The Tupelo journal., 1903-06-19

Spirit which is able to cut the deeil
asunder and make him flee? Resist
ance which fails to provide this shield
and this SWORD Is sure to prove ~unavail-
ing. This Is the resistance which James
means when he declares: "Resist the
devil and he will flee from you"
and when the soul has put the devil
r. to fight, it ought to keep him on
the run. Oh, If the saints who are In
Christ Jesus, and who know that 1t 10
true that the only way to winvictory
over the devil is to use the shield OF
faith and the Sword of the Spirit,
would only keep the shield before them
and the sword in hand they would soon
have him driven into a corner, the
chains would be snapped upon him and
Christ surely would come to reign.
The trouble is that the devil has not
run very far before the soul lays aside
the shield and sheathes the sword, con.
f1dent that victory is final and COM
plete. But the discarded shield and
the encased sword act like a tonic upon
the nerves of the devil. He is as SEN
sitive to such movements on the part
of the saints as the needle in the COM
pass is conscious of the attraction Of
the pole. He checks his hasty flight,
he takes new breath and fresh courage
and returns to renew the attack from
opnthnr r1roor TIL .I;-1J e f-.AA
laid aside soon gathers rust and mold,
and the sword put into it's scabbard
is a harmless weapon, and when the
attack comes the soul is taken off it's
guard, and in the confusion the shield
n sword are either forgotten alto
gether, or so much time has to be spent
in rubbing off the rust and unsheathing
the sword that the devil is given a
powerful advantage at the very start.
HAT would be thought of the
w army which would fail to fortify
the camp and would carelessly stack
its guns, when it knew that the en-
envy was lurking about watching for
an opportunity to strike a blow? It
would be supreme folly. 1t would in
vite sure defeat, and just condemna-
ton upon the general who COM
manded the army. And is not the soul
that fails to prepare for the attack
of the devil. who is constantly going
about seeking whom he may devour,
as worthy of condemnation? No
wonder the devils victories are so
many! No wonder the Christian so
often is such a miserable spectacle
before the world! No wonder he
brings reproach upon the name of
Jesus Christ and His religion! No
wonder that the testimony of the
lips is not more powerful, when the
life behind the lips is made hideous
with the defeats which the devil has
inflicted! Paul declared that tho
Gospel of Jesus Christ was the pow
er of God unto salvation" and it waa
when Paul was bearing witness to
that Gospel by word and deed. But
every word which Paul spoke for his
Lord was backed up by that brave re-
sistance against the inward and out
ward attacks of the devil which en-
abled him to live a victorious life.
But the Christian who is not resisting
the devil daily and hourly in inward
thought and outward act, and compel
ling him to flee from him. might bet
ter shut his mouth and hide his light
under a bushel, for his life of defeat
will put the stamp of the lie upon his
testimony, and the world VIII refuse
to receive it. Resist the devil before
you begin to confess the Christ. It
is the resisting saint who shines the
brightest and the farthest. The road
of resistance is the highway which
leads to the crow of life and the
place on the throne with Christ. The
brightest promises are given to those
who overcome, for the resistance
which the saints offer the devil are
the blows which are forging the
chains which will help to bind him
some day.