Digibron cookies

Voor optimale prestaties van de website gebruiken wij cookies. Overeenstemmig met de EU GDPR kunt u kiezen welke cookies u wilt toestaan.

Noodzakelijke en wettelijk toegestane cookies

Noodzakelijke en wettelijk toegestane cookies zijn verplicht om de basisfunctionaliteit van Digibron te kunnen gebruiken.

Optionele cookies

Onderstaande cookies zijn optioneel, maar verbeteren uw ervaring van Digibron.

Bekijk het origineel

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE A CONTINUAL WRESTLING

Bekijk het origineel

+ Meer informatie

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE A CONTINUAL WRESTLING

8 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

The war between the Christian and his implacable enemy is set out in Eph. 1:12 by the word “wrestle.” The wrestling state of a Christian is rendered observable by a threefold circumstance.

1. The kind of combat, which is not properly fighting against a multitude, but when one enemy singles out another, as David and Goliath. It is a close combat; armies fight at some distance, wrestlers grapple hand to hand. Satan comes close up and gets within the Christian, takes hold of his very flesh and corrupt nature, and by this shakes him.

2. The universal nature of the combat. We wrestle, which comprehends all. On purpose you may perceive the apostle changes the pronoun ye, in the former verse into we in this, that he may include himself as well as them; as if he had said, the quarrel is with every saint. Satan neither fears to assault minister, nor despises to wrestle with the meanest saint in the congregation; great and small, minister and people, all must wrestle; not one part of Christ’s army in the field and the other at ease in their quarters, where no enemy comes. Here are enemies enough to engage all at once.

3. The duration of this combat, and that lies in the tense. Not our wrestling was at first conversion, but now over; not, we shall wrestle when sickness comes; but the wrestling is. The enemy is ever in sight of us. Yea, in fight with us. There is an evil of every day’s temptation, which, like Paul’s bonds, abides us wherever we come. So that these particulars, summed up, will amount to this point:

The Christian’s life is a continual wrestling. He is, as Jeremiah said of himself, born a man of strife; or, what the prophet said to Asa may be said to every Christian, “from henceforth you shall have wars,”—from your spiritual birth to your natural death; from the hour you first did set your face to heaven, till you shall set your foot in heaven. Israel’s march out of Egypt was, in gospel sense, our taking the field against sin and Satan; and when had they peace? Not till they lodged their colors in Canaan. No condition, wherein the Christian here below is quiet.

Is it prosperity or adversity? Here is work for both hands; to keep security and pride down in the one, faith and patience up in the other; no place which the Christian can call privileged ground. Lot, in Sodom, wrestled with the wicked inhabitants thereof, his righteous soul being vexed with their unclean conversation. And how fares he in Zoar? Do not his own daughters bring a spark of Sodom’s fire into his own bed, whereby he is inflamed with lust? Some have thought, if they were only in such a family, under such a ministry, out of such occasions, oh then they should never be tempted as now they are. I confess change of air is a great help to weak nature; but think you to fly from Satan’s presence thus? No! Though you should take wings of the morning he would fly after you. These may make him change his method in tempting but not lay down his design. So long as his old friend is alive within, he will be knocking at the door without. No duty can be performed without wrestling: the Christian needs the sword as much as the trowel. He wrestles with the body of flesh. This to the Christian in duty is as the horse to the traveler, — he cannot go his journey without it, and much ado to go with it. If the flesh be kept high and lusty, then it is wanton, and will not obey. If low, then it is weak, and soon tires. Thus the Christian rids but little ground because he must go his weak body’s pace. He wrestles with a body of sin as well as of flesh; this mutters and murmurs when the soul is taking up any duty. Sometimes it keeps the Christian from duty, so that he cannot do what he would. When the Christian is praying, then Satan and the flesh are praying. He cries, and they louder, to put him out or drown his cry. Thus we see the Christian assailed on every side by his enemy. And how can it be other, when the seeds of war are laid deep in the natures of both, which can never be rooted up till the devil cease to be a devil and the saint to be a saint? Though wolves may snarl at one another, yet soon are quiet again because the quarrel is not in their nature; but the wolf and the lamb can never be made friends. Sin will lust against grace, and grace draw upon sin whenever they meet.

… Those are also reproved who seem to wrestle against sin, but not according to the word of command that Christ gives.

Some, while they wrestle against one sin, embrace another; and in that case it is not the person wrestles again sin, but one sin wrestles with another. When pride bids lay on in bravery, lavish out in entertainment, covetousness bids lay up; when malice bids repent, carnal policy says, conceal your wrath though forgive; when lust sends to his whores, hypocrisy pulls him back for shame of the world.

Some wrestle, but they are pressed into the field, not as volunteers; their slavish fears scare them at present from their lust, so that the combat is rather betwixt their conscience and will, than them and their lust.

Others wrestle with sin, but they do not hate it, and therefore they are favorable to it, and seek not the life of sin as their deadly enemy. These wrestle in jest and not in earnest; the wounds they give sin one day are healed by the next.

Let men resolve never so strongly against sin, yet it will creep again into their favor, till the love of sin be quenched in the heart by the love of Christ. This heavenly fire will indeed put out that flame of hell.

To the saints I say, Seeing your life is a continual wrestling here on earth, it is your wisdom to study how you may best manage the combat with your worst enemy. Look you go not into the field without your second. My meaning is, engage God in prayer to stand at your back. God is in a league offensive and defensive with you, but He looks to the called. Jacob, to overcome Esau, now marching up, turns from him and falls upon God. He knew if he could wrestle with God he might trust God to deal with his brother. David prayed, “God, turn the counsel of Ahitophel into foolishness.” Heaven says “Amen” to his prayer, and the wretch hangs himself. Labor to put off the old man, which is most personal, that corruption which David calls his own iniquity. This is the skirt which Satan lays hold of. Observe what it is, and mortify it daily. Then Satan will retreat with shame when he sees the head of that enemy upon the wall, which should have betrayed you into his hands.

This is the ground of consolation to the weak Christian who disputes against the truth of His grace from the inward conflicts and fightings he has with his lusts, and is ready to say, like Gideon regarding outward enemies, “If God be with me, why is all this befallen me?” Why do I find such strugglings in me, provoking me to sin, pulling me back from that which is good?

The answer is soon given. Because you are a wrestler, not a conqueror. You mistake the state of a Christian in this life. You are not presently called to triumph over slain enemies, but carried into the field to meet and fight them. The state of grace is the commencing of a war against sin, not the ending of it.

Your soul may rather take comfort in this, that you are a wrestler; thus struggling with you, if upon the right ground, and to the right end, does evidence there are two nations within you, two contrary natures, — the one from earth, earthly; and the other from heaven, heavenly. Yea, for your further comfort know, though your corrupt nature be the elder, yet it shall serve the younger.

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 juni 1965

The Banner of Truth | 20 Pagina's

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE A CONTINUAL WRESTLING

Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 juni 1965

The Banner of Truth | 20 Pagina's