The Warfare Against and Subjection of the Enemies in and around the City of Mansoul

Rev. J. Roos, Barneveld, the Netherlands

Beloved Reader,

Although none can rightly fathom the way which the Lord holds with His people, yet, by grace, it can be admired and adored. Christ leads sinners who have gone astray upon this way by winning them over for it, so that they learn to know Him unto salvation and will love Him exceedingly. This is confirmed by the following words: “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her” (Hosea 2:14). These words indicate that Christ will catch them with holy strategies, to deliver their soul and to exercise communion with them. Christ knows with what type of net and at what suitable time He has to catch them. Ah, may the Lord set out His heavenly nets to catch immortal souls by means of this meditation. He alone is the proper Fisher of Men, who has already caught so many spiritual fish in the net of the gospel. However, those who belong to His possession by this divine method will know that Satan also employs his wily tricks to catch them to their detriment.

Friends, we read in 2 Corinthians 2:11, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices’.’ You see that the alluring of Christ as well as the seductions of Satan will not remain unknown to them. When Christ places them upon the watchtower to be on guard against Satan’s wily designs, it will not be to their disadvantage but to their advantage. Therefore, with the Lord’s help, we now want to consider the fourth beneficial reason why the Lord makes the spiritual Canaanite tributaries for the city of Mansoul, namely, to know Christ more than they already know Him.

Friends, we must sadly conclude that in this time of deep decline we observe so little knowledge of God and Christ. Also those who may possess the principle of grace remain stuck in their initial exercises and are mostly satisfied with that. It is God’s Spirit who must wean them off all foundations outside of Christ in order that life will be found only in Him. As long as life is still sought in Moses, in the law, Christ will mostly be left at His place. But does Paul not write that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth? (Romans 10:4). By the spirituality of the law, man is brought to the knowledge of his sins so that he will take refuge in Christ as a damnable and hell-worthy sinner and learn to know Him as the One who has perfectly fulfilled the law. We consider it a great judgment and awful disadvantage that Christ is so little known and, therefore, so seldom rightly needed. We suspect that Satan employs his devices in such a way to keep souls outside of Christ, without this being recognized by them as hellish tricks.

Still, the Lord will try His own work until Christ will truly become all for them so that they may say with the great Reformer Luther, “Christ is the most wonderful of all creatures.” When the Lord leads His people into the holy war, they have nothing to engage in the battle against their mortal enemies; therefore, they try to stand before God with the aid of their self-righteousness and performing of their religious duties. However, when as mortally wounded ones they are delivered and cared for by Christ Himself, He will afterwards give them provisions for the battle and weapons and, at the same time, teach them that their might is to be found only in Him, the Prince of their salvation. See, then, they deem Him to be the precious Standard Bearer above ten thousand, who has brought them under His banner of war. Then they may believingly know Him as their only fortress and strength who delivers, preserves, and protects them. Yes, He is the One who can, and will, provide them with the spiritual armor in the severe warfare against the mortal enemies and with good courage to go forward.

People of the Lord, do properly examine yourself whether you are in one or other net of Satan, whereby you do not, or scarcely, need Christ. When have you holily troubled Him by your knocking on the door of heaven? Can you be considered to be someone who takes the kingdom of heaven by force? When have you last renewed the covenant with Christ and confirmed with an oath that He is all for you and that His service is worth infinitely more than any other service? Can you wholeheartedly confess that he is altogether precious, amiable, and necessary to you so that you may continually make use of His all-cleansing blood, of His only valid righteousness, and His only intercession? Yes, do you know the great benefit that you have received Him of the Father so that you may be reconciled with God? Can you leave Him at His place without being heartily sorrowful about it? Can you not live without His favor and communion, and do you hope for His appearance and a heavenly visit to your soul? Do you deem the hearing of His voice to be precious for the sense of your spiritual hearing; the sight of His friendly countenance as the supreme delight for your soul’s eye; and perceiving the sound of His footsteps as a harbinger of a good tiding? Ah, that all God’s people would cry to the Lord that they may know Him more than is presently the case. Know that all your desires can only be fulfilled by Christ.

When have you holily troubled Him by your knocking on the door of heaven? Can you be considered to be someone who takes the kingdom of heaven by force? When have you last renewed the covenant with Christ and confirmed with an oath that He is all for you and that His service is worth infinitely more than any other service? Can you wholeheartedly confess that he is altogether precious, amiable, and necessary to you so that you may continually make use of His all-cleansing blood, of His only valid righteousness, and His only intercession?

The Apostle Paul had already received much believing knowledge of Christ; yet, he realized that he had so little knowledge of Him. This caused him to longingly cry out: “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death” (Philippians 3:10). See, this keeps us small and dependent. If only we were able to stir up your desires by tongue and pen to know Him even more than you presently know Him, to love Him even more than you presently love Him, and to esteem Him higher than you esteem Him now. However, we have the Lord as our witness that He does not only know our desire to know Him more but also that others may learn to know and love Him.

Friends, do acknowledge your great ignorance and beseech the Lord whether you may learn to know Christ as well as His work to your salvation. If you may discover the great mystery of salvation, then you will understand that eternal life for your soul lies hidden in it (John 17:3).

People of the Lord, come to Him with sincere repentance because of your deviations and that you have left Him at His place for such a long time, and you will discover that He will not leave a contrite sinner outside. It was He Himself who came to the prodigal son, embraced him, put a ring on his finger, and ordered His servants to kill the fatted calf for him. If you come to Him as the prodigal son, He will surely open the door of His heavenly palace and bid you a hearty welcome to come before His countenance. He will certainly satisfy you with the goodness of His house and of His holy temple (Psalm 65:4). Well, then, humbly fall at His feet and embrace Him, and your soul’s desires will be satisfied by Him. People of the Lord, come to your precious Lord with the realization of your foolishness and lost condition and give Him your whole heart. Have you not seen Him for a long time already, and does this grieve you very much? It cannot be otherwise. When a husband has been away from home for a long time, he longs to see his wife; it would not be a good sign if he did not long for her. Thus, long for your precious Lord and His communion. Then you will see Him with a believing eye and will have His beauty discovered to you as the fairest among the children of men, as the most lovely of all creatures. Then you will exclaim; “Precious Lord, how is it that I have been able to leave Thee at Thy place for such a long time?”

Well, then, proclaim to others what you may find in Him and be moved about the lot of your husband, your wife, your children, your neighbor and your congregation. Oh, may the Lord fulfill our petition in order that, as pearls, they may be attached to Christ’s mediatorial crown. Not only would heaven and earth be glad, but we would be, too, if the Lord would use this, our writing, to that end!

(This article was taken from the periodical Mount Zion. It is the 11th part of a series of articles Rev. Roos has written, using as the background John Bunyans Holy War)

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