Welcome to Helps Against Temptation by Thomas Brookes. This Reformation audio resource is a production of Stillwater's Revival Books. Many free resources, as well as our complete mail-order catalogue, containing classic and contemporary Puritan and Reform books, CDs and much more at great discounts, are on the web at www.puritandownloads.com. Also, please consider, pray and act upon the important truths found in the following quotation by Charles Spurgeon. As the apostle says to Timothy, so also he says to everyone, give yourself to reading. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves he has no brains of his own. You need to read. Renounce, as much as you will, all light literature. But study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers and expositions of the Bible. The best way for you to spend your leisure is to be either reading or praying. And now to SWRB's reading of Helps Against Temptation, which we hope you find to be a great blessing, and which we pray draws you nearer to the Lord Jesus Christ. For he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by him. John 14.6. Satan is a spirit of mighty abilities, and his abilities to lay snares before us are mightily increased by that long experience of his. He has had time enough to study all those ways and methods which tend most to ensnare and undo the souls of men. He has made it his whole study, his only study, his constant study, to find out stratagems to entangle and overthrow the souls of men. When he was but a young serpent, he did easily deceive and outwit Eve. But now he is grown that old serpent, as John says in Revelation 12, he is as old as the world, and is grown very cunning in experience. If Satan has such a world of devices to ensnare the souls of men, then instead of wondering how that so few are saved, sit down and wonder that any are saved, that any escape the snares of this cunning fowler. I intend to set before you some special helps against all his devices. Now, to prevent objections, I shall first lay down this proposition. Though Satan has his devices to draw souls to sin, yet we must be careful that we do not lay all our temptations upon Satan, that we do not wrong the devil, and farther upon him that is to be farthered upon our own base hearts. Man has such an evil root within him that were there no devil to tempt him, no wicked men in the world to entice him, yet that cursed sinful nature that is in him would draw him to sin, though he knows beforehand that the wages of sin is eternal debt. The whole frame of man is out of frame, The understanding is dark, the will cross, the memory slippery, the affections crooked, the conscience corrupted, the tongue poisoned, and the heart wholly evil, only evil, and continually evil. Should God chain up Satan and give him no liberty to tempt the sons of men to vanity or folly, Yet they would not. They could not but sin against him by reason of that cursed nature that is in them. Satan has only a persuading slight, not an enforcing might. He may tempt us, but without ourselves he cannot conquer us. In every sin our hearts carry the greatest stroke. The fire is our wood, though it be the devil's flame. Satan can never undo a man without himself, but a man may easily undo himself without Satan. Don't excuse yourself by your accusing him. Now, for the helps I want to offer. One, walk by rule. He that walks by rule walks most safely, most honourably, most sweetly. When men throw off the word, then God throws off them, and then Satan takes them by the hand and leads them into snares at his pleasure. He that thinks himself to be too good to be ruled by the word, will be found too bad to be owned by God, and if God do not or will not own him, Satan will, by his own stratagems, overthrow him. They that keep to the rule shall be kept in the hour of temptation. Revelation 3.10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee in the hour of temptation. 2. Take heed of grieving the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit of God that is best able to discover Satan's plots against us. It is only He that can pint out all his snares and enable men to escape those pits that he has digged for their precious souls. Be sure the Spirit be not grieved by your enormities, nor by your refusing the cordials He has set before you, nor by slighting and despising His gracious acting in others. 3. Labour more for heavenly wisdom. Though there is no fear of knowing too much, there is much fear in practicing too little. There are many knowing souls, but there are but a few wise souls. There is oft times a great deal of knowledge where there is but little wisdom to improve that knowledge. Ah, souls, you have need of a great deal of heavenly wisdom to see where and how Satan laces snares, and wisdom to find out proper remedies against his devices, and wisdom to apply those remedies seasonably, inwardly, and effectually to your own heart, that you may so avoid the snares which that evil one has laid for your precious souls. 4. Make present resistance against Satan's first motions. It is safe to resist. It is dangerous to argue. Eve argues and falls in paradise. Job resists and conquers upon the dunghill. He that will play with Satan's bait will quickly be taken with Satan's hook. The promise of conquest is made over to resisting, not to arguing. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4.7 Ah, souls, were you better at resisting than at disputing, your temptations would be fewer. 5. Labour to be filled with the Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord is a Spirit of light and power. And what can a soul do without light and power, against spiritual wickedness in high places? Ephesians 4.12 That is the sweet word of the Apostle. Be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5.18 That is, labour for abundance of the Spirit. He that thinks he has enough of the Holy Spirit will quickly find himself vanquished by the evil spirit. Satan has his snares to take you in prosperity and adversity. in health and sickness, in strength and weakness, when you are alone and when you are in company, when you come on to spiritual duties and when you come off from spiritual duties. And if you are not filled with the Spirit, Satan will be too hard and too crafty for you, and will easily and frequently take you in his snares and make a prey of you in spite of your souls. Therefore, labour more to have your hearts filled with the Spirit than to have your heads filled with notions or your shops with wares, your chests with silver, or your bags with gold. So shall you escape the snares of this fowler, and triumph over all his plots. 6. Keep humble. A humble heart will rather lie in the dust than rise by wickedness, and sooner part with all than the peace of a good conscience. Humility keeps the soul free from many darts of Satan's casting and snares of his spreading, as the low shrubs are free from many violent gusts and blasts of wind which shake and rend the taller trees. The devil has least power to fasten a temptation on him that is most humble. He that has a gracious measure of humility is neither affected with Satan's proffers nor terrified with his threatenings. It is reported of Satan that he should say thus of a humble man, you do always overcome me. When I would exalt and promote you, you keep yourself in humility. and when I would throw you down, you lift yourself up in assurance of fate. God has said that he will teach the humble, that he will dwell with the humble, and that he will fill and satisfy the humble. And if the teachings of God, the indwellings of God, the pourings in of God will not keep the soul from falling into Satan's snares, I do not know what will. And therefore, as you would be happy in resisting Satan, and blessed in triumphing over Satan and all his snares, keep humble. I say again, keep humble. 7. Keep a strong, close and constant watch. 1 Thessalonians 5.6. A secure soul is already a trapped soul. That soul that will not watch against temptations will certainly fall before the power of temptations. Satan works most strongly on the fancy when the soul is drowsy. The soul's security is Satan's opportunity to fall upon the soul and to spoil it, as Joshua did the men of Ai. The best way to be safe and secure from all Satan's assaults is, with Nehemiah and the Jews, to watch and pray, and pray and watch. By this means they became too hard for their enemies, and the work of the Lord did prosper sweetly in their hands. Remember how Christ did chide his sluggish disciples. What, could ye not watch with me one hour? What, can you watch with me? How will you then die with me? Satan always keeps a crafty and malicious watch, seeking whom he may devour. Shall Satan keep a crafty watch, and shall not Christians keep a holy spiritual watch? 8. Engage not against Satan in your own strength, but be every day drawing new strength from the Lord Jesus. Undoubtedly that soul that engages against any old or new temptation without new strength, new influences from on high, will fall before the power of temptation. You may see this in Peter. He rested upon some old received strength. Though all men should deny thee, yet will not I. and therefore he falls sadly before a new temptation, denying Christ thrice that had thrice appeared gloriously to him. Ah, souls, remember this, that your strength to stand and overcome must not be expected from grace received, but from the renewed influences of heaven. You must lean more upon Christ than upon your duties. You must lean more upon Christ than upon your experience. You must lean more upon Christ than upon your graces, or else Satan will carry you into captivity. 9. Be much in prayer. Prayer is a shelter to the soul, a sacrifice to God and a scourge to the devil. There is nothing that renders plots fruitless like prayer. Hence, Christ says, watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. Ah souls, take words to yourselves and tell God that Satan has spread his snares in all places and in all companies. Tell God that he digs deep and that he has plot upon plot and device upon device and all to undo you. Tell God that it is a work too hard for any created being to work your deliverance unless he put under his own everlasting arms. Tell God how his honour is engaged to stand by you and to bring you off, that you be not ruined by Satan's plots. Tell God, if he will make it his honor to save you from falling into Satan's snares, you will make it your glory to speak of his goodness and to live out his kindness. Many a man, by a common hand of providence, escapes many a snare that man has laid for him, but yet escapes not the snares that Satan has laid for him. Many men are lifted up above the snares of men by a common hand of providence, that are left to fall into the snares of the devil by a hand of justice. Deliverance from Satan's snares does carry with it the clearest evidence of the soul and heart of God to be towards us. Psalm 140-141 This world, this wilderness, is full of snares. All employments are full of snares, and all enjoyments are full of snares. In civil things, Satan has his snares to entrap us, and in all spiritual things, he has his snares to catch us. Satan, who acts by an untiring power, and who will never let the saints rest till they are taken up to an everlasting rest in the bosom of Christ, is so powerful and subtle that he will often make the greatest and dearest mercies to become our greatest snares. How should the consideration of these things make your soul say with the Church, Make haste, my beloved, and be like a roe or a young heart upon the mountain of spices, and to love and look and long for the coming of Christ. Till you are taken up in the bosom of Christ, your comforts will not be full, pure and constant. Till then, Satan will be dealing you blows and spreading snares to entangle you. And therefore you should always be crying out with the Church, Come, Lord Jesus! 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