The Tupelo journal., 1904-09-30

He experienced every struggle which
RACES upon the battlefield of the soul
and He was always victorious. He
never knew defeat.
D UT such cannot be said of any other
y man who has ever lived. The bat
ties rage within the human heart n
defeat is constantly written upon its
banners. Struggle ever SO brayely, win
ever so many partial victories, n
still defeat is known, and sin and It's
consequences are present. But it need
not be so if the soul relies upon the
Almighty Conqueror, Christ Jesus. Our
text suggests the certain pathway to
sure victory-"Through u Lord Je-
sus Christ" Thanks be unto God.
Paul exclaims, who giveth US the VIC
tory through our Lord Jesus Christ"
Victory through Christ. Man through
out the centuries since his first defeat
has been seeking the secret OF victory;
and he has found that the only victory
which he himself can win is transitory
and incomplete. But victory may be
won through Christ. Victory through
our W efforts, no. But victory
through Christ always. n a
glad message to the human hear is
this. Who is there who has struggled
for victory over the flesh and the
worlds allurements, and suffered re-
peated and frequent defeat, who is Q
glad to hear that there is a way OF VIC
tory? Who is there who has not felt at
times as though it was a hopeless II
useless struggle? Who has not felt
like making unconditional surrender
to all the selfish and evil desires in his
nature? Who has not felt like crying
out with Paul: "Oh, wretched man
that | am, who shall deliver me from
the body of this death?' In the hour
of defeat how apt we are, to throw up
our hands and feel that all is lost. And
it is to such to whom Jesus longs 10
come and turn defeat into victory, dis
~couragement into hopefulness, the cry
of despair into the glad song OF thanks
giving.
D Ut how are we to realize this con-
II dition of victory? 1t is n thing
10 believe that Jesus is able to over
come all the enemies of the soul, II
il is quite another thing to so expert
ence the presence and power of Jesus
in the life as to know that victory
which is obtained through Him.
At least, this is my own personal ex-
p~erience. | know that in Christ Jesus l
may have glorious victory, and yet al
most while | am talking about Jesus
power, l am falling into the shadows
and darkness of defeat. Why is 1t?
How may | know as fully in practical
experience as | know in theoretical
faith? This is what the struggling soul
wants to know. Israel knew God was
able t o give them victory over the city
of All. They went up in confidence and
faith. They felt assured that. victory
was theirs, but just at the crucial point
they failed ard were driven back in
miserable defeat. Why was it? Was
Gods arm shortened? Had Gods power
failed?
\\VE PRAY to God for victory
w through His Son Christ Jesus
even while we are clinging to that
which can only bring defeat. We eager
ly go forward to the conflict confident
of victory, while there lies hidden
within the deepest recesses Of our heart
the wicked evidence of sin which will
cause us to fee before the enemy. We
cannot plead ignorance of the presence
of such unholy thing in the heart and
life. Yes, we have covered it up as we
have gone into the presence of the Lord
or for the time being we have quite
forgotten that it is there. Like the
buried Done of the dog. it remains out
of sight and is forgotten until some
day the dog chances to pass that way
again and the scent of the bone reaches
the dogs nostrils, and up it comes to
be fed upon again and then buried for
a future day. All, how much the soul
thinks it is hiding from it's Lord. 1t
d~eceiyeS itself, and it thinks it is with
equal skill deceiving the Searcker OF
the hidden purposes and intents of the
heart. This, then, is one OF the rea-
sons why the soul meets defeat. 1t is
not free from the unholy thing. 1t has
not submitted to the searchlight of
Gods presence, and cast out the thing
which is displeasing to Him. And for
this reason there is present in the life
the fatal weakness which at the critical
moment manifests itself and brings de-
feat. But thanks be to God" for there
is victory through Christ Jesus just at
this point. He not only will give us
the victory in the final struggle, but
He will prepare us for the conflict.
THE general needs trained soldiers
| with which to win his victories.
No experienced general would rush on
to the battlefield with raw recruits. He
would carefully and patiently drill and
train them, he would harden their mus
| cles and steel their eryes against the
roar of the cannon and the roll of mus
kerry. He would train them in marks
manship, and in every way prepare
them for the struggle. This is pre-
cisely what Jesus, the great and vic
torious General, would do with you and
me. He knows We must fight. He is
anxious to lead us, but He wants to
train us for the conflict. Self must be
eliminated. The general who can bring
his army to act as a unit and with pre-
cision execute his well-matured plans
is assured of success. His personally
and leadership must predominant. Ev-