Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices

I have long believed that one of the best books ever written in the area of the doctrine of sanctification, and particular on the mortifying of sin in the believer's life, is the work by the puritan Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices (available from Banner of Truth). Lately, in my own personal devotions, I have been drawn back to this book, re-reading it as a help in my own (feeble) pursuit of holiness. And I have decided, as part of that process, to post the main points of Brooks's treatise on this blog. Hopefully, at least once or twice a week, I will post one of the "devices" (schemes, wiles) of Satan that he uses to lead people into sin that Brooks discusses, along with the biblical "remedies" that Brooks recommends.  It will be more or less just an outline of Brooks's book, but I hope that it benefits readers nonetheless and perhaps encourages them to go out and read the whole book for themselves.

In the introduction, Brooks takes the reader to 2 Cor. 2:11, where the Apostle states, "We are not ignorant of his [i.e., Satan's] devices" (ESV: "designs"; NASB: "schemes"). The idea is that Satan has his devices, his tricks, his ways of leading people (even believers) astray into sin.  And, Paul says, we are not ignorant of those devices--at least we shouldn't be, because the Bible explains his devices.  And, what's more, the Bible provides us with divinely revealed remedies to those devices--that is, means by which can avoid the snare of those devices and avoid sin.  Other relevant texts that Brooks cites to prove his point are Eph. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:26; and Rev. 2:24.  All of these, in different ways, speak of Satan's desire and method to ensnare us in sinful rebellion against God, and of the importance of learning from Scripture how to resist Satan's influence.

I hope you will join me in this exploration of Brooks's marvelously helpful book.