The Laws of the Spirit 377
Whenever a child of God is in such a hemmed-in situation, it is
vital that he exercise his will towards audibly uttering words against
the foe, lifting up his voice to proclaim the victory of the cross and
the defeat of the enemy. He must wholeheartedly oppose the work of
the adversary in both his soul and body. Following such a
proclamation he must employ his will actively to resist the blockage.
Prayer is one means of opening the spirit. But given the above-
described situation, one needs to pray aloud. The best thing for the
saint to do is to claim the victorious name of the Lord Jesus over
every onslaught of the enemy. In addition to prayer he should
exercise his spirit to run the blockade so as to reach the outside.
(3) Poisoning of the SpiritOur spirit can be poisoned by the evil spirit. This poison is the
flaming dart of the enemy, aimed directly at our spirit. Into it he
shoots sorrow, grief, anguish, woe or heartbreak to cause us to have a
“sorrowful spirit” (1 Sam. 1.15 ASV): and a “broken spirit who can
bear?” (Prov. 18.14) It is exceedingly hazardous for anyone to accept
without objection or question every sorrow which comes upon him
and take for granted that these are naturally his own feelings. He has
not yet examined the source nor put up any resistance. Let us
remember to never accept any thought or feeling lightly. If we wish
to walk after the spirit we must be watchful in all points, searching
especially the source of every notion and sensation.
Sometimes Satan provokes us to harden our spirit. It can become
stiff, unyielding, narrow and selfish. Such a spirit cannot work with
God nor can it do His will. And so a believer will abandon his love
towards men; he will shed every delicate, sympathetic, tenderhearted
feeling towards others. Since he has lost the generosity of the Lord
and has drawn a circle around himself, how can the Holy Spirit ever
use him mightily?