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Believers have no opposition (self, Satan and society) that will break through their defense of faith. Of the four items of amour, the “Sword” is the only offensive weapon, so one can reasonably assume that the more you study It, the stronger the rest of the armor will be. Faith will always lead one to victory in Christ without fail. For it is Christ Who is the “Author” and “Finisher” of our “faith” (Heb 12:2), which only God gives! The Lord Jesus is the One Who established our belief in Him and the Father—through Their. The saints are always brought through to endure every trial they will encounter—by the Spirit of God. There are many ways God causes us to strengthen our faith, and I believe it’s through the hardness of our trials, which He tailor-fits to each believer (1Co 10:13), that faith is strengthened and “increases” the most (Luk 17:5).
NC
To open the Bible is the opening for controversy, which, whatever our dislike of it (controversy—NC), we cannot escape, save by cowardice or indifference (if we do not stand for the Truth—NC). So that instead of a harvest-field, Scripture looks like a battlefield. The Christian centuries ring with the din of strife; and we cannot see, moreover, that God is over all this “for good” (Ro 8:28 – No matter how small or great the difficulty, God never fails to use it for the good of believers—NC).
The generally accepted “creeds” which, whatever may be their defects, yet embody so much of the fundamental faith of Christianity, were won out of long conflict (esp. against the Knostics—NC) with successive forms of heresy. And that in which they are more defective is that as to which little or no controversy had yet arisen (times when heresies were not challenged much, e.g. “dark ages” - 500 to 1000 A.D.). Warfare we need not fear, if in it we have not the mere spirit of warrior, but the bands of Benjamin (2Sa 4:2) go forth under the leadership of “fruitful” Ephraim (Num 2:18-22). Truth has certainly to fear no conflict (Truth needs no defense, like letting a lion out of a cage—it will take care of itself—NC). Its banners never fell in a fair open field.
Is this, then, what Scripture leaves us to? Yes, to the need of having “ears to hear” (Mat 11:15) if we will be overcomers (1Jo 2:14; 4:4), to be men of God, if we are to have the profit of Scripture. Truth cannot live without warfare in the midst of a world away from and at enmity towards God (the warfare is for this life only—NC). God has not taken pains to make things so plain as that every careless soul shall, in spite of his carelessness, know what is truth, but the earnest and exercised shall know: as the Lord has said, “Everyone that is of the truth heareth My voice” (Jn 18:37).
Satan’s tactic is to plant his batteries a long way off, and hide them from view as far as possible, but where he knows they will nevertheless do effective work; nor can we spike his cannon without unearthing his batteries. He is much more careful as to things than words; and to answer him we must show that words mean things”! –F W Grant
A sculptor does not use a manicure set to reduce the rude and unshapely marble to a thing of beauty. While in a state of darkness and suffering, you will exist by a kind of blind will to live. You will feel none of the inward sweetness you have enjoyed before. The smile of God will be for some time withdrawn or at least hidden from your eyes (God is always smiling on the saints, it’s just that at times we will feel like He isn’t there—but He is ever present. This is just for strengthening the belier’s faith!).
Then you will learn what faith is. You will find out the hard way, which is the only way open to you, that true faith lies in the will, that the joy unspeakable of which the Apostle Paul speaks is not itself faith, but a slow ripening fruit of faith. You will discover that present spiritual joy may come and go (for the testing and strengthening of our faith—NC) as it will without stirring your spiritual status, or in any way affect your standing as a true child of the heavenly Father. You will also come to see that it is possible to live in all good conscience before your Father and men, and still at times feel nothing of the peace and joy (again, for increasing your faith—NC) which is talked about so much by other less mature Christians.
—A W Tozer
MJS daily devotional excerpt for June 18
“I want a testimony that delivers me from the things I am occupied about in myself when I am suffering from them. I get it from God’s gift that is perfect. I am ‘accepted in the Beloved’ (Eph. 1:6). You say, There is something about myself I cannot get over. Remember, the testimony of the Spirit in us is the contrary of the testimony of the Spirit to us. In me, He takes notice of every fault that is not righteousness; but the testimony to us is, ‘Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more’ (Heb. 8:12).
“If we make morality our standard, we will be sure to fall below what we purpose (morality is relationship between mankind; godliness is relationship between man and God—NC). Whatever we put before us as our criterion, there will be always a falling short. If we have the Lord Jesus Christ risen and in heaven as our Object, we shall prove the power of His resurrection, not only in lifting us up when we are conscious of our exceeding short-comings, but in strengthening us to ‘press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 3:14).” –MJS
NC
A Good Soldier (2Ti 2:3)
To open the Bible is the opening for controversy, which, whatever our dislike of it (controversy—NC), we cannot escape, save by cowardice or indifference (if we do not stand for the Truth—NC). So that instead of a harvest-field, Scripture looks like a battlefield. The Christian centuries ring with the din of strife; and we cannot see, moreover, that God is over all this “for good” (Ro 8:28 – No matter how small or great the difficulty, God never fails to use it for the good of believers—NC).
The generally accepted “creeds” which, whatever may be their defects, yet embody so much of the fundamental faith of Christianity, were won out of long conflict (esp. against the Knostics—NC) with successive forms of heresy. And that in which they are more defective is that as to which little or no controversy had yet arisen (times when heresies were not challenged much, e.g. “dark ages” - 500 to 1000 A.D.). Warfare we need not fear, if in it we have not the mere spirit of warrior, but the bands of Benjamin (2Sa 4:2) go forth under the leadership of “fruitful” Ephraim (Num 2:18-22). Truth has certainly to fear no conflict (Truth needs no defense, like letting a lion out of a cage—it will take care of itself—NC). Its banners never fell in a fair open field.
Is this, then, what Scripture leaves us to? Yes, to the need of having “ears to hear” (Mat 11:15) if we will be overcomers (1Jo 2:14; 4:4), to be men of God, if we are to have the profit of Scripture. Truth cannot live without warfare in the midst of a world away from and at enmity towards God (the warfare is for this life only—NC). God has not taken pains to make things so plain as that every careless soul shall, in spite of his carelessness, know what is truth, but the earnest and exercised shall know: as the Lord has said, “Everyone that is of the truth heareth My voice” (Jn 18:37).
Satan’s tactic is to plant his batteries a long way off, and hide them from view as far as possible, but where he knows they will nevertheless do effective work; nor can we spike his cannon without unearthing his batteries. He is much more careful as to things than words; and to answer him we must show that words mean things”! –F W Grant
A sculptor does not use a manicure set to reduce the rude and unshapely marble to a thing of beauty. While in a state of darkness and suffering, you will exist by a kind of blind will to live. You will feel none of the inward sweetness you have enjoyed before. The smile of God will be for some time withdrawn or at least hidden from your eyes (God is always smiling on the saints, it’s just that at times we will feel like He isn’t there—but He is ever present. This is just for strengthening the belier’s faith!).
Then you will learn what faith is. You will find out the hard way, which is the only way open to you, that true faith lies in the will, that the joy unspeakable of which the Apostle Paul speaks is not itself faith, but a slow ripening fruit of faith. You will discover that present spiritual joy may come and go (for the testing and strengthening of our faith—NC) as it will without stirring your spiritual status, or in any way affect your standing as a true child of the heavenly Father. You will also come to see that it is possible to live in all good conscience before your Father and men, and still at times feel nothing of the peace and joy (again, for increasing your faith—NC) which is talked about so much by other less mature Christians.
—A W Tozer
MJS daily devotional excerpt for June 18
“I want a testimony that delivers me from the things I am occupied about in myself when I am suffering from them. I get it from God’s gift that is perfect. I am ‘accepted in the Beloved’ (Eph. 1:6). You say, There is something about myself I cannot get over. Remember, the testimony of the Spirit in us is the contrary of the testimony of the Spirit to us. In me, He takes notice of every fault that is not righteousness; but the testimony to us is, ‘Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more’ (Heb. 8:12).
“If we make morality our standard, we will be sure to fall below what we purpose (morality is relationship between mankind; godliness is relationship between man and God—NC). Whatever we put before us as our criterion, there will be always a falling short. If we have the Lord Jesus Christ risen and in heaven as our Object, we shall prove the power of His resurrection, not only in lifting us up when we are conscious of our exceeding short-comings, but in strengthening us to ‘press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 3:14).” –MJS