It was not the man David, who had done him no harm, against whom the king was contending. He was in controversy with the King of heaven; for when Satan is permitted to control the mind that will not be ruled by Jehovah, he will lead it according to his will, until the man who is thus in his power becomes an efficient agent to carry out his designs. So bitter is the enmity of the great originator of sin against the purposes of God, so terrible is his power for evil, that when men disconnect from God, Satan influences them, and their minds are brought more and more into subjection, until they cast off the fear of God, and the respect of men, and become bold and avowed enemies of God and of His people.{2BC 1019.4}

Det var ikke mennesket David, som ikke havde gjort ham skade, kom kongen kæmpede imod. Han var i kamp med himlens Konge; for da Satan fik lov til at kontrollere sindet som ikke beherskes af Jehova, vil han føre det efter sin vilje, indtil mennesket som således er i hans kraft bliver en effektiv agent til at udføre hans planer. Så bitter er fjendskabet hos syndes ophavsmand imod Guds planer, så forfærdelig er hans magt for ondt, at når mennesker afbryder forbindelsen fra Gud, påvirker Satan dem, og deres sind bliver mere og mere underlagt, indtil de bortkaster sig Gudsfrygt, og respekt for mennesker, og bliver frække og erklærede fjender til Gud og Hans folk.