soul of Thy servant." "Are the consolations of God small with thee?" One thing is certain: the consolations of God are not small in their source, not small in the promise, and not small in themselves; and if they are small with thee, is there not a cause? It may be owing either —

(1) To thy partial, defective, or erroneous views of the character or gospel of God; or(2) To the want, the weakness, or wavering of thy faith, under a fair and flaming profession; or(3) To some "secret thing with thee," to some secret duty neglected, some secret sin indulged; or(4) To thy constitutional temperament, moody and sickly, which depresses thy spirits, and diminishes thy consolations. "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her; and happy is every one that retaineth her."

2. No haste. There is no haste for you to be found on the Lord's side, and be devoted to His service, For all this you have time enough, and to spare in the length of days that lie before you. In the meantime take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. This device is specially adapted for the young, the strong, the healthy, and aspiring in the outset of life. If No Joy fail with this class, No Haste, and no danger from delay, is more likely to take, as it falls in with the presumptuous spirit and procrastinating habits of fallen man. This device is second to none in danger, and in success with the sons of men. It is a most deceitful and destructive device of Satan. If it takes, Satan, in the majority of cases, has gained his end. By it unstable souls are beguiled from day to day to their eternal undoing and ruin. This device, even still less than the former, will not bear examination. For is it not the part of reason and wisdom, to give the first and most earnest heed to things of the greatest importance. "Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" Now what time is secured to man for the business of salvation? "There is a time to be born and a time to die"; but what is the time to live? Who can tell? The commands of the Master accord with the dictates of reason, and the results of observation, in this matter. They are all in the present time, all personal, all pressing, and all supreme in obligation on all men. For the Saviour's commands are enforced by Scriptural "ensamples, written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world," or of the ages, "have come." What are they? Felix is a fitting type of many hearers under the preaching of the gospel. They are convinced, but they are not converted to Christ. Their convictions are stifled, it may be never to return. And does not the experience of unconverted sinners under the preaching of the gospel correspond more or less to these ensamples written for our warning? Do they not feel that every delay tends to make the ears dull of hearing the Word?

3. No danger. There is no danger of your losing your soul, or of coming short of the promised rest. This device is specially intended for the outwardly decent, the moral, the well-to-do sort of people. They are satisfied with themselves; are at peace with themselves, and at peace with the world; and they see and feel no danger from any other quarter. Such peace is delusive and short-lived. It is like the calm that precedes the storm. They admit that they are sinners, as all men are, not from any heartfelt conviction of its evil, but in extenuation of their guilt by its diffusion over all; but they have never been convinced of their own sinfulness so as to make them feel the urgent need of the Saviour. They love mammon more than mercy, their sins more than their souls, self more than the Saviour, and pleasure more than God. They are the friends of the world and the enemies of God. Satan thus gets an advantage over them, for they are ignorant of his devices. "The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you."

4. No hope. There is for you no hope of salvation. This is the last, chief device of Satan, but it is not the least. Terrors are increased by the vivid recollections of privileges misimproved; of opportunities lost. Well does Satan know that more sinners perish from despair than through presumption. Like all his other devices, this last is a lying device of Satan. For while there is life there is hope.

(Geo. Robson.)

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KJV: Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

WEB: that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.