a glad day it will be when the millennium comes!” He quickly replied, “I think this is the millennium.”  “But,” I said, “I thought Satan was to be chained during that time.  Doesn’t it say something of that sort in the Book?” “Yes,” he replied, “it does.  But I think he is chained now.”  And I could not resist the answer that came blurting its way out, “Well, if he is chained, he must have a fairly long chain:  it seems to permit much freedom of action.”  From all that can be gathered regarding this mighty prince he is not chained yet.  We would do well to learn more about him.  The old military maxim, “Study the enemy,” should be followed more closely here.

It is striking that the oldest of the Bible books, and the latest, Job and Revelation, the first word and the last, give such definite information concerning him.  These coupled with the gospel records supply most of the information available though not all.  Those three and a half years of Jesus’ public work is the period of greatest Satanic and demoniac activity of which any record has been made.  Jesus’ own allusions to him are frequent and in unmistakable language.  There are four particular passages to which I want to turn your attention now.  Let it not be supposed, however, that this phase of prayer rests upon a few isolated passages.  Such a serious truth does not hinge upon selected proof texts.  It is woven into the very texture of this Book throughout.

There are two facts that run through the Bible from one end to the other.  They are like two threads ever crossing in the warp and woof of a finely woven fabric.  Anywhere you run your shears into the web of this Book you will find these two threads.  They run crosswise and are woven inextricably in.  One is a black thread, inky black, pot-black.  The other is a bright thread, like a bit of glory light streaming across.  These two threads everywhere.  The one is this—­the black thread—­there is an enemy.  Turn where you will from Genesis to Revelation—­always an enemy.  He is keen.  He is subtle.  He is malicious.  He is cruel.  He is obstinate.  He is a master.  The second thread is this:  the leaders for God have always been men of prayer above everything else.  They are men of power in other ways, preachers, men of action, with power to sway others but above all else men of prayer.  They give prayer first place.  There is one striking exception to this, namely, King Saul.  And most significantly a study of this exception throws a brilliant lime light upon the career of Satan.  King Sauls seems to furnish the one great human illustration in scripture of heaven’s renegade fallen prince.  These special paragraphs to be quoted are like the pattern in the cloth where the colours of the yarn come into more definite shape.  The gospels form the central pattern of the whole where the colours pile up into sharpest contrast.

Praying is Fighting.

But let us turn to the Book at once.  For we know only what it tells.  The rest is surmise.  The only authoritative statements about Satan seem to be these here.  Turn first to the New Testament.