The
devil, then, is not bound during the whole time which this book embraces—that is, from the first coming of Christ to the end of the world, when He shall come the second time,— not bound in this sense,
that during this interval, which goes by the name of a thousand years, he shall not seduce the
Church, for not even when loosed shall he seduce it. For certainly if his being bound means that he is not able or not permitted to seduce the
Church, what can the loosing of him mean but his being able or permitted to do so? But God forbid that such should be the case! But the binding of the
devil is his being prevented from the exercise of his whole power to seduce men, either by violently forcing or fraudulently deceiving them into taking part with him. If he were during so long a period permitted to assail the weakness of
men, very many
persons, such as God would not wish to expose to such
temptation, would have their
faith overthrown, or would be prevented from believing; and that this might not happen, he is bound.
But when the short time comes he shall be loosed. For he shall rage with the whole force of himself and his
angels for three years and six months; and those with whom he makes
war shall have power to withstand all his
violence and stratagems. And if he were never loosed, his malicious power would be less patent, and less
proof would be given of the steadfast
fortitude of the
holy city: it would, in short, be less manifest what good use the Almighty makes of his great
evil. For the Almighty does not absolutely seclude the
saints from his
temptation, but shelters only their inner man, where
faith resides, that by outward
temptation they may grow in
grace. And He binds him that he may not, in the free and eager exercise of his
malice, hinder or destroy the
faith of those countless weak
persons, already believing or yet to
believe, from whom the
Church must be increased and completed; and he will in the end loose him, that the city of God may see how mighty an adversary it has conquered, to the great
glory of its Redeemer, Helper, Deliverer. And what are we in comparison with those
believers and
saints who shall then exist, seeing that they shall be tested by the loosing of an enemy with whom we make
war at the greatest peril even when he is bound?