But let us notice the point in her prayer:  “Avenge me of mine adversary.”  Who her adversary was we have no means of knowing, nor how he became her adversary.  But we are told who the Christian’s adversary is.  Peter tells us in these words:  “Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”  The word AVENGE means to conquer or destroy an enemy, for the purpose of securing tranquility to the party avenged.  In this sense Moses avenged the children of Israel on the Midianites.  In the same sense Ahimaaz said:  “Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the Lord hath avenged the king of his enemies.”  I think you are now prepared to understand what the Lord means by the words:  “And will not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him?  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.”

It is now understood that the DEVIL, the very vilest and worst of all tramps, is the Christian’s adversary.  But God has promised to avenge him, if he will call upon him in that spirit of earnestness which is deaf to denial, such as the widow had.  We must not forget, however, that God, in all he has ever done for man in the way of avenging him of his enemies or adversaries, required man’s assistance.  As Paul puts it, we are coworkers with God, and so must we ever be.

Let us now test this matter a little.  God is willing to bruise Satan’s head under your feet, and thus avenge you of the worst adversary you have ever known.  He is at hand, ready, with more than twelve legions of angels at his service, if needed.  You are sorely tried.  You are tempted to commit adultery with some one until every nerve in your body trembles from the agony of suspense between conscious right and conscious wrong.  One deep, fervent prayer from the heart breathed to Almighty God:  “Lord, save, or I perish,” will avenge you of your adversary, will put him to flight, and leave you and God masters of the field.  Brethren and friends, this is no idle talk.  God will as surely give you the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, as he has promised it.

The Lord says with apparent emphasis:  “Hear what the unjust judge saith.”  There must then be something in it which deeply concerns us to know.  Just what I have said is in it, the power of prayer.  “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

But again:  You are tempted to do something very sinful, and you seem to yourself to try to pray.  You feel the serpent’s coil about your heart drawing tighter and yet tighter, until your spiritual breath seems almost gone.  I will tell you now just how you have got into this fix.  You did not look to God soon enough.  You put off praying and allowed the tempter to twist himself around you in the way he is.  Do you ask what you are to do in this case?  I will tell you.  If you will just summon breath and courage to say from your inmost soul:  “God, be merciful to me a sinner,” your adversary will let go his filthy hold of you, and the Lord will set your spirit free.  “God will avenge his own elect speedily.”  But they must cry unto him.