The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-15

Enemies and How We Should Meet
Ours" Luke 4 $3.50; IL: 37-44;
%: SO. 81.
IBY WILLIAM r. ELLIS.1
We must fight. The Christian life is
battle. This truth we cannot escape
if we are loyal to our Lord we must be
pared to strike blows and push
campaigns and conduct sieges for him.
His enemies are all ours also, and We
must expect from them attacks pro-
portioned in severity to our loyalty to
him. If we are not finding the Chris
tan life a strife, then We may look
well to see if we are bearing true
witness and flying loyal colOrs. Gods
friends must expect to fight his foes.
The Christian soldier never fights
alone.
Even the best armor needs a good
soldier within it. God has fully pa@o-
piled US for war; We are fitted out
for victorious fighting But even he
cannot, without our help, make US
good soldiers. 1t is the man behind
the sword. that wins battles All the
armor in the world cannot make a
good soldier out of a coward Cod
part has been perfectly done; now on
US depends the issue
y \
We may have help from above to
conquer enemies" D6lOW-
x y
There are enemies within. The
Christian is enlisted in a lifelong con-
f1ict with forces in himself-his own
inclination toward evil, his own pas
sions. which rise up and make sudden
assault upon him, his inherited dis
position, the old nature which con-
stantIy wars against the Spirit. Thus
he ever bears about with him his own
battle-ground These wars within the
soul are the fercest the angels look
upon; their victories are more brill
liant and their defeats more black
than any Gettysburg or Waterloo.
There are foes without. The Chris
tian's tent is pitched in tue enemy 5
country: he is in hostile surround
ings The world spirit initiates direct
~ against everything that he holds
dear. There are men who are dis
tinctly opposed to him and who are
1ghting on the side of his foe. There
are temptations manifold and mighty
at every turn; the devils army is large
and divided into many branches. All
that is of sin and makes for sin IS an
avowed antagonist of the Christian
Against all these forces how can he
hope to prevail? The fight would be
too much for him did he not have ar
NOR forged in heaven and assistance
from legiors below and above, together
with plain instructions from his COM
nander-in-ch chief. But thus equipped,
victory is always possible to a Chris
tan.
No furloughs are granted in Gods
army. The fight is one that needs the
presence and activity of every soldier.
No vacations from service are given.
In the fight of faith We should sure
~ fail were there any less power than
the grace Of God arrayed on our side,
for we have to battle not only against
sin intrenched in the world but also
against the sin that is intrenched i'll
our own hearts. But he that is with
us is greater than he that is against US,
so even in the midst of the strife we
can sing songs Of victory.
The daily discipline Of life, against
which we complain, is but training us
to be better soldiers.
We cannot fight the good fight in
any earth-forged armor.
God has not foreordained his child
rem to defeat in their great struggle
to fulfil his plan for them. It is pos
sible it is Gods will, for human life
to be a series of conquests over the
power of evil in US and about US.
There will be hard fighting, of course,
and many seeming overthrows, out
ultimately and continuously the victory
will be won. even as it was won by our
ideal, Jesus Christ.
X
Give God a larger part in 1ife's con-
hicts and more of them would result
in victory
Whenever the soul of man strug-
giles with sin, there also is the Spirit
of God, ready and powerful to help.
Christ sent His Spirit to be a helper,
a strengthened. 1t is His Office to as
sist tempted hearts. Oh, the sorrow of
it. that we should so often forget Him
and fail to call upon His might In
the fight with self we look too much
upon self. There is need that we turn
our eyes away to behold Jesus Christ,
as, in the person of the Spirit He waits
to aid US.
All life is a fight with self The
battle begins with consciousness and