“And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (Acts 7:59-8:1).

The believer should always look upon Satan as a defeated foe. He has already been overcome by the Captain of our host. Any power which he exercises today is only a permitted power that God may get greater glory to Himself through the victory gained by His child before a doubting world, and also that the Christian’s life in Christ may be deepened and strengthened [Cf. Job 1,2,42; Heb. 2:14,15].

Satan was permitted through his human tools to stone Stephen to death, but through Stephen’s gloriously triumphant martyrdom God won the crown jewel from Satan’s diadem–Saul of Tarsus. Satan was allowed through human instruments to put to death the Lord of glory but in doing it he sent himself to the bottomless pit [Luke 22:3; Rev. 20:2,10].

[And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. [Col 2:13-15].

That wicked one has no claim whatever upon one who is born of God and he has no power to harm or hurt him. The believer who is hid with Christ in God and who is one with his ascended Lord has the right to claim the perfect protection which that position provides and to reckon himself as a conqueror in Christ Jesus [Col. 3:3; Rom. 8:37].

[“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” – James 4:7].

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quoted in His Victorious Indwelling, ed. Nick Harrison, Zondervan, 1998. Bracketed text added.

“Ruth Paxson lived from 1889-1949. Ruth Paxson was Bible teacher, missionary, and author whose writings are classics today. Born in Manchester, Iowa, she dedicated her life to Christ while she was young. After graduating from the State University of Iowa, she attended Moody Bible Institute. Several years later, she served as YWCA secretary and college secretary for her home state and later traveled as secretary for the Student Volunteer Movement.

She sailed for the mission field in China in 1911, sponsored by the YWCA. Before long she left for health reasons and began to teach Bible in Europe and the United States and continued to do so, with writing, until her death. Her detail and concern for accuracy during her years as secretary gave her the carefulness she needed in her writing and teaching. Life on the Highest Plane is the book that has received the most acclaim.” http://www.sarahsministry.org