1月19日 撒但辽阔的国度
撒但辽阔的国度
若不是神的恩典介入并推翻了那“否决权”，全世界都会落在撒但的权势之下。
当你环顾四周，看见魔鬼的国度何等辽阔，而基督的属民却只占何等小小的一隅；当你看见无数宝贵的灵魂匍匐在撒但脚下，而在基督恩典旌旗下行军的圣徒却像一支微小的队伍——你也许会问：“难道地狱比天堂更强吗？撒但的手臂比基督的十字架更得胜吗？”但你若细想我接下来的话，你非但不会惊讶为何基督的追随者如此之少，反而会惊讶基督竟然还能得着人来跟随祂。
“我是在罪孽里生的，在我母亲怀胎的时候就有了罪。”（诗51:5）因此，当这世界的王第一次带着各样邪恶的诱惑靠近一个幼小的灵魂时，牠发现那灵魂毫无防备，且在本性里早已熟悉牠的手段。向撒但妥协，在这一颗本就有罪的心里，并不会激起太大的反抗。然而，当基督为一个灵魂“征战”时，祂提出的是翻天覆地的改变；而自私的灵魂通常喜欢维持现状，于是他们就会用比喻中那些叛逆城民的轻蔑态度回答祂：“我们不愿意这个人作我们的王。”（路19:14）这场投票是一致通过的：各样的私欲都投下了反对票，齐心协力地反对基督，正如非利士人起来攻击那“毁坏他们地的”参孙一样（士16:23-24）。若不是神的恩典介入并推翻了那“否决权”，全世界都会落在撒但的权势之下。
撒但所征服的对象，主要是那些无知且没有恩典的灵魂——他们既无力量，也无分辨力来抵挡牠。他们生来就是罪的囚徒；撒但所要做的，不过是把他们继续关押在那里。但当撒但攻击一个圣徒——那圣徒的自由是借着十字架一次达成且永远得着的——撒但攻击他，就是在围攻一座有门有闩的坚固城。撒但迟早必羞愧退去，因为即使是最软弱的圣徒牠也无法把他们从救主手中夺走。你可以怀疑自己的力量，但永远不要怀疑基督的力量。在你与撒但最激烈的冲突中，请信靠基督，祂必带你脱离魔鬼的权势。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：创20章，太19章，
个人灵修：尼9章，徒19章
JANUARY 19, MONDAY
SATAN’S VAST EMPIRE
If God’s grace did not step in and override the veto, the whole world would be held in Satan’s sway.
When you look around and see the devil’s vast empire and what a little spot of ground contains Christ’s subjects— what heaps of precious souls lie prostrate under Satan’s feet and what a tiny regiment of saints march under Christ’s banner of grace—perhaps you ask yourself, “Is hell stronger than heaven? Are the arms of Satan more victorious than the cross of Christ?” But if you consider what I am about to tell you, you will wonder that Christ has any to follow Him rather than that He has so few.
Every son of man is born in sin (Psalm 51:5). So when the prince of this world first approaches a young soul with this or that wicked proposal, he finds the soul unarmed and in its natural state already familiar with his policies. Yielding to Satan’s control will therefore not cause much of a stir in the naturally sinful heart. But when Christ campaigns for a soul, He proposes sweeping changes. And the selfish soul, which generally likes things as they are, answers Him with the same scorn as the rebellious citizens in the parable: “We will not have this man to reign over us!” (Luke 19:14). The vote is unanimous: All the lusts cast their ballots against Christ, and rise up like the Philistines against Samson, whom they called the destroyer of their country (Judges 16:23–24). If God’s grace did not step in and override the veto, the whole world would be held in Satan’s sway.
Satan’s conquests are limited to ignorant, graceless souls who have neither strength nor sense to oppose him. They are born imprisoned to sin; all he has to do is keep them there. But when he assaults a saint, whose freedom was won at the Cross, once for all, then he is laying siege to a city with gates and bars. Sooner or later, he must retreat in shame, unable to pluck the weakest saint out of the Savior’s hand. Doubt your own strength, but never doubt Christ’s. In your gravest conflicts with Satan, trust Him to bring you out of the devil’s dominion.