3月15日 仇敌的特征
仇敌的特征
唯有至高神的儿女才敢与魔鬼对抗，并且在必要时，“抵挡到流血的地步”。
圣经将一些极具权势的头衔加在魔鬼身上，其中撒但被特别标注为最强的一个。牠被称为“壮士”（路11:21）——强悍到能看守自己的家，使其平安无事，牠能藐视亚当所有的子孙。从经验中我们深知，单凭血肉之躯我们绝非牠的对手；基督必须从天降临，除灭魔鬼和牠的作为，否则我们都必死在罪中。
牠也被称为“吼叫的狮子”（彼前5:8），是统治整片丛林的猛兽。当狮子一吼，那声音足以让猎物惊恐瘫痪，以致狮子能从容地行走其间，毫无阻力地吞吃牠们。撒但正是这样一头狮子，牠在罪人中间来去自如，任意掠夺（提后2:26）。牠活捉罪人，易如捕鸟人用碎饼诱鸟入网。若真相大白，我们会发现多数罪人竟是如此天真、软弱且毫无属灵气力，魔鬼只需开出一个诱饵，他们便会不战而降。唯有至高神的儿女才敢与牠对抗，并且在必要时，“抵挡到流血的地步”。
撒但的另一个名字是“大红龙”，牠用尾巴（即恶人）将天上星辰的三分之一摔在地上（启12:3-4）。牠也被称为“空中掌权者的首领”（弗2:2），因为牠像君王一样能召集臣民，随时点兵叫牠们报效于牠。
然而牠最有力的称号，乃是“这世界的神”（林后4:4）。之所以这样称呼牠，是因为罪人给了牠近乎于敬拜的尊崇，他们错将牠视为神，敬畏牠如同圣徒敬畏神一样。
鬼魔的本性也使牠们强大。要记住，这些堕落的受造物原本是天使，至今尚未被剥夺所有的能力。圣经证实了天使的力量，大卫写道：“听从祂命令、成全祂旨意、有大能的天使，都要称颂耶和华！”（诗103:20）。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：出26章，约5章，
个人灵修：箴2章，加1章
MARCH 15, SUNDAY
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ENEMY
Only the children of the most high God dare to oppose him and, if need be, resist to blood.
The devils have names of great power ascribed to them in Scripture. Satan is singled out as the most powerful of all. He is called the “strong man” (Luke 11:21)—so strong that he keeps his house in peace, defying all the sons of Adam. We know from our own experience that flesh and blood is no match for him. Christ must come from heaven to destroy him and his works, or we would all die in our sins.
He is also called the “roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8), the beast that rules the whole jungle. When a lion roars, the sound of his voice so petrifies his prey that he can walk calmly among them and devour them without resistance. Such a lion is Satan, who moves with ease among sinners, preying on them at will (2 Timothy 2:26). He takes them alive as easily as the fowler entices a bird into the net with a scrap of bread. If the truth were known, the devil finds most sinners so naive and spiritless that he needs only to appear with a proposition, and they yield without the slightest twist of the arm. Only the children of the most high God dare to oppose him, and if need be, resist to blood.
Another name for Satan is “the great red dragon,” who with his tail (i.e., wicked men) sweeps down the third part of the stars of heaven (Revelation 12:3–4). He is also called “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), because as a prince he can muster his subjects and call them to report for duty at any time.
But his most powerful title of all is “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is given to him because sinners grant him a godlike worship, mistakenly holding him in reverence as the saints do God Himself.
The nature of demons also makes them mighty. Remember, these fallen creatures were once angels and have not yet been stripped of all their power. Scripture verifies the potency of angels: “Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength,” wrote David (Psalm 103:20).