Let US now glance at some of the instances
where we are told of Satan's power for evil over
men. We have already referred to his influence
over Ahab to his destruction ; let us turn to a
passage in King Saul's life, " The spirit of the
Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit
from the Lord troubled him." ' ** Satan stood
up against Israel and provoked David to num-
ber Israel." * " Peter said, Ananias, why hath
Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy
Ghost ? " 3 « Supper being ended, the devil
having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot,
Simon's son, to betray him. . . . When he had
dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the
son of Simon ; and after the sop Satan entered
into him." ^

Peter also was tempted, and of that he was
warned by the Lord. " The Lord said, Simon,
Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you,
that he may sift you as wheat ; but I have
prayed for thee that thy faith fail not " ^ — not
that he might be kept from the temptation, but
that he might be sustained under it. Then in
the sad instance of Pilate, when in that mis-
guided man's conscience the spirits of good and



* z Sara. xvi. .14. ' x Chron. xxi. i. 3 Acts v. 3.
* John xui. 9, 26, 37. 5 Luke xxli. 31, 32.
