Onward to Battle
It is to battle that we are summoned the moment that we believe. All at once we are translated, not to paradise, but to a battlefield, and there placed face to face with our hellish foes. “Fight the good fight of faith,” is the war note with which our Captain cheers us on. For this battle strength is the first thing needed. But where is it to be found? Not in us, nor in the creature; not in human wisdom, or fleshly sufficiency. Only in Him who hath bought us, and called us, and washed us. “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” Here is the source and secret of our strength. Here is a fullness truly divine and heavenly, and yet as accessible, as much within our reach, and at our disposal, as if it were our own; for it is at the disposal of One who loves us better than we love ourselves.
But strength is not all we need. We require weapons and armour; for the battle is no common one, and the enemy is the leader of the principalities and powers of darkness, who himself needs no armour, seeing he is invisible and invulnerable; who is not only powerful and skilful, but has every kind of weapon at command—the snare, the wile, the sword, the dart, the fire. His object in the present day is to persuade us that he does not exist, that we have to fight no such battle, that we need no sword nor shield, that we can do without anything beyond our own human power and skill. But the divine warning assures us that our enemy still lives and rages and deceives; that he is most to be feared when most invisible; that his last delusions will be his worst, when, as an angel of light, he comes into the Church to mislead by falsehoods, so beautiful, so attractive, so intellectual, so like the truth—it may be, so evangelical—that, if it were possible, the elect shall be deceived.
We must not turn back in the day of battle. We have no armour for our back. We must face the foe. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” And this must be to the end, however long the warfare may be. The prize is not to the conqueror in one field, but to the conqueror at last.
-Horatius Bonar (1808-1889) from “The Armour and the Battle” in Light & Truth Vol. IV.
24 May 2010
ReplyDeleteTo Another Voice,
What truly profound words from Horatius Bonar. May God give His people courage to stand up for Him and His Truth, and the boldness we need in order to stand against the lies of the Devil.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."
I would like to share an excerpt from my Profession of Faith, dated 8 May 1993, that coincides with what Mr. Bonar is saying about the Enemy of our souls:
“I would also like to clarify who my God’s Adversary is: He’s that old Serpent, who is the Devil, and Satan who hates my God and His saints.
He is a very powerful foe!
He is the second highest power!
And he has much authority here on earth.
He can kill! He can steal! He can destroy people’s lives!
And THAT is his primary objective.
And his target is God’s people!
You may not be able to see him, but he works in the children of disobedience.
So don’t under estimate his abilities.
And don’t think for a minute that he won’t try any way he can to get to you.
He is very sly, wily, crafty, and cunning.
And he uses underhanded and calculated methods to secretly introduce his lies and deceptions.
And he can only operate in the Darkness!
For the most part people do not give Satan credit for many of the things that he does. And he prefers it that way.
He masquerades as a Christian.
He pretends he loves the LORD Jesus.
He pretends he serves the LORD Jesus.
He claims he would die for the LORD Jesus.
And he uses unholy men to make these proclamations through the spirit of anti-Christ!
He has deceived many people. And he is working very hard these days because he knows his time is coming to a close very soon.
You will know that is true because the world will get more and more wicked as you see the Day approaching…”
That was written over 17 years ago, and it is even more true Today.
C. Read
at True Light Publications®