The Life of Faith 491
An emotional Christian is easily defeated in conflict with Satan.
While he is praying to assault the enemy the latter by his evil spirit
will attack his emotion. He will set the Christian to feeling that such
contesting is painful and such prayer is lifeless. So as he becomes
sorrowful, insipid, dark and dry, he immediately stops fighting. An
emotional Christian is powerless to war against Satan, for as soon as
his feeling comes under attack by Satan he quits the field of battle. If
one’s emotion has not experienced death, he may provide
opportunity to Satan to strike at any hour. Each time he rises to
oppose the enemy he is defeated by a satanic touch upon his feeling.
Can anyone expect victory over Satan unless he has first overcome
his life of sensation?
Spiritual warfare accordingly demands an attitude of total death to
feeling and an absolute trust in God. Only a person with this attitude
can bear up alone and not seek companions or man’s approval in
fighting the enemy. Only this caliber of Christian can proceed under
all sorts of anguished feelings. He cares not at all for his life nor
about death but only cares for the leading of God. He indulges no
personal interest, desire or longing. He has offered himself to death
already and then lives exclusively for God. He neither blames nor
misunderstands Him because he considers all His ways to be loving.
This is the class of person who is able to fill the breach. Though he
may appear to be deserted by God and forgotten by men, yet he mans
his battle station. He is a prayer warrior. He overcomes Satan.
RestAfter a believer has thus been dealt with, he can commence the
walk of faith which is true spiritual life. And the one who arrives at
this position enters upon a life of rest. The fire of the cross has
consumed his every greedy pursuit. He at last has learned his lesson:
he recognizes that God’s will alone is precious. All else, though
naturally desirable, is incompatible with the highest life of God. Now