I’m not nearly as familiar with The Holy War as I am with Pilgrim’s Progress, but I’m beginning to get a feel for what Bunyan is doing in this great story. He begins with a picture of mankind’s creation and fall. Then he portrays mankind sinking deeper into sin and becoming absolutely debauched. Just like the fall, this also comes about at the hands of Diabolus, who continues to lie to Mansoul in order to completely alienate the town from good King Shaddai. Bunyan seems to be forming something of a systematic theology with a Gospel application. In this week’s reading (pp. 19-31 in the Whitaker edition) Diabolus has taken the city but still does not feel secure. He knows Shaddai will respond to his treachery despite the dragon’s assurance to the people that the king didn’t care about their disobedience and would not call them into account. So Diabolus strengthens his position by building new fortifications and installing a new government.
Having entered the city Diabolus warns the people that Shaddai will come and that He will try to take away their new-found “liberties” and enslave them again. Diabolus is there to defend them from such tyranny. Having heard these lies the deluded people proclaim Diabolus king of Mansoul. This bramble then takes possession of the castle that Shaddai had built for Himself and fortifies it against its Maker. The castle in the center of town represents the human heart. So, how does Satan (whom Diabolus represents) fortify the heart against God its Maker? Through corruption.
Diabolus removed the town’s mayor, Lord Understanding and the recorder, Mr. Conscience, secluding them as best he could. He confined Lord Understanding to his house and built a tower by it to block out the sunlight, thus darkening Understanding. Mr. Conscience was perceived to be a great threat to Diabolus, so he concocted a plan to discredit the poor man since he was unable to utterly destroy Conscience. The giant drew Mr. Conscience into sin and corrupted him until his conscience was seared and unable to feel any conviction. Diabolus also encouraged Mr. Conscience’s occasional fits of anger toward the city’s sins so that he appeared to be crazy. Diabolus then advised the townspeople to ignore this madman, especially since they had heard nothing from Shaddai himself. What he didn’t tell them was that Conscience crying out against sin was the voice of God to them.
The new king found an ally in the city’s largest landowner, an aristocrat named Lord Willbewill. He was among the first to consent to Diabolus’ entrance into Mansoul. He was a strong-willed character whom Diabolus won over to his side. Much to Willbewill’s delight the dragon made him second in command and gave him an agreeable clerk named Mr. Mind. “Mansoul was now brought under control and made to fulfill the lusts of the will and of the mind” (Whitaker House edition, p. 26).
The town thus secured, Diabolus orders his servants to deface every image of Shaddai in the town and replace them with his own image. The real king’s laws and values are destroyed and replaced with those of the usurper. A new mayor is appointed—Lord Lustings, whose sole rationale in decision-making is his own evil craving. The new recorder is a sorry fellow named Forget-Good. These two did much to make sensuality the settled character of Mansoul. Diabolus cemented this decay with new strongholds, built to deflect any influence that might come from Shaddai. For all his bravado, Diabolus seems to really fear Shaddai’s invasion and Mansoul’s defection.
As I read this section I was reminded of several Scripture passages. Ephesians chapters 2 and 4 came to mind. The Apostle Paul describes mankind in his natural state as dead, sons of disobedience, children of wrath, living “in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Eph. 2:1-3). In chapter 4 he commands believers not to walk like the rest of the world,
in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness (Eph. 4:17-19).
And in 1 Timothy 4 and 2 Timothy 3 the Apostle Paul warns that people will depart from the faith and pay heed to “doctrines of demons.”
Man and woman were made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). That image hasn’t been totally obliterated, but it has been marred, defaced. Remnants of God’s laws and values occasionally break through to our uncomprehending minds, and our dormant consciences will suddenly cry out against our sin and condemn us. As a race we put forth much effort and spend big money to silence that nagging, unwelcome voice. It is at such times that Satan turns up the music to drown out the dreary warning of judgment to come.
If this description of humanity seems impossible and draws an intense reaction of disbelief from us, it is because our own understanding has been darkened and our consciences seared by the pervasive sin and sensuality of our culture. The Lord forewarned that “because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). We see this debauchery of the human race in the early chapters of Genesis. After the fall in chapter 3, men continue to get worse until God declares His intention to destroy them in chapter 6.
So, is there no hope for man? Is his plight as dark and seemingly hopeless as the story thus far in The Holy War? Dark perhaps, but not hopeless! Immediately after God’s declaration of His purpose to destroy man from the earth, we read these words: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8). How do we find grace that will soften our hearts and save us from God’s righteous wrath? By believing the message about the Deliverer God sent, the Seed of the woman, who would crush the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15). This victory of deliverance was accomplished by Jesus Christ when He died on the Cross. Satan’s stranglehold on the human race was broken at
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The Holy War (Whitaker House Publishers, paperback, 2001).
The Holy War: A Modern English Version (Evangelical Press, 2nd edition, 1976). This is an updated language edition, divided into chapters with appropriate chapter headings. Very easy to read. Also available from CBD.
It seems to be getting more difficult to find an edition of The Holy War in the author’s original words. You will definitely get it if you invest in the 3-volume Works of John Bunyan. Volume 3 contains his allegorical works, along with copious notes from his editor and quotes from other Puritan writers. A worthy investment for the die-hard Bunyan fan.
If you would like a quick summary of The Holy War, here is a “squashed” version that can be read in 30 minutes or less. It provides a very good introduction and overview. Caution: This version may cause you to want to read the whole thing!
Here is the reading schedule our church is following for the Whitaker edition and a couple of other editions if you’d like to read The Holy War along with us.
No wonder John Owen admired Bunyan, the Tinker!!!
ReplyDeleteIt says a lot for the scholarly Owen that he could admire a relatively uneducated man. However, Bunyan was well educated in the Scriptures. I think Spurgeon said that if you cut John Bunyan anywhere, he bleeds Bible. A thorough Scripture knowledge combined with an active, creative imagination...Bunyan was perfect for writing useful allegory.
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