FROM OUT OF THE PAST
Article published 40 years ago in The Pentecostal Testimony by our firstGeneral Superintendent
Giving NoPlace To The Devil
by George A. Chambers
Ever since Satan left his place inheaven by rising up against God, there has been no place given him on earth or heaven, but he has been assigned, by God, his place in the bottomless pit (Jude 6). Yes, “Hell is prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Since God has forever cast him out and will have nothing further to do to with him, we too, are exhorted take sides with God, and have nothing to do with Satan, but, on the contrary, in the words of our text, we are to “Give No Place To The Devil.”
We are to give no placeto the devilIn our daily walk
God said to Abraham,"Walk thou before me, and bethou perfect." "Giving no
place to the devil" in ourthoughts: The first sin of therace was when Eve gave Satan place In her thoughts. Satan caused her to think and believe God was unjust to make such demands of them.
She began to think Satan was right in his suggestions, and that God did not mean what He had told them, thus disbelieving God.
Whereas God has said, "I will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on me." When the devil is given place in our thoughts, we become double- minded, and a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
To rob God of any places or of any thing, is to give place to the devil, either directly or indirectly. Jesus could say, “Satan cometh and hath nothing in me,” or “has no place in me.” As we live in Christ, and Christ, the Hope of Glory, lives in us, Satan will find no place in us.
“Giving no place to Satan” revealsthis thought:That as the Body of Christ,Satan has no right nor place in us; and it is only as we yield to him and give him place can he demand any place, in any phase of our life. We are the redeemed, the blood washed, the Spirit-filled sons of God, and we are to be filled with all the fullness of God, giving God every right, and every place in every phase and part of our life.
No Placein the thought life
We are to give no place to Satan in our thought life, but must allow the Holy Spirit to control all our thoughts. This may seem impossible and too high a standard for us to attain unto, but God’s demands are His enablements, so the Holy Spirit, speaking through His servant Paul said, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). In another Scripture, the Holy Spirit says, in speaking to the Church “but ye have the mind of Christ,” and the mind of Christ is not the fleshly or carnal mind, but it is holy, having no place for Satan. In order that we shouldgive no place to Satan in our thought life, we are exhorted by the Apostle not to try in our own human strengthto keep and control our own minds, but "The peace of God, which passethall understanding, keep your heartsand minds through Christ Jesus”(Philippians 4:7) and again, "He willkeep them inperfect peace, whose mind (thoughts) is stayed on Him.”
This requires cooperation with the Lord on our part. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, think on these things.” “Casting down imaginations(or reasonings) and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge ofGod, bringing into captivityevery thought to the obedience of Christ." Love prohibits all evil thinking; “Love thinketh no evil..."
All this is only possible when our minds are devoted whollyto God. Matthew 22:37 says, “Jesus said unto them, thoushalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” This not only takes in the thoughts that we are responsible for during our wakeful hours, but during our sleeping hours, even our dreams are to be pure. He giveth songs in the night...”
No PlaceIn Our Conversation
Then we are to give no place toSatanin our vocal life. Matthew 5;37, your communication
be yea, yea;and nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than this cometh of evil." Colossians 3:17,
“And whatsoever ye do, in word Or in deed, do all in the Name of theLord Jesus, giving
thanks to God and the Father by Him.” Matthew 12:36, 37, “For every idle word that men
shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment, for by thy words thou
shalt be justified, and by thy words, thou shalt be condemned.”
The Word of God exhorts us to use all carefulness in our speech, and tobe scriptural in all our ministries, thus giving no place to the devil in our words. Proverbs 25:11, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." The Word of God goes so far as to say that pretense is equal to falsifying one’s statements, and in such we give place to the devil. Rev-elation 21:27, "And there shall in no wise enter into it, (the New Jerusalem), anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s Book of life." To make a lie, is to pretend the truth, making misleading statements, exaggerations, make believe; this is not letting our yea, be yea:and ournay,be nay: but it is of the evil one.
We are also warned against the abuse of our vocabulary. Matthew 12:36, 37, “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
Nothing reveals the lack of deep spirituality more quickly than foolish and nonsensical talking. It is ever the stamp of shallowness, and in 1 Peter 1:18, we are told that such does not belong to us, but to the old creation. “We have been redeemed from our vain conversation,” and now we are told as Christians, that, “Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31.)
No Place inthe Service of Saints
As workers in the vineyard of the Lord, all our deliberations, our worship, and prayer, should not only be of the ordinary, everyday type of speech, but must be of the Holy Spirit’s direction, and with anointing. “Let them that speak, speak as the oracles of God.” “My preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in power and demonstration of theHoly Ghost.” “With all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, let your requests be made known unto God.” Singing, and making melody, with grace in your hearts unto the Lord.”
“Speaking to yourselves in Psalmsand hymns and spiritual songs...”
No Place of Bondages
"Giving no place to the devil” inour walk with God. He is to have noplace by which he can bring us under bondage, putting his yokes of bondage upon us. “He whom the Son sets free is free indeed.” "For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." or, where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. The word libertymeans “a free flowing." so the liberty of the Spirit is a free flowing of the Spirit, or an unhindered flowing of the Spirit. Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Read Isaiah 58:6. This passage may have special reference to the bondage of law and works, nevertheless, it applies to bondage of every phase except our bondage to Christ. The Lord pronounces woe upon thePharisees whom He said would neither permit the people who were bound by legalism and tradition to enter the kingdom, nor would they themselves enter.
There is a freedom in God that is the redemptive right of every child of God, and to have that frustrated, and not be free to obey the leadings of the Spirit as taught in God’s Word, is to “give place to the devil." It is the business of the devil to hinder the children of God from attaining to spiritual sonship in the Spirit. To disobey God’s Word to give preference to man would be “giving place to the devil.” Like the Apostle of old said, “We should obey God rather than man.”
"To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
No Place for Worldliness
Then again, we are admonished regarding worldliness, “Giving no place tothe devil.” The spirit of worldliness is so subtle, that many a child of God has been swept off his feet by its undercurrent, and carried into the whirlpool of spiritual death. We are admonished by the Word to shun allforms and phases of Worldliness.
“Keep thyself from the world,” James 1:27. Also in 1 John 2:15, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” The two words, “the things,” take in everything that is of the world, that isdetrimental to spirituality. Throughthe death of Christ, we have been delivered from this present evil world (Galatians 1:4), James 4:4 says, worldliness places one as an enemy of God.
Therefore, Paul tells us in Romans 12:2, “Be not conformed to the world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind...”
The Fleshand Self Put to Death
The godly life is not wholly a matter of externals of doing, or not doing nevertheless, "He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He (Jesus) is pure."
This hope, is the hope of seeing Jesus as He is, at His coming. It is not the theory, but the living hope that creates an urge to purify oneself. This is "giving no place to the devil”
He will purify himself, or herself, of everything that is contrary to holiness, or to that which would be conducive to a godly testimony, such as worldly attire, self enthroned, and the parading of the flesh. Job 32:21, 22, is God inspired.
The scriptural prevention against the devil having any place in us, is Ephesians 5:18, "Be (being) filled with the Spirit” which means, “Filled with all the fullness of God,” (Ephesians 3:19). Then, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”
Rev. George A.Chambers was the first General Superintendent of the PAOC -from 1919 to 1934. His first pastorate in Canada was in 1908 in Vineland, Ontario. He received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in 1907.