The Holy War
Lesson 2
Class Format
Segment
Time
Review the week’s assignment
10 minutes
Class discussion
10 minutes
Specific lesson on theme from the week’s assignment
15 minutes
Goals
•
•
•
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To gain a greater understanding of the spiritual
warfare in which we are engaged.
To develop a greater awareness of the methods
employed by Satan.
To deepen our appreciation for the grace of God
in saving sinners.
To learn more about ourselves through
empathizing with Mansoul (Mansoul = me)
Key Questions
•
•
What primary Bible passages come
to your mind as you read this
assignment?
To what degree does the story
accurately depict Bible teaching?
Week 2
Diablous in the castle
to
Diabolus builds 3 forts
Synopsis
Diabolus secures his place and
pervades Mansoul with his influence
Synopsis
•
Mansoul asks Diabolus to reign over them
•
He takes possession of the castle
•
He demotes Lord Understanding and Mr.
Conscience
•
•
He darkens Lord Understanding
•
Becomes a prisoner
•
Becomes an impediment
He debauches Mr. Conscience
•
Becomes inconsistent
•
Becomes ignored
•
Becomes hated
Synopsis (continued)
•
He promotes Lord Willbewill
•
•
•
•
Captain of the castle
Governor of the wall
Keeper of the gates
Lord Willbewill swears allegiance to Diabolus
•
•
•
Maligns Mr. Conscience (Recorder)
Forbids any fragment of Shaddai’s law in the town
Does great evil and mischief
Synopsis (continued)
Diabolus defaces Shaddai’s image
• Replaces it with his own
•
He repudiates Shaddai’s laws
• Replaces them with his own
•
•
He replaces Shaddai’s officials
•
•
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Mayor (Understanding) with Lord Lustings
Recorder (Conscience) with Forget-Good
Many other lesser officers in the town
Synopsis (continued)
• He
•
Hold of Defiance
•
•
•
Located by Eye-gate
Governed by Spite-God
Midnight Hold
•
•
•
builds 3 forts
Located by old castle
Governed by Love-no-Light
Sweet-Sin Hold
•
•
• He
Located in the marketplace
Governed by Love-Flesh
thinks himself secure
Discussion
Disabolus’ subtle strategies
(Ephesians 2:1-3)
What early steps does Diabolus take to strengthen his position
with the citizens of Mansoul, effectively rendering them dead to
Shaddai’s things?
•
•
•
•
He attempts to make them hate to lose what he represents
(privileges and liberty)
He maneuvers for them to affirm him as king in place of
Shaddai
He works to gain a place in the innermost heart (castle), and
then incrementally enforce and stretch his rule to further and
further extent.
He officially deposes and gradually corrupts Divinely-provided
restraints to sin
• Lord Mayor Mr. Understanding
• Mr. Recorder (Conscience)
Mr. Understanding
Though Mr. Understanding had initially assented to the
invitation for Diabolus to enter, Diabolus seeks to undermine
Mr. Understanding’s credibility within Mansoul.
•
What is it that perturbs Diabolus about Mr. Understanding?
•
•
Mr. Understanding was “a seeing man” – Diabolus’ work is to bring
an inability to see (Ephesians 4:17-19).
How does Diabolus go about “darkening” Mr. Understanding?
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•
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Removed him from his office
Built a high tower between his house and the light
Confined him to live in his dark house
Caused him to be a hindrance rather than a help
Mr. Recorder (Conscience)
Mr. Recorder had also assented to Diabolus’ intrusion.
•
In what ways does Bunyan describe the character and function
of the conscience?
•
Well-read in the laws of Shaddai
•
A man of courage and faithfulness in speaking truth
•
•
•
•
“He had a tongue as bravely hung, as he had an head filled with
judgment”
Would not, despite Diabolus’ best efforts, become impartial to
Diabolus
Even in an impaired state, he represented Shaddai, and affected
the whole town with his lion-like voice
Diabolus feared him more than anyone else in the town
Mr. Recorder (Conscience)
What Bible passage defines the role of the conscience, even in
unbelieving men?
Romans 2:14-15
Mr. Recorder (Conscience)
How does Diabolus discredit the work of Mr. Conscience?
•
•
•
•
He
He
He
He
debauched him (so that he was inconsistent)
convinced the townsmen that he was crazy
downplayed his importance (not the voice of Shaddai)
emphasized the townsmen’s “freedom”
The people’s response?
•
•
•
They ignored him
They hated him
They wanted him silenced
“Conscience, in natural men, is very unequal and
irregular in his opposition to sin; yet, by fits and starts
he will cry out, and so frighten the sinner, that he
wishes him ‘a thousand miles off,’ so as to give him no
disturbance, nor prevent his enjoyment of that liberty
to sin, which Satan boasts he has granted to Mansoul.
Nevertheless the power of conscience cannot be utterly
destroyed”
(The Holy War, illustrated with notes by George Burder,
Reiner edition, 48).
Strategy: Doubts about Shaddai
Another strategy of Diabolus was to place doubts in the
citizens’ minds about Shaddai Himself.
What specific accusations against Shaddai does he make that
would naturally raise questions about Him?
Statement
Method
Shaddai did not value the loss of Mansoul
Direct lie
Since Shaddai had not judged them already for
defecting to Diabolus, He would never do so
Use truth to spin a lie
Shaddai has conceded defeat
Direct lie
Mr. Will-be-will
• Represents man’s will (The governing seat of choice)
• Deliberations
• Choices
• Determinations
• A unique man of high-standing in the town.
• One of the first to consent to Diabolus’ appeal
• Distorted and entrenched
• Promoted by Diabolus
• Captain of the castle
• Governor of the wall
• Keeper of the gates
• Swears allegiance to Diabolus
• Maligns Mr. Conscience (Recorder)
• Forbids any fragment of Shaddai’s law in the town
• Does great evil and mischief
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Mr. Lord Will-be-will’s clerk, Mr. Mind, and his deputy, Mr. Vile-Affection,
headline an impressive list of characters that rise to prominence in
Mansoul to do Diabolus’ bidding.
The remaining pages of the chapter remind one of the more than twodozen lists in Paul’s epistles that delineate the works of the flesh both
graphicly and specifically.
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Mr. Mind (clerk)
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Mr. Mind (clerk)
Mr. Vile-Affection
(deputy)
Romans 1:25-26a
Who changed the truth of God
into a lie, and worshipped and
served the creature more than
the Creator, who is blessed for
ever. Amen.
For this cause God gave them up
unto vile affections.
Galatians 5:24
And they that are Christ's have
crucified the flesh with the
affections and lusts
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Mr. Mind (clerk)
Mr. Vile-Affection
Carnal-Lust
(deputy)
(daughter of Mr. Mind)
1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you as aliens
and strangers to abstain from
fleshly lusts which wage war
against the soul.
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Mr. Mind (clerk)
Mr. Vile-Affection
Carnal-Lust
(deputy)
(daughter of Mr. Mind)
Impudent
When one is rude and impertinent;
inclined to take liberties not belonging
to him; it is akin spiritually to being
stiff-necked.
Acts 7:51
You men who are stiff-necked and
uncircumcised in heart and ears are
always resisting the Holy Spirit; you
are doing just as your fathers did.
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Jude 1:15
Mr. Mind (clerk)
Mr. Vile-Affection
Carnal-Lust
(deputy)
(daughter of Mr. Mind)
Impudent
Blackmouth
To execute judgment upon all, and
to convince all that are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly
deeds which they have ungodly
committed, and of all their hard
speeches which ungodly sinners
have spoken against him.
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Proverbs 1:25
Mr. Mind (clerk)
Mr. Vile-Affection
Carnal-Lust
(deputy)
(daughter of Mr. Mind)
Impudent
Blackmouth
Hate-Reproof
And you neglected all my counsel and
did not want my reproof;
Proverbs 10:17 & 15:10
Grievous punishment is for him who
forsakes the way; He who hates
reproof will die.
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Akin to a scoffer
Mr. Mind (clerk)
Proverbs
Mr. Vile-Affection
Carnal-Lust
(deputy)
(daughter of Mr. Mind)
Impudent
Blackmouth
Hate-Reproof
Scorn-Truth
13:1 Does not listen to rebuke;
14:6 Seeks wisdom and finds none.
15:12 Does not love one who reproves
him, He will not go to the wise.
21:24 "Proud," "Haughty,“ "Scoffer,"
are his names, who acts with insolent
pride.
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Mr. Mind (clerk)
Mr. Vile-Affection
Carnal-Lust
(deputy)
(daughter of Mr. Mind)
Impudent
Blackmouth
Psalm
36:1 Transgression speaks to the
ungodly within his heart; There is no
fear of God before his eyes
Hate-Reproof
Scorn-Truth
Slight-God
14:1 The fool has said in his heart,
"There is no God.”
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Mr. Mind (clerk)
Mr. Vile-Affection
Carnal-Lust
(deputy)
(daughter of Mr. Mind)
Impudent
Romans 12:19
Blackmouth
Hate-Reproof
Scorn-Truth
Slight-God
Revenge
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves,
but rather give place unto wrath: for it
is written, Vengeance is mine; I will
repay, saith the Lord.
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Mayor
Recorder
Mr. Mind (clerk)
Mr. Vile-Affection
Carnal-Lust
(deputy)
(daughter of Mr. Mind)
Impudent
Blackmouth
Hate-Reproof
Scorn-Truth
Slight-God
Revenge
Lord Understanding
Mr. Conscience
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Mayor
Recorder
Lord Understanding
Mr. Conscience
Lord Lustings
Forget-Good
Mr. Mind (clerk)
No-Truth
Mr. Vile-Affection
Carnal-Lust
(deputy)
(daughter of Mr. Mind)
Impudent
Blackmouth
Hate-Reproof
Scorn-Truth
Slight-God
Revenge
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Mayor
Recorder
Lord Understanding
Mr. Conscience
Lord Lustings
Forget-Good
Mr. Mind (clerk)
No-Truth
Mr. Vile-Affection
Carnal-Lust
(deputy)
(daughter of Mr. Mind)
Image of Shaddai
Impudent
Blackmouth
Hate-Reproof
Scorn-Truth
Slight-God
Revenge
Law of Shaddai
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Mayor
Recorder
Lord Understanding
Mr. Conscience
Lord Lustings
Forget-Good
Mr. Mind (clerk)
No-Truth
Mr. Vile-Affection
Carnal-Lust
(deputy)
(daughter of Mr. Mind)
Image of Shaddai
Impudent
Blackmouth
Hate-Reproof
Scorn-Truth
Slight-God
Revenge
Law of Shaddai
The whole man was corrupted at the fall
Lord Will-be-will
Mayor
Recorder
Lord Understanding
Mr. Conscience
Lord Lustings
Forget-Good
Mr. Mind (clerk)
No-Truth
Mr. Vile-Affection
Carnal-Lust
(deputy)
(daughter of Mr. Mind)
Image of Shaddai
Impudent
Blackmouth
Law of Shaddai
Hate-Reproof
Scorn-Truth
Slight-God
Defiance - Governor Spite-God - by the Eye-gate
Midnight hold - Governor Love-no-light – by the old castle
Revenge
Sweet-sin hold - Governor Love-flesh – in the market place
How should Shaddai respond?
Our Response
•
Do you thank God…
•
That someone brought you the Gospel?
•
For the power of the Gospel?
•
For your Conscience and Understanding?
The Holy War
2 Corinthians 10:4
Diabolus immediately attempts to strengthen his
hold on Mansoul. He wants fallen man to be all his
and beyond hope of restoration, and therefore,
aims to transform men’s passing acquaintance
with him and fond affections for him into a
permanent relationship that will actively resist any
recovery effort by Shaddai. Paul refers to such
encroachments as “strongholds” that believers
need to pull down.