The devil is adept at dangling all sorts of lures in front of us and as Christians we need to be on the alert. Before we know it, we can be undermining the gospel and fighting against the Lord’s work in the church. The Covenanter Katherine Collace, Mrs Ross (c.1635–1697) and her sister Jean Collace ran a school in Fife teaching sewing to the daughters of the gentry and also providing religious instruction. Many of their pupils were converted. In her autobiography, Katherine Collace reflected on the insidious devices of Satan which warp good things and magnify problems in a way that brings believers to war against each other and keeps them unfit for achieving much spiritual success. The following extract identifies four of these devices and some suggestions for to how to resist them.

Scripture itself

Places of Scripture. Some he tempts to abuse certain passages to cover their sinful practices. Others he tempts to despise those scriptures, as if they were of no use.

Imperfect Christians

Failings in persons, whether seeming or real. All their good is rendered useless by the reproaches of those who make the greatest claim to uprightness.

Good deeds for the wrong reasons

Satan makes use of those who seem to be most zealous for the external privileges of Christ’s kingdom to destroy Christ’s internal kingdom in the church, when they allow themselves to be divided one from another. By becoming divided they are put out of capacity to build up one another in their most holy faith, or to edify the body in love, contrary to the old and new command and to Christ’s prayer that they may be perfected in one, and so rendering useless the only means left us for help, i.e., prayer. “If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and remember … leave thy gift before the altar, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then offer thy gift,” importing clearly that there is no acceptance of prayer till reconciliation be made with our brother.

Whereas in a time like this (when Satan is getting such advantage) we ought to be spending our time finding out his devices, on the contrary, we give him more and more advantage, in many ways. Those who do not make conscience of finding out and counteracting the devices of Satan will be reckoned co-workers with him for overturning the kingdom of Christ, even if in most secret ways. If we are secretly undermining Christ’s kingdom, even if we are not public opponents, we are nevertheless enemies to Him.

Up to now, Satan has appeared in his own colours, so, for the most part, there has been no great difficulty discovering him. It is likely he will come out in other colours, however, if he has not already, and then it will be more difficult to discern him. But those who seek the Lord understand all things. I must set down the words of one of extraordinary skill in the sleights of Satan. He says, “The highest measures of holiness for the most glorious ends, if not warranted from the Word, is the most sordid superstition.”

An unsettled mind

One of the greatest devices of Satan at this day is the irritating of the mind. He has many advantages this way by the manifold troubles of this time, and so he keeps the heart unhumbled, and in this opposes the Lord, who, by all His providences, seeks for us to be humble. As the humble and quiet accepting of the punishment of our iniquity would tend to His glory, so it would tend to our good and profit.

The advantage of patient acceptance

Many advantages accompany such an accepting spirit. What are these advantages?

1. Being in a good place to listen to what the Lord is speaking in His providences. That is why it says in Psalm 25:9, “The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek he will teach his way.”

2. Many precious promises, such as guidance, teaching, increase of grace (“He gives grace to the humble,” James 4:6), the Lord’s presence to revive them (Isaiah 57:15).

3. Being in a good place to bear any affliction. “Wherefore doth a living man complain,” etc (Lamentations 3:19). And one says, “Hell is not hell to a truly humbled heart.” Only be humble, and all your uncertain fits of trouble and sorrow are now ended, and all your sad days are ended. There is nothing to cross you but your will, which contradicts the will of God. But when the heart is truly subject to the will of God, it cannot be troubled, whatever may befall the person, because nothing can come to pass but by the will and determination of God.

4. The promise of exaltation. A humble person has the promise of exaltation, lifting up and safety. If anyone will be hid in an evil day, it will be the humble person.

5. Usefulness. A humble person is of most use to others, they judging themselves debtors to all, having received so freely. As the apostle says, “I am a debtor …” Someone who is humble leaves a continual conviction on others who are not humble, if there is any discernment. At the same time, their humbleness is lovely and attractive to gracious hearts, seeing it is the image of Christ. “I am meek and lowly,” He says.

6. Safety. They are in the greatest security against falling, either in principle or in practice, as they have so little confidence in themselves.

In an evil time, we are bidden to seek meekness, righteousness, and the Lord, etc. Pride spoils us in all these, while the Lord requires it both for our spiritual and temporal good. Satan and corruption mainly oppose it where self-denial is not in exercise, by making us notice slight and imaginary insults, keeping the heart irritated, and so in contention, and then what follows is the works of the flesh — anger, wrath, etc. Then the Lord is openly dishonoured. It is an undervaluing of the glory that is to be revealed at the coming of Christ, when we are much moved at any calamity that can befall us in this world.

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