"Death of Sardanapalus", c 1827 by Eugene Delacroix.
It is 16th century France, and Christians are being slaughtered and persecuted, as the Roman Catholic church raises its head to fight the growing Reformation.
John Calvin, now exiled in Switzerland, writes the King of France to challenge him to resist the cunning power of the Roman Catholic church.
In this, his prefatory remarks, Calvin lays forth eight arguments for the King to contemplate.
His seventh argument is one that we should heed: "Lastly, they do not act with sufficient candor when they invidiously recount how many disturbances, tumults, and contentions the preaching of our doctrine has drawn along with it, and what fruits it now produces among many. The blame for these evils is unjustly laid upon it, when this ought to have been imputed to Satan's malice. Here is, as it were, a certain characteristic of the divine Word, that it never comes forth while Satan is at rest and sleeping. This is the surest and most trustworthy mark to distinguish it from lying doctrines, which readily present themselves, are received with attentive ears by all, and are listened to by an applauding world. Thus for some centuries during which everything was submerged in deep darkness, almost all mortals were the sport and jest of this lord of the world, and, not unlike some Sardanapalus, Satan lay idle and luxuriated in deep repose. For what else had he to do but jest and sport, in tranquil and peaceable possession of his kingdom? Yet when the light shining from on high in a measure shattered his darkness, when that "strong man" had troubled and assailed his kingdom [cf. Luke 11:22], he began to shake off his accustomed drowsiness and to take up arms."
Abba,
I fear that Satan is allowed to comfortably lay in his evil lair, as our country continues to quietly approach a steady boil, in the great cooking pot of the evil one. Please I pray, let me not be content to pray that your church would stand against this, but rather that your Holy Spirit would so infuse me, that I might find that courage to stand, as if I alone be David in front of Goliath.
Give me, Father, the wisdom, and the courage to speak of your wonderful and glorious truth, so that others might so be inspired, and together we take up the sword of your truth and beat back this slumbering evil beast.
The world is deluded. It is blinded from your glory. Oh Father, pierce the darkness, explode your powerful light in the dark places, that many might be saved from Satan's snare.
Your Son,
David
