Evening journal., 1916-02-05
Second Timothy 2;s-"A good
soldier of Jesus Christ"

second iimOihy - ia SOVu
soldier OF Jesus Christ"
To liken the career OF Christian
to the service OF a soldier is a familiar
and frequent figure in Scripture.
Jesus Christ combined the elements
both Of strength and gentleness, of
strife and peace. of resistance and
non-residenco. This was evident In
His teachings. He bade His disciples
to permit the little children TO come
unto Him. He gave an invitation TO
the toll worn and heavy laden, to the
burdened and oppressed. that they
might come and find rest unto their
souls And vet there is also q strong
militant element that runs through
all His messages. He said he came
not to bring peace on the earth but
sword. No more terrible, severe and
scathing denunoiations were ever ut
tered than His arraignment OF the
Scribes and Pharisees, the people who
had form of religion, who went
through their rites and ceremonies,
but had no real spiritual life. He
called them hypocrites and whitened
sepulchers. How shall you escape
the damnation OF hell?'
Likewise I'm His life, while He sub
mitted without murmuring or COM
plant to revilings and reproaches, to
prosecutions and sufferings. yet He
also went into the temple, and, with
eyes flashing fire. overturned the Ia
bles Of the money changers and with
whip OF small cords drove the cat
lie out of the outer courts. Paul, Ike
his Master. himself possessed a mill
tant spirit The language OF his
epistIos is constantly colored by the
terms OF the camp and field Of battle.
Let us first Of all recognize the fact
that life itself is q war. In the physi-
cal and material realms, man is con-
stantly compelled TO battle against
heat and cold, hunger and disease.
He finds his crops are subject to
blight and drought and frOsts. In his
efforts 10 obtain from the earth suf-
ficient substance for food. he is com
PEELED constantly to make war upon
insects and weeds. This is equally
true in commerce; buildings decay,
business is imperiled by fraudulent
transactions and by unpaid debts and
by unscrupulous competitors. II is a
strange fact that nature itself, which
is the source OF life and growth, is
constantly at work tearing down and
destroying. To live and grow and
thrive means constant battle
against disease, and the more intri-
cate and complex our civilization he
comes, the more numerous are these
antagonists. A very clever article has
iust recently appeared in one OF the
popular periodicals, in which the
writer urges that the war-like spirit
which is among mankind be turned
from battling against his fellowmen
to conquering the forces Of nature.
The appeal is for new standard OF
heroism, that the world be brought to
honor not the man who slays his fell
lows. but rather the one who con-
Quers the elements that will iniure
mankind and contributes the most Tor
human happiness and development
This battle which men have TO fight
IS not only material. but intellectual
II is a war against Ignorance. preju-
dice. bigotry and superstition.
Every step forward is contested and
is gained only by severe struggle.
Higher ideals mean harder opposition.
The great problem today is not mere
ly the high cost OF living. but rather
the cost Of living high. The severest
human struggles are now being trans
ferred TO this higher sphere. II is
becoming a moral and spiritual bat
tie. This war is constantly going on,
first of all within the individual soul.
Il Is a combat against inherited evil
tendencies Frequently the fi0rcest
foes with which man has TO contend
are those within his own heart. Pride,
passion. appetite, evil desire. are his
antagonists You do not realize the
power OF these enemies as long as
YOU are content to obey them. Il is
like man floating down the stream
lie does not know the force OF the
current. but let him turn about and
ondeavor to swim up stream, and
quickly he will comprehend tho
strength OF the opposition Let a mar
decide to live higher life. TO breal
away from the evils aud vices which
have been injuring and blighting his
character, then he will begin to com
prehend. as never before. the powe
these evils have upon him.
lt is also a battle which a man hal
to fight against antagonists in society
at large. Often il is against unfa
vorable environment He finds him
self surrounded with those condition.
which tend to drag him down. Some
times these are evident in the home
sometimes in business and industrl
aud frequently in his social affairs
II means upon his part a constant
warfare 20 keep from succumbing Il
these surroundings. with the newt