王上十八21 以利亚前来对众民说，你们心持两意要到几时呢？若耶和华是神，就当跟从耶和华；若巴力是神，就当跟从巴力……。

　　37 耶和华啊，求你应允我，应允我，使这民知道你耶和华是神，又知道是你叫他们的心回转。

　　以利亚起来作相反的见证。那时全以色列都在拜巴力，独有以利亚说，只有耶和华是神；他是在荒凉与黑暗最严重时被兴起的申言者。那时亚哈王和耶洗别不仅拜偶像，还杀了神的申言者；全国通行拜偶像的政策。亚哈所行的，比他以前的列王所行的更惹动耶和华神的怒气。这时神就兴起以利亚来，说，以色列人遭灾是因拜偶像，耶和华才是神（王上十八18、37）。他警告说，他们若不信，他就求耶和华三年半不降雨〔十七1，十八1~2〕；……但亚哈还是不肯悔改。

　　有一天在迦密山那里，……以利亚向〔以色列众民和四百五十个巴力的申言者〕挑战，要证明到底谁是神（21）（李文集一九五四年第四册，七二六至七二七页）。

　　1 Kings 18:21 Then Elijah came near to all the people and said, How long will you go hopping between two opinions? If Jehovah is God, follow Him; but if Baal is, follow him...

　　37 Answer me, O Jehovah; answer me, that this people may know that You, O Jehovah, are God and that You have turned their heart back again.

　　Elijah rose up to be an anti-testimony. At that time all Israel was worshipping Baal, and only Elijah said that Jehovah is God. He was a prophet raised up when the darkness and desolation were most severe. At that time King Ahab and Jezebel not only worshipped idols but also killed the prophets of God; the entire kingdom was following a pattern of idolatry...God raised up Elijah to declare that the children of Israel had been troubled because of idolatry and that only Jehovah is God (1 Kings 18:18, 37). Elijah warned them that if they did not believe, he would ask Jehovah, and there would be no rain for three and a half years ... (17:1; 18:1). Nevertheless, Ahab still would not repent.

　　One day on Mount Carmel,... Elijah challenged [the people of Israel and the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal] to prove who really was God (v. 21). (CWWL, 1954, vol. 4, p. 543)

　　以利亚刚强壮胆，独自对抗四百五十个巴力的申言者以及以色列众民。……在荒凉时能站起来作相反见证的，必须要有以利亚的灵，有以利亚的勇敢，也要有以利亚的见证。每个荒凉的时代，都需要有像以利亚一样的得胜者站出来；当众人都跟随偶像时，需要有一人能站起来，指责众人的错误。今天召会仍在荒凉中，所以还需要有人像以利亚一样，起来作相反的见证，不顾自己的性命，不管外面势力多大，不管对方人数多少。到末了，众申言者都死了，独独以利亚没有死，反而活着被提（王下二1）。我们无须怕死，人要你死，但神要把你提去；这就是以利亚的见证（李文集一九五四年第四册，七二七至七二八页）。

　　人里面有一个犯罪的因素，一个犯罪的瘾，那就是撒但。……在圣经里撒但还有一个名字，叫作别西卜。别西卜这名字……〔包含〕粪堆之王〔以及〕苍蝇之王〔的意思〕。……撒但是粪堆之王，并且他在那里就是专门带着苍蝇来吃粪，所以他又是苍蝇之王。撒但在你里面不作好事，专门带着苍蝇来吃粪。他既是苍蝇王，所有犯罪的人就都是一只只的苍蝇，都跟着撒但吃粪。

　　亚当的子孙都是撒但的俘虏，……撒但俘虏我们之后，就进到我们里面……作苍蝇之王，带着我们到处犯罪。我们都知道，没有人愿意犯罪，但是当你上了瘾的时候，给别西卜一挑动，你就非跟着他，让他牵着鼻子走不可。……人人心里实在都不愿意犯罪，结果个个都犯了罪，都身不由己，都成了罪的奴隶。因此主耶稣说，“凡犯罪的，就是罪的奴仆。”（约八34）（李文集一九八四年第四册，四○至四一页）

　　撒但在今世是作世界之王，撒但一生一世的目的，就是要受世人的敬拜，在许多偶像、宗教的背后，来受世人的敬拜。所以许多的偶像有灵，因为撒但就在这些偶像的背后。撒但就是要夺去神受人的敬拜，所以圣经说，神是嫉妒的神。……约翰四章二十三节说，“父寻找这样敬拜祂的人。”……〔父寻找，是因〕撒但要夺取人对神的敬拜（倪柝声文集第一辑第十五册，二九页）。

　　参读：禧年，第三篇；倪柝声文集第一辑第十五册，第四章；从利未记至尼希米记看生命的路线，第三篇；约翰一书生命读经，第三十一、三十三篇。

　　Elijah was strong and courageous; he went against the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and all the people of Israel. To stand up as an anti-testimony at the time of desolation, one must have the spirit of Elijah, the courage of Elijah, and the testimony of Elijah. Every age of desolation needs overcomers like Elijah to step forward; while everyone is going after idols, there needs to be ones who can stand up and denounce everyone’s mistake. Today the church is still in desolation; thus, there is still the need for people like Elijah to rise up to be an anti-testimony, not caring for their own lives, not caring for the extent of the outward opposition, and not caring about their numerous opponents. In the end all the prophets died, but not Elijah; rather, he was raptured alive (2 Kings 2:1). We do not need to fear death; people may want us to die, but God wants to rapture us. This was Elijah’s testimony. (CWWL, 1954, vol. 4, p. 544)

　　There is a sinning factor, an addiction to sinning, within man... [that] is Satan himself... In the Bible, Satan is also called Beelzebul... Beelzebul means “the lord of the dunghill,” from the name meaning “the lord of flies.”... As the lord of the dunghill, Satan specializes in leading flies to feed on dung; hence, he is also the lord of flies. Since he is the lord of flies, all sinners are like flies that follow Satan to “feed on dung.”

　　All the descendants of Adam are the captives of Satan... After he captured us, he entered into us as...the lord of flies and began leading us about to commit sins. Deep in his heart, no one wants to sin, but when a person becomes addicted and is stirred up by Beelzebul, he has to follow, allowing himself to be led around “by the nose.”... Although deep in his heart no one wants to sin, eventually everyone sins. No one has control over himself, and everyone has become a slave of sin. This is why the Lord Jesus said, “Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). (CWWL, 1984, vol. 4, “The Jubilee,” pp. 29-30)

　　In this age Satan is the ruler of this world. In his entire life Satan’s aim is to receive worship from men by hiding behind numerous idols and religions. Many idols have spirits because Satan is behind them. Satan’s intention is to rob God of the worship from men. Therefore, the Scriptures say that God is a jealous God... John 4:23 says, “The Father also seeks such to worship Him.”...The Father has to seek for worshippers because Satan is trying to rob God of the worship from men. (CWWN; vol. 15, pp. 28-29)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1984, vol. 4, “The Jubilee,” ch. 3; CWWN, vol. 15, ch. 4; CWWL, 1954, vol. 4, pp. 537-549; Life-study of 1 John, msgs. 31, 33