Directions Against Sinful Fear of the Devil, by Richard Baxter
Direct. I. Remember that the devil is chained up, and wholly at the will and beck of God. He could not touch Job, nor an ox, nor an ass of his, till he had permission from God, Job 1. He cannot appear to you nor hurt you unless God gives him leave.
Direct. II. Labor therefore to make sure of the love of God, and then you are safe; then you have God, his love and promise, always to set against the devil.
Direct. III. Remember that Christ hath conquered the devil in his temptations, on the cross, by his resurrection and ascension. He "destroyed through death him that had the power of death, even the devil, that he might deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage," Hebrews 2:14,15. The prince of this world is conquered and cast out by him, and will you fear a conquered foe?
Direct. IV. Remember that you are already delivered from his power and dominion, if you are renewed by the Spirit of God. And therefore let his own be afraid of him, that are under his power, and not the free-men and redeemed ones of Christ. God has delivered you in the day that he converted you, from a thousand-fold greater calamity than the seeing of the devil would be; and having been saved from his greatest malice, you should not over-fear the less.
Direct. V. Remember what an injury it is to God, and to Christ that conquered him, to fear the devil, while God is your protector (any otherwise than as the instrument of God's displeasure): it seems as much as to say, I fear lest the devil be too hard for God; or lest God cannot deliver me from him.
Direct. VI. Remember how you honor the devil by fearing him, and pleasure him by thus honoring him. And will you not abhor to honor and please such an enemy of God and you? This is it that he would have; to be feared instead of God, he glories in it as part of his dominion: as tyrants rejoice to see men fear them, as those that can destroy them when they will, so the devil triumphs in your fears as his honor. When God reprehends the idolatry of the Israelites, it is as they feared their idols of wood and stone. To fear them, showed that they took them for their gods, 2 Kings 17:38,39; Daniel 6:26.
Direct. VII. Consider that it is a folly to be inordinately fearful of that which never did befall you, and never befalls one of many hundred thousand men: I mean any terrible appearance of the devil. You never saw him; nor heard credibly of but very few in an age that see him (besides witches). This fear therefore is irrational, the danger being utterly improbable.
Direct. VIII. Consider that if the devil should appear to you, yes, and carry you to the top of a mountain, or the pinnacle of the temple, and talk to you with blasphemous temptations, it would be no other than what your Lord himself submitted to; who was still the dearly beloved of the Father, Matthew 4. One sin is more terrible than this.
Direct. IX. Remember that if God should permit him to appear to you, it might turn to your very great advantage; by killing all your unbelief, or doubts, of angels, and spirits, and the unseen world. It would sensibly prove to you that there is indeed an unhappy race of spirits, who envy man and seek his ruin; and so would more convince you of the evil of sin, the danger of souls, the need of godliness, and the truth of Christianity. And it is like this is one cause why the devil no more appears in the world, not only because it is contrary to the ordinary government of God, who will have us live by faith and not by sight; but also because the devil knows how much it would do to destroy his kingdom, by destroying infidelity, atheism, and security, and awakening men to faith, and fear, and godliness. The fowler or the angler must not come in sight, lest he spoil his game by frightening it away.
Direct. X. If it be the spiritual temptations and molestations only of Satan which you fear, remember that you have more cause to fear yourselves, for he can but tempt you; and if you do not more against yourselves, than all the devils in hell can do, you will never perish. And if you are willing to accept and yield to Christ, you need not inordinately fear either Satan or yourselves. For it is in the name and strength of Christ, and under his conduct and protection, that you are to begin and finish your warfare. And the Spirit that is in us, is greater and stronger than the spirit that is in the world, and that molests us, 1 John 4:4. And the "Father that gives us to Christ is greater than all, and none can pluck us out of his hands," John 10:29. "And the God of peace will tread down Satan under our feet," Romans 16:20. If it were in his power he would molest us daily, and we had never escaped so far as we have done: our daily experience tells us that we have a Protector.
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