The Christian’s Great Enemy – A Review by Ben Ramsbottom

Surely the best books are those that keep close to Scripture, and we have never known a book that keeps closer than this.

The Christian’s Great Enemy¹ opens up, explains and applies 1 Peter 5:8-11 –

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

This, of course, is an extremely important subject – the believer’s conflict with the devil – and we found John Brown’s opening up of the subject very profitabte and helpful. Very interesting, the author strongly believes that the final words (‘make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you’) should be read, not just as the apostle’s prayer, but as a faithful promise from Almighty God.

In 1975 The Banner of Truth published Brown’s commentary (1 Peter, Vol. 2)² – which first appeared in 1848 – from which The Christian’s Great Enemy is taken. We feel this approach could be valuable for all Christian publishers: the publishing of suitable extracts from larger works as individual books. For instance, few people possess (or read) Dr. Gill’s monumental Body of Divinity, but valuable chapters in which he deals with the vital doctrines of the gospel could be most profitable if made accessible as modern publications.

It should be pointed out that the author of The Christian’s Great Enemy is not John Brown of Haddington (1722-1787),³ but his grandson, John Brown of Edinburgh (1784-1858).⁴