This principle of evil, which reigns in flesh and blood, is styled “an exceedingly great sinner;” and all that is affirmed of the devil in the Scriptures is predicated of the evil that dwelleth in man, as expressed in his individual actions, and through the political and ecclesiastical organisations of the world.
John 8:44.— The devil from the beginning abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Here Jesus fixes the origin of falsehood where Moses placed it in his account, as originating in the subtlety of the serpent whom he styles the devil or suggester. “When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar.” Give him speech, as did the Lord God, and he will express only subtlety; for deceivableness, artfulness, and cunning are the characteristics of his physical organization. He was the father of lies, and all liars are, therefore, his seed.
1 John 3:8.— The devil sinneth from the beginning.
“The beginning” here indicated is the time fixed by Moses in Gen. 1:1, 31, when “the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” The devil sinneth. The evil suggested by the serpent found place in the mind of man; and these having conceived a desire to do what God had forbidden, transgression was the result. This the apostle personifies as the devil which sins from the beginning, even till now in all the disobedient.
John 8:44.— The devil was a murderer from the beginning.
1 John 3:12.— Cain was of that wicked one, and slew his brother.
1 John 3:8.— He that committeth sin is of the devil.
1 John 3:15.— No murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Cain proved himself to be of the number of the serpent’s seed, “because his works were evil.” Hence he is said to be “of that wicked one,” “the devil.” Cain was not the devil, though Jesus styles the devil “a murderer;” and the only murderer in the beginning was Cain. But the evil principle which entered into his parents when they ate of the tree of the knowledge of evil was transmitted to him congenitally. This was the word or corruptible seed of the serpent, as opposed to the word or “incorruptible seed of God,” which was in him. The Lord God had required a sin-offering from those who came to him. The word of God having no place in him, Cain followed the suggestions of his own corrupt nature when reasoning on the commandment of God, which told him it was unnecessary. Thus the evil within him, in its nature essentially hostile to the law of God, conceived, and brought forth transgression. He and his brother presented themselves before the cherubim of glory—Cain with an unbloody offering of the “fruit of the ground,” and Abel with a “firstling of his flock, and the fat thereof.” “And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering, but to Cain and his offering he had not respect.” This was Cain’s first offence, which he might have repaired by a return to duty. But the evil was strong within him. He became jealous of his righteous brother, in whom the word or seed of God abided; for Abel’s work condemned him. Hatred was thus conceived within him, and he slew him. Thus the evil in him brought forth sin, which was perfected in the murder of Abel, the wages of which is death perpetual to the offender.
Thus in Cain’s case “the devil” was the evil latent within his nature, which revived under the holy, just and good commandment of God; he yielded to its suggestions and gave expression to its murderous emotions, and thus brought upon himself “the end of these things which is death.” “No murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” Hence “the exceedingly great sinner,” who is innate in flesh and blood, that is, “the devil,” nor the man who yields himself servant to obey him in the lust of the flesh, have any glory, honour, incorruptibility, or eternal life abiding in them, which sufficiently proves the absolute destructibility of the devil and his seed.
“Flesh and blood,” in which the καθ ὺπερβολήν ἁμαρτωλὸς or preeminent sinner—the law or principle in the members—has dominion, uncontrolled by the law of God, to which he is essentially hostile, is styled in the sacred writings “the body of sin,” “the flesh,” “the body of this death,” “sinful flesh,” “the body,” “the creature,” “corruption,” “mortal flesh,” “the outward man,” “the Old Man according to the deceitful lusts,” etc .
John 8:44.— The devil from the beginning abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Here Jesus fixes the origin of falsehood where Moses placed it in his account, as originating in the subtlety of the serpent whom he styles the devil or suggester. “When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar.” Give him speech, as did the Lord God, and he will express only subtlety; for deceivableness, artfulness, and cunning are the characteristics of his physical organization. He was the father of lies, and all liars are, therefore, his seed.
1 John 3:8.— The devil sinneth from the beginning.
“The beginning” here indicated is the time fixed by Moses in Gen. 1:1, 31, when “the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” The devil sinneth. The evil suggested by the serpent found place in the mind of man; and these having conceived a desire to do what God had forbidden, transgression was the result. This the apostle personifies as the devil which sins from the beginning, even till now in all the disobedient.
John 8:44.— The devil was a murderer from the beginning.
1 John 3:12.— Cain was of that wicked one, and slew his brother.
1 John 3:8.— He that committeth sin is of the devil.
1 John 3:15.— No murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Cain proved himself to be of the number of the serpent’s seed, “because his works were evil.” Hence he is said to be “of that wicked one,” “the devil.” Cain was not the devil, though Jesus styles the devil “a murderer;” and the only murderer in the beginning was Cain. But the evil principle which entered into his parents when they ate of the tree of the knowledge of evil was transmitted to him congenitally. This was the word or corruptible seed of the serpent, as opposed to the word or “incorruptible seed of God,” which was in him. The Lord God had required a sin-offering from those who came to him. The word of God having no place in him, Cain followed the suggestions of his own corrupt nature when reasoning on the commandment of God, which told him it was unnecessary. Thus the evil within him, in its nature essentially hostile to the law of God, conceived, and brought forth transgression. He and his brother presented themselves before the cherubim of glory—Cain with an unbloody offering of the “fruit of the ground,” and Abel with a “firstling of his flock, and the fat thereof.” “And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering, but to Cain and his offering he had not respect.” This was Cain’s first offence, which he might have repaired by a return to duty. But the evil was strong within him. He became jealous of his righteous brother, in whom the word or seed of God abided; for Abel’s work condemned him. Hatred was thus conceived within him, and he slew him. Thus the evil in him brought forth sin, which was perfected in the murder of Abel, the wages of which is death perpetual to the offender.
Thus in Cain’s case “the devil” was the evil latent within his nature, which revived under the holy, just and good commandment of God; he yielded to its suggestions and gave expression to its murderous emotions, and thus brought upon himself “the end of these things which is death.” “No murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” Hence “the exceedingly great sinner,” who is innate in flesh and blood, that is, “the devil,” nor the man who yields himself servant to obey him in the lust of the flesh, have any glory, honour, incorruptibility, or eternal life abiding in them, which sufficiently proves the absolute destructibility of the devil and his seed.
“Flesh and blood,” in which the καθ ὺπερβολήν ἁμαρτωλὸς or preeminent sinner—the law or principle in the members—has dominion, uncontrolled by the law of God, to which he is essentially hostile, is styled in the sacred writings “the body of sin,” “the flesh,” “the body of this death,” “sinful flesh,” “the body,” “the creature,” “corruption,” “mortal flesh,” “the outward man,” “the Old Man according to the deceitful lusts,” etc .
