4.4 Three Classes Among Believers

I. Unsurrendered.	II. Surrendered, Deceived, Possessed.	III. Surrendered but Undeceived, Dispossessed and Victorious.
These use the word "surrender," but do not really know it, and act it out in practice.	These seem more "foolish" than those in Class 1, but in reality are more advanced.	The mind is liberated, and all the faculties are operating.
Believers in this stage are more reasonable than those in No. 2, because their faculties have not been yielded into passivity.	In order to understand the actions of No. 2, it is needful to read them from their inner standpoint, for to them all that they do seems right.	These are open to light and all that is Divine, but they seek watchfully to close themselves to all that is Satanic.
These believers call those in the next class "cranks," "faddists," "extremists," etc.	These are open to both Divine and Satanic power.	No. 3 can read Nos. 1 and 2 intelligently.
	Are liable to be "puffed up."

Class No. 1 are "surrendered" in will, but not surrendered in fact, in the sense of being ready to carry out "obedience to the Holy Ghost" at all costs. They consequently know little of conflict, and nothing of the devil, excepting as a tempter or accuser. They do not understand those who speak of the "onslaughts of Satan," for, they say, they are not "attacked" in this way. But the devil does not always attack when he can. He reserves his attack until it suits him. If the devil does not attack a man, it does not prove that he could not. Another class among believers - Class No. 2 - are those who are surrendered in such a measure of abandonment that they are ready to obey the Spirit of God at all costs, with the result that they become open to a passivity which gives ground for the deception and possession of evil spirits.

These surrendered believers (Class No. 2) fall into passivity after the Baptism of the Holy Ghost,

1) because of their determination to carry out their "surrender" at all costs;

2) their relationship with the spiritual world, which opens to them supernatural communications, which they believe to be all of God;

3) their "surrender" leading them to submit, subdue and make all things subservient to this supernatural plane.

The origin of the evil passivity which gives the evil spirits opportunity to deceive, and then possess, is generally a wrong interpretation of Scripture, or wrong thoughts or beliefs about Divine things. Some of these interpretations of Scripture, or wrong conceptions, which cause the believer to give way to the passive condition, we have already referred to in a previous chapter.

The passivity may affect the whole man, in spirit, soul and body, when it has become very deep, and is of many years' standing. The progress is generally very gradual, and insidious in growth, and consequently the release from it is gradual and slow.

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