He attacks our peace , urging that we are not fit to see God. Or he tempts us to doubt our forgiveness because we lack fruit. Especially is this the case in times of bodily weakness . He then attacks our righteousness . Joy and peace are an important means of maintaining both inward and outward holiness.
Slavish fear weakens the soul .
Closely connected with this he assaults our faith, which is the root of all holiness . As we honestly view our defects he endeavers to cause us to lose sight of God's love in Christ , and forget God's promose of reward. Also the expectation of holiness may become an occasion of unholy tempers, fretfulness, impatience, envy, and, perhaps, prejudice against the doctrine of holiness. The devices whereby the subtle god of this world labours to destroy the children of God, or at least to torment whom he cannot destroy, to perplex and hinder them in running the race which is set before them, are numberless as the stars of heaven, or the sand upon the sea shore. Every babe in Christ knows we are made partakers of these, the very hour that we believe in Jesus.