Date: December 6, 1939Scripture Reading: Rev. 12:11; Job 2:3-10; Matt. 10:39; Acts 15:26; 20:24; Rom. 16:3-4; Eph. 6:10; Phil. 2:29-30; 1 Pet. 4:1-2; 1 John 3:16
The book of Revelation tells us that the brothers overcome Satan, the accuser, by the blood of Christ, by the word of their testimony, and by not loving their soul-life. Not loving our own soul-life is not the condition for overcoming Satan, it is the basis for overcoming him (12:11). Not loving our soul-life does not mean that we have to die. It means that we are willing to give up our own soul-life and that we do not care for our own soul-life. Some people are not that attached to their children; they are not concerned whether they lose their children. But they care very much for their own "face." It is easier for them to lose ten ounces of gold than to give away "ten ounces" of their flesh. These men love themselves. They cannot overcome Satan. In fact they are certain losers in the hand of Satan. Satan is only afraid of one kind of people — those who do not love their own soul-life. Only these ones are beyond Satan's touch. The basis for victory over Satan is to not love our own soul-life.
When the Lord was on earth, He did not care for His own soul-life. This was why many people considered Him to be a mad man. They thought that He did not know how to control Himself, that He did not know how to eat properly. Today we are all familiar with teachings on temperance. Actually, we are practicing worldly temperance. The Lord was able to give up temperance for the sake of others. Of course, I must say that being intemperate for no reason at all is a sin, and it is extreme. It is not wrong to live an unregulated life, but it is wrong to be intemperate in an irresponsible way. Not loving our own soul-life and being intemperate are two different things. The Lord could eat outside normal times; He could touch lepers, get up before the sun rose, or pray all night. But these were done during times of special need and for the benefit of others. Being able to sleep properly and eat properly are not signs of temperance in themselves. Proper temperance is having the ability to control oneself, eating when one should eat, refraining from eating when one should not eat, sleeping when one should sleep, and rising up when one should rise up.
If a believer never prays or fasts, this is an expression of self-love. If he comes to the meeting late and does not open his mouth, this is also an expression of self-love. Some dare not share the same cup with others at the bread-breaking meeting. Although they love the Lord, they cannot remember the Lord, because they are fearful of being infected by germs. This is also a form of self-love. I am not saying that we should not take care of hygiene. I am saying that it is not right for us to become paranoid about these things through self-love and self-indulgence. When some go to the hospital to preach the gospel, they cover their nose with their hands when they are preaching to the sick. It would be better for such ones to go home. The Lord could touch the lepers with His hands. Is man's soul more precious, or is your life more precious?
There was a sister who was sick, and I prayed for her twice. I knew that the Lord would heal her, and I asked her if she wanted to be healed. She answered, "When you are sick, others love you. But after you get well, no one loves you anymore." I realized that this sister just wanted to be loved. Many people are sick because they want to be loved. Their sickness is not an outward affliction; it is self-induced. They impose sickness upon themselves artificially.
Once I was sick in a hospital. The patient lying in the room next to mine groaned quite often. However, the pattern of his groaning followed the sound of footsteps on the stairs. When there was a noise on the stairs, he began to groan, but when it became quiet, his groaning stopped. He groaned to win sympathy from others. Such ones are self-lovers. It is a shame for believers to seek for sympathy. They love no one but themselves. Many people love themselves; they love their own voice, their own health, and their own money more than the souls of others. The Lord can never use them in His work.
When the son of the Shunammite woman died, the woman did not stay with the son but put him down and turned to Elisha (2 Kings 4:17-37). The book of Hebrews says that she received her dead by resurrection (11:35). Let us turn to Paul's parting word to the Ephesian elders. He invited the elders in Ephesus to come to Miletus, comforted them with words, and testified to them, saying, "The Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in city after city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. But I consider my life of no account as if precious to myself, in order that I may finish my course and the ministry which I have received from the Lord Jesus to solemnly testify of the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:23-24). Paul risked his life for the Lord's name. He was able to say that he considered his life of no account as if precious to himself. The Lord has no intention that every one of us should be a martyr, but we need to have the heart of a martyr, which is not to love our soul-life. Paul did not love his soul-life, and he considered his soul-life of no account as if precious to himself. This is the proper attitude for every servant of the Lord.
In Acts 15:26 the church in Jerusalem wrote a letter to recommend Paul and Barnabas to the church in Antioch. The letter said that they were "men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." In his recommendation of Epaphroditus, Paul said that "for the work of Christ he drew near unto death, risking his life" (Phil. 2:30). In his greetings to Prisca and Aquila, he said to the church in Rome, "Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles" (Rom. 16:3-4). All of these did not love their own lives. They are patterns to us, the believers.
First Peter 4:1-2 tells us that a mind to suffer is a weapon. If a man is armed with such a mind, he will not live in the lust of men but in the will of God. This, however, does not mean that we look for sufferings, nor does it mean that we mortify ourselves. We have to see the difference between suffering and having a mind to suffer. A suffering man is not necessarily one who has renounced his self-love, but someone who has a mind to suffer surely has renounced his self-love.
Some people feel weak when they skip a meal, and they resign from the Lord's work once they have a headache. How much the Lord is restricted in these ones! Of course, this does not mean that we should expose ourselves to unnecessary risks. Our boldness is with respect to the Lord. The Lord loves us; He did not love Himself. Therefore, He laid down His life for us. We should not love ourselves for this same reason; we should lay down our life for others. Those who love themselves cannot love others, because they have exhausted all their energy on self-love.
Those who love their own soul-life will lose it, but those who lose their soul-life for the Lord's sake and who do not love themselves will find life (Matt. 10:39). Satan once attacked Job; now he is attacking the believers. In order to overcome Satan, believers must realize that the basis of victory is the renunciation of their self-love.
