Divers sermons of Master John Calvin, concerning the divinity, humanity, and nativity of our…Diuers sermons of Master Iohn Caluin, concerning the diuinitie, humanitie, and natiuitie of our…

Let us now then consider that if Satan were not spoiled, how miserable we should be: For he possesseth and peaceably enjoyeth us: For as our Saviour Christ Jesus saith:¹ we are even as his own proper possession and demesnes. Wherefore we had need that the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ should, bring forth fruit in us, and that our enemies being conquered, should be eftsoons chased away, that Jesus Christ should so tread on their necks, as that they should never be able to rise again, although they went about to devise to do all the mischief they could against us. And here he namely speaketh of strong and great men to the end we should not be abashed at the force, munition, & all the furniture of our enemies: For this were enough to fear us, to see on the one side, our own weakness, and to know on the other side that the Devil is like a roaring Lion,² and sin to have dominion over us: this, I say, were even enough to fear us, except we were assured of this, that neither power, strengths, nor any thing else whatsoever, can let our Lord Jesus Christ from spoiling of all his enemies, from chasing and bereaving of them of all they have, so that which before was hurtful unto us, shall now be turned to our good and benefit. And this is not only meant of Satan, the captain of all the wicked, but also of all our Adversaries: For, look how many faithless people there are, even so many furious enemies have we against us: and to make few words, we see all the world almost on our tops. And therefore what should become of us, if Jesus Christ could not overcome all the strong and mighty ones of the earth? So then, we see here in the first place what it is that we have to consider of out of these words, That Jesus Christ being ascended, hath not only held all our enemies captive, but also hath made an utter spoil of them: and we have received all the gifts which were given him for homage, to the end we might be enriched by his liberality, being of our selves altogether poor and needy.

Let vs now then consider yt if Satan were not spoyled, how miserable we should bée: For he possesseth and peaceably inioyeth vs: For as our Sauiour Christe Iesus saith:¹ we are euen as his own proper possession and demaines. Wherefore wee had néede that the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christe shoulde, bring foorth fruite in vs, and that our enimies being conquered, shoulde be eftsoones chased away, that Iesus Christe shoulde so treade on their neckes, as that they shoulde neuer bée able to rise againe, although they went about to deuise to do all the mischiefe they could against vs. And héere he namely speaketh of strong and great men to the ende wée shoulde not bée abashed at the force, munition, & all the furniture of our enimies: For this were enough to feare vs, to sée on the one side, our owne weaknesse, and to know on the other side that the Diuell is like a roaring Lion,