Meeting the Enemy on Strange Soil

Here is a man marvelously enlightened in what the devil does and able to explain the subject with rare clarity and power. The day comes when, eager for the spread of the gospel, he ventures into the battle zone of another country, but without any real understanding of the tremendous hold which the powers of evil have upon the people. The atmosphere is so controlled by opposing forces that any doubts which he may have had as to their existence or activity are now banished (Ephesians 2:2). This is a real spiritual battle “where Satan’s seat is.”* (Revelation 2:13) Spiritually, it is simply suffocating, and if ever he needed to wrestle and pray, it is now. And he does—on his knees and on his feet. He used to do this in old England or in the United States of America with the comfort of human fellowship and sometimes with the impetus of another’s “amen,” but now everything seems working to isolate him completely.

The days come and go, each bringing its added stress of conflict. Perplexing situations arise, disappointing things happen, the “east winds” blow with a bite never before experienced, and he is baffled. Hoping against hope that the tide will turn, he plods on. Maybe he tries through human effort to do the work of his God—a common failure of us all—but slowly his power to resist weakens and he becomes enveloped. His head is in his hands; none of those around him understand, if they even so much as perceive what is wrong. All is confusion and darkness to him. You might tell him some of the things that he himself said about “the way of victory” in such circumstances, but he will reply, “That was all right for England or the United States and the armchair; it is different out here.”

He prays—at least he tries to—but the heavens seem as brass; he weeps inwardly and outwardly, and the devil whispers, “Your being here is a huge mistake.” The agony deepens. Things happen of which I cannot speak. Trouble upon trouble sets in. It is an “evil day.”* (Ephesians 6:13)

“Resist the devil, brother,” someone urges, but somehow he cannot. If it occurs to him to do so, he either says, “It is of no use,” or “I cannot.” And to say that is, of course, fatal, for by a swifter process than you think, the attitude becomes “I do not want to.”