The Path to Freedom 625
the will. If lost ground is ever to be recovered it is mandatory that the
volition be reactivated. The Christian “henceforth must learn (a) to
obey God’s will, (b) to resist the devil’s will, and (c) to exercise his
own will in collaboration with the will of the other saints.
Responsibility for recovering ceded territory rests chiefly on the will.
It is the volition which became passive, hence it must be the volition
which dispels passivity.
The first measure the will undertakes is to resolve, that is, to set
itself towards a definite direction. Having suffered much at the Bands
of evil spirits but now enlightened by the truth and encouraged by the
Holy Spirit, the child of God is led naturally to a new position of
abhorring those wicked spirits. He accordingly resolves against all
their works. He is determined to regain his freedom, be his own
master, and drive off his enemy. The Spirit of God so works in him
that his fury against the evil spirits gathers momentum. The more he
suffers the more he hates; the more he ponders his plight the more
furious he becomes. He resolves to experience a complete
emancipation from the powers of darkness. Such a resolve is the first
step towards the recovery of lost ground. If this resolution is real he
will press on towards the goal no matter how fierce a fight the enemy
may put up. The entire man supports his resolve to henceforth
oppose the adversary.
The Christian also should engage his will to choose, that is to
decide the future he desires. In days of spiritual battle this choice can
be very effective. He should ever and anon declare: I choose
freedom; I want liberty; I refuse to be passive; I will use my own
talents; I insist on knowing the wiles of the evil spirits; I wish for
their defeat; I will sever every relationship with the powers of
darkness; I oppose all their lies and excuses. Such a declaration of
the will is highly beneficial in warfare. It expresses his choice, not
simply his resolve, on these particular matters. The powers of
darkness pay no attention to one’s resolve, but should he choose with
his will to oppose them through the power of God then they most