“Resist the devil, and, he will flee from you.” James. 4:7.
UNIVERSALISTS deny in unison that there is now, or ever was, such a spiritual being as the devil, either real or personal; and contend that all the idea designed to be conveyed by that word is a personification of the principle of evil, in its various forms. It is applied in a metaphorical sense, they tell us, to various objects, such as human nature, the Roman government, wicked men,—such as Judas,—the lusts of the flesh, etc., etc., but in every case it is to be understood as a figure of speech, and nothing more.
This figure was known, in days of old, and designated by many titles, expressing his character, attributes, and offices. He was called ” Abaddon,” “Apolyon,” “Belial,” “Accuser,” “The Beast,” “The Angel of the bottomless pit,” “The great Dragon,” “Beelzebub,” “Deceiver,” “The Evil One,” “The God of this world,” “A Murderer,” “A Liar,” “The Prince of this world,” “The Prince of the power of the air,” “The Old Serpent,” “The Devil,” “The Father of lies,” “The Tempter,” “Satan,” and “The Prince of Devils !” Rev. 9:11; 12:10; 19:19, 20; 12:7, 9; 1 Pet. 5:8; Matt. 12:24; John 17:15; 2 Cor. 4:4; John 8:44; 2 Cor. 6:15 ; 1 John 3:8; Eph. 2: 2; Eph. 6:11; Matt. 4:3.
He must truly have been an extraordinary metaphor, possessing doubly as many names as the Almighty himself ! And I will disprove the existence of God, as a real personal being upon precisely the same principle that Universalists make out the devil to be nothing but a figure of speech, a personification of a mere principle of evil ! If, because Judas was called “a devil” (John 6:70), and Peter “Satan” (Matt. 16:23), there is therefore no other devil except Judas and Peter; then, according to the same logic, because Moses was called “a god” (Ex. 7:1), and Abraham “lord” (Gen. 18:12), there is therefore no other Lord God except Abraham and Moses ! If, because God is said to perform many wonderful and mighty works, he is therefore a real being, and not a personification of a good principle; then, according to the same logic, the devil must be a real being, and not a mere personification of an evil principle; for many wonderful works are, in the Scriptures, ascribed to him. He appeared in the presence of God, and they held a conversation together concerning Job. Mark the fact: they conversed together; and if it be consistent to say that one was a mere principle of evil, the other was nothing but a mere principle of good !
Again, he caused a wind to blow down the house on Job’s children, and kill them; brought the Sabeans upon Job’s oxen, who took them all away; caused the fire of God to fall from heaven, and burn up all of Job’s sheep; and finally he smote Job with sore boils, from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. If this was all done by a figure of speech, they must have had rather a savage sort of metaphors in Job’s time ! This same figure of speech conveyed the Saviour around from place to place, conversed with him, quoted Scripture, fell from Heaven like lightning, broke chains and fetters; he had power to cast men into prison; to walk about as a roaring lion; to work miracles; to overcome seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew; to bind a woman eighteen years; to possess a herd of two thousand swine, and drive them down into the sea, and drown them; he is in possession of a kingdom, is to be judged at the last day, was conscious that there was a time coming when he would be punished, confessed Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, is finally to be tormented in the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death: and, strange to tell, all this is spoken of with reference to an Eastern metaphor, a figure of speech; and not any real being, visible or invisible, either in Heaven above, earth beneath, or the waters under the earth ! Job 1; 2; Matt. 4:6; Rev. 13:13; Rev. 2:10; 1Pet.5:8; Acts19:16; Luke 10:18; Luke 13:16; Mark 5:12,13; Matt. 12:26; Mark 5:4; 2 Peter 2:4; Rev. 20:10; Matt. 8:29.
If the devil, possessing all the foregoing characteristics, and performing all these wonderful exploits, be nothing but a metaphor, a mere principle of evil, then I defy a Universalist to prove that God is anything more than a mere principle of good, the opposite of evil; and that the Bible is anything more than a mere principle of humbuggery !
God and the devil are always spoken of in the Scriptures as exact opposites, just as much so as are the principles of good and evil. God is the author of truth, and the devil is the father of lies. God is the Father of lights, and the devil is the Prince of darkness. Hence we read: “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil.” “The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God,” “What concord hath Christ with Belial?” “He that committeth sin is of the devil.” “Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God.” “If God were your Father, ye would love me.” “Ye are of your father the devil.” Matt. 6:24; 1 John 3:8-10; 1 Cor. 10:20; 2 Cor. 6:15; John 8:42-44.
All good, as the reader can discover from the foregoing quotations, is ascribed to God; whilst the devil is spoken of as the author of all evil. Now, as God is not merely that good principle of which he is the author, neither is the devil that evil principle of which he is the author. Is the principle of evil the author of itself? If so, then the principle of good must be the author of itself, and consequently all the God there is in the universe! Just as certain as God, the author of good, is a real being, just so certain is Satan, the author of evil, a real being, and not that evil principle of which he is the author. Thus, upon the principle that the devil can be philosophized into a figure of speech, or a personification of a bad principle, can the Almighty Jehovah be figured out of existence as a real being, and proved to be nothing more than an Eastern metaphor, or a rhetorical flourish.
But let us try some of the real significations of the devil, according to Universalism, such as the wicked Jews, the Roman government, Judas, Peter, human nature, the lusts of the flesh, the carnal mind, etc.