The New Life

;
The Conflict of the Christian.
we are in Him : by faith we know that the enemy
can make no progress against our fortress. The wiles
of Satan all go forth on the line of enticing us out of
cur fortress, of engaging us in conflict with him on
the open plain. There he always overcomes. But if
we only strive in faith, abiding in Christ by faith,
then we overcome, because Satan then has to deal
with Him, and because He then fights and overcomes.
^ **
This is the victory that hath overcome the
world, even our faith." Our first and greatest work
is thus to believe. As Paul said before he mentions
'
the warlike equipment of the Christian :
' From
henceforth be strong in the Lord, and in the strength
of His might."
The reason why the victory is only by faith, and
why the fight of faith is the good fight, is this : it is
the Lord Jesus who purchased the victory, and who
therefore alone gives power and dominion over the
enemy. If we are, and abide, in Him, and surrender
ourselves to live in Him, and by faith appropriate
what He is, then the victory is in itself our own.
' *
We then understand : The battle is not yours, but
God's. The Lord your God shall fight for you, and
ye shall be still." Just as we in opposition to God
can achieve nothing good of ourselves, but in Christ
please Him, so also is it in opposition to Satan : in
ourselves we achieve nothing, but in Christ we are
more than conquerors. By faith we stand in Him
1
Ex. xiv. 14 ;
Josh. v. 14 ;
2 Chron. xxiii. 15 ;
John xvi. 33
Rom. viii. 37 ; 2 Cor, ii. 14.