The Devil’s Castaways

George Whitefield referred to the worst of sinners who came to closure with Christ as ‘the Devil’s Castaways.’ Yes, Whitefield gave that title to the worst of sinners… those whom the moral and ethical… religious and self-righteous crowd… would say were beyond redemption. Upon reading that, I wondered why the Devil would cast them off. Were they truly cast off? We know that the Devil – as the strongman of his house – keeps his goods at peace, meaning that his provisions sate the appetite of the wicked.

Yes, but my question is, ‘Who, then, would be those cast away?’ Could the Devil himself have seen these – worst of sinners – as men and women who were ‘cast away’ that he did not need to ‘keep them at peace?’ They were without hope? Lost? Even in Satan’s view?’ Needless to say, if so, Satan did not have to feed the castaways appetite; no, no… not as he had to provide for those self-made and adjudged moral/ethical; religious and righteous men or women. In my mind, those are not the people who needed daily provision. No, the Devil’s Castaways were those who presented the greatest opportunity for God to demonstrate His grace, and to His glory. Why? Because by God’s grace they saw the depth of their sinfulness, and in their deepest despair they would sincerely cry out, ‘Father, forgive me… a sinner!’