Powers

Powers. They are princes, with mighty power: we cannot tell how great the power of Satan is. When God permits him, he makes a wonderful display of his power in all creation, over all the elements. He has power over fire. He can cause thunders and lightnings in the firmament, and can set the heavens on fire. He has power over the air. “He is the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). It was he that caused the mighty wind from the wilderness to fall upon Job’s house, and kill his children. Without God’s permission, he cannot make a breath of air to blow, but with permission he can at any time raise wind enough to remove mountains. Satan has power over water. He can hurl the sea into such commotion that the depth shall boil like a pot. Satan has power over the earth, and can cause earthquakes to swallow up towns and cities, rocks and rivers. Satan can enter into the bodies of beasts. A legion of devils entered into a herd of two thousand swine, and hurried them violently over a precipice into the sea, and drowned them. And they have no less power over the bodies of men. Read of the lunatics, the deaf and the dumb which were healed of Christ when he was on the earth. And did they not carry the body of Christ himself through the air? And what mighty power the devil has over the souls of men! He can work on the understanding, and cause thousands of evil thoughts to arise there to our sorrow, by working on the corruptions which he finds in the soul. The devil can do great mischief in the will of men. Though he cannot command and determine it, yet he can persuade and allure it to a thousand evils. Satan works on the affections and passions of men. He deals much with our imaginations, paints sinful objects as lovely and desirable, and so kindles our affections towards them, till the consent of the will is obtained, and the soul is led captive.