CiTIZEN OF MANSOUL? WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?

John Bunyan is most noted for his great allegorical work, THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS. But he also wrote another allegory which is not as well known, THE HOLY WAR.

In my opinion, The Pilgrim’s Progress is one of the greatest works in Christian literature and should be read by all. But, that having been said, I would encourage all to read, THE HOLY WAR.

I am bringing this up because it is from this book that, for those who may have been wondering, I created the title of my blog: CITIZEN OF MANSOUL. Here is a very brief overview of the book:

Very cleverly John Bunyan married two words into one, MAN(S) SOUL. So what is Mansoul?

Mansoul was built by SHADDAI. It was constructed for His glory. It was constructed to showcase His glory. But the enemy, Diabolus, won the hearts of some of the townsmen and thereby lost full control of the town. As a result, there is a constant battle going on from within and from without. This battle, against Diabolus, is being waged by Emmanuel, Shaddai's Son. He is seeking to win back the town of Mansoul for His Father.

I have found that the book can at times be seen on two levels, one, a personal level (the individual Christian) and two, on a corporate level (all saints, the church). The names of the cities’ gates will help to show what Bunyan intended to illustrate in this allegory. Here are the names: Ear-Gate, Eye-Gate, Mouth-Gate, Nose-Gate, and Feel-Gate.

We (Christians) are under constant attack. The enemy of our souls seeks to tempt and wear us down by appealing to our senses, what we hear, see, speak, smell, and feel. This is on the individual level. On the corporate the attacks are the same.

Even though we know that the gates of hell will not prevail against us, the enemy is still attacking. Anything he can do to hinder the work of the Lord he will try. Both the enemies of Emmanuel and the friends of Emmanuel live side by side in the town of Mansoul. Emmanuel wants full control of Mansoul (Man’s Soul) and will stop at nothing to save his beloved elect town. Diabolus wants full control of Mansoul (Man’s Soul) and will stop at nothing to try to keep it.

I would encourage the reader to get a copy and read it. You will easily identify with the struggle. It gives a good picture of the spiritual battle that is taking place all the time, even when we are not aware of it.