Four things help them escape: Faithful's encouragement which keeps Christan from suicide, prayer, the "key of Promise", and the sunshine which weakens Giant Despair. Bunyan is describing his doubt and despair during his conversion and imprisonment. What a dreadful place Doubting Castle is! A stinking dungeon, where Christian and Hopeful lie for days, without food, water or light, beaten, goaded to kill themselves, terrified of death. Then said Hopeful, That is good news good brother, pluck it out of thy bosom, and try. What a fool, quoth he, am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom, called Promise, that will, I am persuaded, open any lock in Doubting Castle. Our emotions may not change, but like Christian, we can resolve to go forward in "the strength of the Lord God", until the day God brings light once more. We may need others to speak the words we can no longer speak to ourselves, as Faithful did for Christian in the Valley. At such times, all we can do is pray and wait for the light to dawn. At other times, doubting, despairing, impure thoughts come from without rather than within, like the blasphemous thoughts which assailed Christian and Bunyan during his conversion, and it's best to neither entertain nor resist them, just to let them go. Sometimes, when depression or anxiety are persistent and powerful, it's hard to preach God's word to yourself, and it doesn't banish the dark emotions. His sword ineffective, he takes up another weapon, All-Prayer (Eph. May we thank God for the victory, knowing that we fight only in his strength.Īnd ever and anon the flame and smoke would come out in such abundance, with sparks and hideous noises, (things that cared not for Christian’s sword, as did Apollyon before,) that he was forced to put up his sword, and betake himself to another weapon, called All-prayer.One of the most dreadful places Christian comes to is the Valley of the Shadow of Death, where gibbering fiends rise from the Mouth of Hell. May we take our sword, the Bible, and fling God's promises in the Enemy's face, confident he will flee from us. Wounded and weary after years of battling the same temptations, may we battle on, knowing God helps us overcome through his conquering Son. When Satan hurls the "fiery darts" of his accusations, may we defend ourselves with the "shield of faith", trust in the grace of Christ. Like Christian, may we stand our ground, remembering we're defended by God's armour. Our Enemy attacks us with lies, temptations and accusations (Jn. I never saw him all the while give so much as one pleasant look, till he perceived he had wounded Apollyon with his two-edged sword then, indeed, he did smile, and look upward! But it was the dreadfullest sight that ever I saw.The most terrible foe in Pilgrim's Progress is monstrous Apollyon. Here's four battles in Pilgrim's Progress which arm us for the fight: Sometimes I win a decisive battle, only to have to take up my weapons again. I battle Satan: his whispered thoughts of temptation, worry, doubt and despair. I battle the world: magazines which produce dissatisfaction, advertising which tempts to over-spending, TV shows which promote life free from restrictive morals. I battle sinful desires: gossip and bitterness, gluttony and covetousness, anger and complaining, laziness and self-absorption, anxiety and discouragement. Here is his charge: "Be on your guard stand firm in the faith be men of courage be strong" (1 Cor. He calls us to fight the good fight, demolish falsehood, take every thought captive, stand our ground, resist the devil, overcome the world, guard ourselves and the gospel, battle our sinful desires, even shed our blood (1 Tim. In this combat no man can imagine, unless he had seen and heard, as I did, what yelling and hideous roaring Apollyon made all the time of the fight he spake like a dragon: and on the other side, what sighs and groans burst from Christian’s heart.Do you think of yourself as a warrior? Have you realised this is exactly what God wants you to be? Every day, God calls you and me to a battle against sin, the world, and Satan.
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