Cottage Lectures on Pilgrim's Progress by Charles Overton, 1849 To battle with Apollyon, our adversary the devil, my soul be on thy guard. Ten thousand foes arise, the hosts of sin are pressing hard to draw thee from the skies. O watch and fight and pray, to battle ne'er give o'er. Renew it boldly every day and help divine implore. Ne'er think to victory won, nor lay thine armor down. Thy arduous work will not be done till thou obtain thy crown. 1 Peter 5 verses 8-9 Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil is a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour, whom resist steadfast in the faith. How little do the generality of professing Christians apprehend from the assaults of their adversary the devil. One great reason of this false security is the extreme craft and subtlety of this practiced deceiver. He is too crafty to direct his shafts against his own subjects. As long as men live in sin or unbelief, formality or worldliness, and have never come in earnest as poor lost sinners for an interest in the salvation of Christ, it is no wonder that they see little to fear from the attacks of the wicked one. They are bound to his service by chains of darkness, and although they do not think so, they are led captive by him at his will. He is no adversary to these. They are in league with him already. Why then should he go forth against them, or shoot out his fiery darts at them? But when a poor sinner becomes a Christian indeed, that is, when he comes by faith to Christ to save him, and actually renounces the devil and all his works, Then he begins to find that there is an awful reality in the scripture, representations of the craft and power, the activity and the malice of its ghostly enemy. He perceives that he has to resist and to strive against him to the very end of his pilgrimage. and how seasonable is the admonition, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil is a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour, whom resist steadfast in the faith. Christian's battle with Apollyon will form the subject of this lecture. We shall have to consider, first, his meeting with his terrible enemy, then, the parley that ensued between them, and finally, the battle that was fought. Two remarks may be well to make before we proceed. The first is that the nature of an allegory required this painful part of a believer's experience to be described under outward emblems, but under these, inward suggestions of evil spirits are intended. Author no more meant that the Christian actually sees with his eyes the dreadful enemy in the shape he described. Then Peter intended that we should meet him in the form of a lion. In both places the description is clearly figurative. Again it may be well to remember. that among real Christians all are not assaulted alike, with the same violence, and under the same distressing circumstances. If God has some special service to be performed by any of his servants, and they are to be imminently instrumental in opposing the kingdom of darkness as the apostle Paul, or Martin Luther, or even the author of Pilgrim's Progress, Their inward conflicts with Satan's temptations are very frequently both special and peculiar. Our author's temptations were very peculiar, and his recollection of them has evidently given a strong coloring to the description before us. 1. Christian's meeting with this invisible enemy is first described in bold and expressive language. He had not gone far in the valley of humiliation before he spied a wicked spirit, Apollyon himself, coming over the field to meet him. Then, with our pilgrim sore afraid, he began to cast in his mind whether to stand his ground or to fly. But considering that he had no armor for his back, he concluded that on mere grounds of personal safety, it was better for him to do anything rather than to retreat, and therefore he determined to venture and to stand his ground. So he went, and Apollyon met him. The monster was very hideous to behold. It was clothed with scales like a fish. and air his pride. He had wings like a dragon, feet like a bear. Out of his belly came fire and smoke, and his mouth was as a mouth of a lion. When he was come up to Christian he beheld him with a disdainful countenance. Every pilgrim to the celestial city has to go through the valley of humiliation. A principal part of his journey lies through these regions. He must not expect an uninterrupted course of joy and triumph, peace and assurance, but he must be prepared continually for humiliating scenes and look forward to trials and conflict when his sensible joy is vanished. When he seems to be abandoned by prudence and discretion, and when piety and charity are no more at hand to encourage him with their counsels, he is often brought very low, and by giving way to unbelief and discouragement and fear, he exposes himself to the advances of Satan and is open to the wicked suggestions which he infuses into the mind. He sees, as it were, the grand enemy himself coming to meet him. He is dreadfully afraid, that after all he will fall a prey to the enemy's teeth. Or else he has such a vivid perception of the arduous struggle to which he is called, that he is exceedingly perplexed and cast down. Many who have now reared in themselves, on such occasions turn aside out of the way and go back. But the true Christian, though perplexed, is not in despair. He is deeply persuaded that if he turns back, it must be on to perdition, and that regard to his own safety alone requires him to go forward. The enemy whom he has to encounter is very terrible to behold. He is the king of pride and haughtily claims the allegiance of all mankind. He is terrible as a dragon. Cruel as a bear and devouring as a lion, and as fire and smoke proceeded from him, so he can infuse into the mind either the wildest rage or the most horrible darkness. What but strong faith can enable the Christian to stand his ground and not turn away from such an adversary as this? We should all pray very earnestly, from the craft and assaults of the devil, could Lord deliver us. But secondly, the parley between Christian and Apollyon is very instructive and full of meaning to the deeply experienced Christian. When Christian declared who he was, And where he was going, the adversary claimed him as one of his subjects, and said he only forbear striking him to the ground as a deserter, in the hope of getting more effectual service from him in the character he had assumed. Christian owned that he was indeed born in an enemy's country, but declared that he had exchanged his grievous service and hard wages for a better master. better wages, and a pleasanter service, and now at first. With gentle words and fair speech, Apollyon expresses his unwillingness to lose his subject, and promises to give Christian whatever he will ask, if he will only be content to turn back. How can Christian do this when he is deliberately bound himself to the service of another? Mark the craft and malicious wickedness of the adversary's reply. It is quite common for those who profess themselves his servants after a while to give him the slip and return again to me. Do thou so too and all shall be well. Without any reference to others, Christian replied, that having sworn allegiance to the master he now serves, He cannot leave him without being a traitor, and exposed to be hanged as such. In vain does a monster allege that Christian had first acted such a traitor's part to him. This is only in the time of his nonage. His prince had absolved him for that, and in short, he loves his service too well to think of quitting it. Polyon, in endeavors to turn Christian aside by a fearful representation of all the dangers and troubles he was likely to encounter by holding on his way, and reminded him how many cruelties and horrors his boasted master leaves his servants to endure in this present world. But neither will this temptation take with Christian. He knows that the present troubles of the believer only prove the sincerity of his faith and love, and he rests assured that the loving kindness of their Lord to all of his servants will be abundantly manifested when this fleeting scene is passed away and a never-ending eternity is begun. And now the subtle adversary changes his ground, and after being the tempter, proves himself also the accuser of the brethren. In the most malicious manner he rakes together all the instances of sin and weakness and infirmity which Christian had displayed since his first setting out. He admits not to mention his falling into the gulf of despond, his being seduced out of the way by worldly wisdom, his sleep in the arbor, his dread of the lions, and last of all he accused him of vainglory in telling his experience in the house beautiful. The poor pilgrim acknowledged all this and much more is true, but declares that he serves a merciful prince, who he knows will not reject him for sins and errors confessed and bewailed and striven against. His good confession only stirred up the rage and enmity of Apollyon the more, and he said, I am an enemy to this prince. I hate his person. I hate his laws, and I hate his people. and I am come out on purpose to withstand you. Then said Christian, beware what you do, for I am in the king's highway, the way of holiness, therefore take heed to yourself. But Apollyon, with a terrible menace, made it impossible for Christian to proceed, occupying the entire breadth of the way, and said, I am void of fear. Prepare to die, for I swear by my infernal den that you shall go no further. Here I will spill your soul. It has already been animated that these speeches of Apollyon pointed out the suggestions of Satan to the tempted soul. And the replies of Christian is clearly illustrate the manner in which they are to be repelled. How subtle and how various are the devices he uses in order to bring back again to his cruel sway those that have clean escaped from his power. It cannot be safe for any of us to be ignorant of his devices, his original claim, his flattering promises, the apostasy of others, the dangers and difficulties and grievous things to flesh and blood, to be encountered by the way. Our own manifold and grievous sins and inconsistencies since we professed a service of Christ are suggested to us and brought against us by this practice deceiver and used as so many arguments to tempt us from the narrow way. If this will not do, and the Christian still determines at any rate, at any cost, to hold fast his integrity and to cleave to his saviour, the great adversary may only be moved to buffet him the more and to make his way to heaven as grievous and difficult as possible. if he be not able to turn him back on the road to hell. But how, dear brethren, is a tempted Christian to resist the wicked insinuations that are injected into his mind by his adversary, the devil? We reply in the same spirit and nearly in the same language that Christian here did. Let not the Christian, an evil day of temptation, attempt to deny who he is and whom he serves. Let him boldly maintain that he comes from the city of destruction, the place of all evil, that he's gone to the city of Zion. the place of all good. If his original sin and natural depravity be alleged against him, let him never cease to maintain that although by nature he is a child of wrath even as others, yet having fled as a poor parish and sinner by faith to the Savior of sinners, he has been turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. If to pleasures of sin and the vain delights of this present evil world are held out as a bait or a bribe to seduce him from Christ, let him remember the apostate traitor's doom and let him say, I have opened my mouth to the Lord and I cannot go back from it. If he be pressed sore with hard and discouraging thoughts, when he sees the prosperity of the wicked, and things of the painful trials, the grievous sufferings, and sometimes the cruel deaths of the Lord's people. So Lydia is ready to say, Then verily, if I cleanse my heart in vain, and wash my hands in innocency, I'll let him seriously ponder the end of these men. the end of the ungodly, after all their prosperity, the end of the righteous, after all their afflictions, then surely his conclusion will be, I reckon, that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. If all his manifold sins and backslidings are urged against him, to shake his confidence, let him plead guilty to all this with every aggravation. But if he bewails and strives against these, let him believe firmly that the master he serves is full of pity and of love, that there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Walk, not after the flesh, but after the spirit. And that of any man's sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ, the Righteous. Finally, if trial and danger and death, then its most dreadful form, oppose a pilgrim's progress to the better land, only let him be sure that he is in the King's highway, the way of truth, of obedience, of holiness. And what is he then to fear? Who shall harm you if you be followers of that which is good? But in the third place, after this parley, the conflict itself with Christian and Apollyon is described. Following up his threatening words with deeds, Apollyon threw a flaming dart at Christian's breast. But he had not in vain sojourned in the house beautiful. He had a shield in his hand, with which he caught the dart, and so prevented the danger. Then did Christian draw for his defense, for fiery darts as thick as hell were hurled against him. And though he made a brave defense, and was saved from all mortal injury, still his adversary wounded him in his head, his hand, and his foot. These wounds caused him to give back a little while the adversary pressed him still closer. But Christian took courage again and resisted as manfully as he could. The conflict lasted so long that Christian growing weaker and weaker from his bleeding wounds. was almost entirely exhausted. His weary enemy, spying his opportunity, then came close up to Christian, and wrestling with him contrived to give him a dreadful fall. With that, Christian's sword flew out of his hand, then said the insulting adversary, I am sure of thee now. And with that he almost pressed him to death, so that Christian began to despair of life. But man's extremity is God's opportunity. His God would have it. While Apollyon was lifting up his hand to give the finishing blow, Christian Imly stretched out his hand for his sword and caught it, saying, Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy. When I fall, I shall arise. And with that he gave the enemy a deadly thrust. which made him give back his one that had received a mortal wound. Following up his advantage, Christian made at him again, saying, Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Upon this Apollyon spread forth his dragon wings and sped him away. Dikrishan saw him no more. Such was the end of this dreadful fight. Then Dikrishan heartily gave thanks to him who had delivered him from the mouth of the lion and saved him from the hand of a strong adversary. His wounds were soon healed by some of the leaves of the Tree of Life. He also sat down to eat of the provision which had been supplied him from the place where he had last rested. And so, being revived and refreshed again, he proceeded on his journey with sword drawn, as if apprehensive of another attack, but he met with none quite through the valley. It is not, dear brethren, in vain, and for nothing, that it is said to the true Christian soldier, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand an evil day, and having done all, to stand. We mentioned in our last lecture what it is that constitutes the Christian armor. We must take to ourselves this armor of God before the evil day of temptation comes. Yes, while you are enjoying the days of the Son of Man, while you have Sabbath privileges, While your eyes behold your teachers, and you have the uninterrupted privilege of searching the scriptures and frequently the throne of grace, this is a time for your girding on the Christian armor. Take it now that you may have it when you want it. A Christian in a day of temptation without armor resembles the foolish virgins who had oil to seek. When the cry was heard, behold, the bridegroom comes. How well it was for our pilgrim that he was furnished with the shield of faith, when the fiery darts of the wicked one were hurled as thick as hail at his breast. And what shall we do when painful and distressing thoughts and feelings and apprehensions are injected into our minds? Unless we're enabled to oppose to them a firm dependence upon the precious promises of the gospel, this is the only shield which is able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, deus tu of the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, is absolutely necessary. If we would not be overcome by the violence of Satan's temptations, every wicked and cruel suggestion by which he may endeavor to drive us to despair and destroy our souls will eventually be foiled. If only we are skillful in the word of righteousness and are able to reply to every temptation as the captain of our salvation did. It is written, But because of the sin that dwells in us, we cannot come in contact with temptation without suffering loss. Something of the temptation generally adheres and leaves its humiliating traces behind. Even though it has been resisted, this Christian was wounded in his head, his hand, and his foot by the darts of Apollyon. So the tried believer, by the harassing temptations which he endures, is not infrequently impaired in various ways. He cannot understand or work or walk with the same facility as before. He often loses ground from the effects of these wounds. Some of his temptations may not only be very painful, but of long continuance. One principal mark, however, of Christian sincerity will ever be that though faint or weary, or well nigh overcome, the true soldier of Christ never yields, but continues to resist. Great and continual watchfulness he has to use lest Satan get an advantage over him. And with all his watchfulness this will occasionally be the case. He will sometimes fall before the craft or violence of his powerful enemy. Impitiable indeed will his situation be, and apparently desperate, if his fall be such as to make the sword of the spirit fall out of his hand. I mean if the Christian be so far overcome by the violence of temptation as to be unable for a while to make any use of or derive any benefit from the word of God. Then indeed it is well nigh all over with him. There appears to be only one step between him now and everlasting ruin. Now his exalting adversary feels sure of him, and even to his own sorrowful apprehension all hope of his salvation is for a while taken away. But the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake. Just as they are about to fall a prey into the teeth of the grand enemy, they are marvelously strengthened with new strength and power from on high. Their soul escapes as a bird out of the snare of the fowler. The snare is broken, and their soul is delivered, though they had fallen grievously fallen. They rise again, they lay hold again on the word of God, or rather it lays hold upon them with new power and they are unable to use it all for the blessed purposes for which it was given. They manfully resist with all the simplicity of faith to rage an adversary and he cannot withstand them any longer. He is disappointed of his prey at the moment when he was most confident and baffled and foiled and evidently defeated, he is compelled to retreat. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. After all his sore conflicts and distress and experience, the true believer is more than conqueror through him that loved him. His wounds are healed, his comforts are restored, his heart revives, and all his dark forebodings and distressing fears are turned into songs of praise and thanksgiving and triumph. He is enabled to go on his way rejoicing without any further attacks for a season from his defeated adversary. Oh, let every tempted believer, however painful and long his trials may be, and however near he may apparently be to destruction, hope still in God, and continue to resist the adversary to the last. The bitterness of the conflict will only make the song of victory more sweet in the end. God is faithful. Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you were able? but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it. We have a merciful and compassionate high priest, and seeing that he has suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. To prayer, O God our Savior, who for our sake was forty days in the wilderness, tempted of the devil, who was to no point tempted like as we are, and yet without sin, and who are still a compassionate high priest, touched with the filling of our infirmities, and ready to succor them that are tempted, mercifully look upon us. to save and defend us from our ghostly enemy. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the craft and assaults of the devil. Blessed Lord, when the prince of this world came, he had nothing in you. For thou found in the likeness of sinful flesh, thou was holy, harmless, and undefiled, separate from sinners. There was nothing in you, thou immaculate lamb. upon which the wicked one can fasten his temptations to evil. But it is not so with us. We were conceived and born in sin, our nature so corrupt and depraved. Our hearts are naturally inclined to evil, and there is no sin, however dreadful, which we may not commit. If left to ourselves, oh, how soon are we drawn aside and enticed into sin by our own lust. We feel that we are no match for our strong adversary. May we know from sweet experience that we are sifted and tempted, that you save to the uttermost, seeing you ever live to make intercession for us. Bruise Satan under our feet shortly, and do not allow him to have any advantage over us. Have ye not said in your holy word, Resist the devil, and he will flee from you? Lord, in your name and in your strength we will resist him. Grant that we may fight manfully and to our hardness as good soldiers of yours. And may we never cease or desist until the enemy is cast down, and we have overcome him by the blood of the lamb and a testimony of our mouth. And now the God of peace and brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of his everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.