“The truth here taught is full of strong consolation for all true Christians. We live in a world full of difficulties and snares.
We are ourselves weak and compassed with infirmity.
The awful thought that we have a mighty spiritual enemy ever near us, subtle, powerful, and malicious as Satan is, might well disquiet us, and cast us down.
But, thanks be unto God, we have in Jesus an almighty Friend, who is ‘able to save us to the uttermost.’
He has already triumphed over Satan on the cross. He will ever triumph over him in the hearts of all believers, and intercede for them that their faith fail not.
And He will finally triumph over Satan completely, when He shall come forth at the second advent., and bind him in the bottomless pit.
And now, Are we ourselves delivered from Satan’s power? This after all is the grand question that concerns our souls.—He still reigns and rules in the hearts of all who are children of disobedience. (Eph. 2:3.)
He is still a king over the ungodly. Have we, by grace, broken his bonds, and escaped his hand? Have we really renounced him and all his works?
Do we daily resist him and make him flee? Do we put on the whole armour of God and stand against his wiles?
May we never rest till we can give satisfactory answers to these questions.”
–J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Mark (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1857/2012), 72-73. Ryle is commenting on Mark 5:1-17.
