Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-16

opponent because its natural tastes not In
sympathy with his standard Of sef-saerAAice
and obedience to the way OF the cross II
murmurs and complains and demands, continu-
ally, and seeks to entrap him as new Great
ure unawares, and to throw off the yoke o.
captivity. 1t incites to more liberty and the
that there is no compromise between the two,
because their interests are opposite. ''Mortify
earth" (Col S:6) ''FOr which cause we faint
not; but though our outward man perish, yet
the inward man is renewed day by day.
az The adversary is a foe to the new Great
ure. A spirit being, he seeks by various whes
~ deceive and to ensnare us-and who is SUI
and prayer. by laying hold upon divine assist
ance In the divine way we hope for vic
tory over this great Apollysa. Thank COD
that. when the worlds day Of trial shall come,
in the millennium, they will not have Satan
TO contend with, for 1t is written that he snail
be bound, restrained for that thousand years.
Rev. 20:2.
So Fight Mot Air Beating
We come now to the gist Of our lesson. We
see in the apostle an example of the Christian
fighter. In the battle for some time, he has
become wise enough to know that bodily exer-
else and fuss, beating the air with the arms
is not the way to vanquish foe. he must
be methodical, scientific. He must know what
he is fighting about who he is fighting, and
the object to be gained, II he would wisely
direct his energies and gain the victroy.
Some are beating the air. in their endeavot
to convert Inc WOrlQt mistakenly surprising
that Is the churchs mission. With this wrong
impression they discouraged and apt to stop
their fight, when they realize from statistics
that there are twice many heather TO-DAY as
there were a century ago. AS bodily exercise
may profit something so spiritual exercise has
its advantages and is better than drowsiness,
but IT is not so good as learning VINO Is tne
foe, and then battling him persistently and az
fectively. Others do still worse, when they
battle with another, quarreling, slandering'
back-biting, etc.
Let us see to it that, like the apostle, we
fight the good fight Of faith snd lay hold upon
the prize OF eternal life which God has prom
ised to the Victors Our fight is against sin
and elfishness-especially in ourselves. IL we
sometimes lend a helping hand to others, II
should be sympathetic, and directed, not against
them, but assisting them to overcome IN
their battling with the world, the flesh and the
adversary.
Each one OF us, dear friends, has more THAI
sufficient TO engage his time and energy In the
warfare progressing in himself, the warfare De-
tween truth and error, right and wrong; non
ness and sin. Seeing now our and the eHar'
acter of our controversy, let us be more G4.l'
gent, vigiant, faithful in maintaining the rule
of our Lord and Master In our thoughts and
words and ccnduct. So shall we be like Hin.
Then by and by we shall have our Redeemel
say: ''well done good and faithful soldier;
thou hast been faithful over a few things,
will make thee ruler over many things" 1hen
granted an abundance entrance into dis etern-
al kingdom. We shall be His assistants In the
great millennial work of helping and teaching
The world In their great fight for eternal LIE
then on.