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"Throwing Ink at the Devil"

by Bernie L. Gillespie - Editor  

         Preaching the Gospel is spiritual warfare. Anyone who takes our Lord's command seriously and preaches the Gospel of Christ will face very real and intense attack by Satan. Christ, when tempted by the Devil, responded by "throwing" the words of sacred Scripture at him. His defense was an offensive proclamation of truth. The best response of any disciple of Jesus is to take the offensive and speak the words of eternal life into the darkness.

        We are tempted to be discouraged by the battle which makes many of our cherished friends casualties. We feel weakened and tired with the struggle. Our calling is distant and the tasks of our ministry are weighty. Our Enemy calls into question our preaching, teaching, and worship. He says, "No one is listen. Who cares about the Gospel?" Rather than succumb, that is the very moment to preach bolder. We laugh at the Tempter as we throw the Promises of God in his lap.

        Many of the faithful saints of Christ have taken the Adversary to task through the Word of God. Spurgeon refers to a poignant moment in the life of Luther:

I am inclined to think of Martin Luther's way of laughing at the devil was a very good one, for the devil is worthy of shame and everlasting contempt. Luther once threw an inkstand at Satan's head when Satan was tempting him very sorely, and though the act itself appears absurd enough, yet it was a true type of what that greater Reformer was all his life long, for the books he wrote were truly a flinging of the inkstand at the head of the fiend.

       This column and newsletter is our way of throwing ink at the Devil. And it might be, in the grace of God, that such frail and little things like ink, paper, and words will be used by the Lord to shatter the  kingdom of darkness over human hearts. This is our humble desire. May God enlighten your heart through the light of His Word.