The Battle Against Sin

The Battle Against Sin

It is often like this during a war that there is a long front, but not every place along the front is of the same importance. There are a few particularly important places, as for example Gibraltar. These places are especially well fortified. This also applies to spiritual warfare in our battle against sin. In this battle there are also a few especially important points. Wise and understanding is everyone who fortifies himself thoroughly on these points.

It is difficult to breach someone’s front line who has made every effort to fortify himself in these three areas; he is virtually invincible. All great falls occur on one of these three points, and all sins have their direct lines of communication with one of these three points.

Point 1: Money is a very important factor. Money is the same as everything you can acquire for money, which is a fair amount in this world. Dispensing with the money besides what you need for the necessities of life is the same as overcoming the world. If you do not have the victory over money, you cannot (for example) gain the victory over anger. Then you have to get angry when you are being robbed of money or the money’s worth.

Point 2: Power and honor are also a tremendous area. Feeling offended and insulted fall under this category, and there is usually much of it. The lust for honor is the cause for a person not to be able to bear much, or even nothing. Many divisions in assemblies are caused by the lust for power. Of course one states a few nice reasons, but one has actually suffered defeat at Fort #2. That is the real cause for the division.

It is worth noting that it was on this point that Satan staged his last assault on Christ at the time when He was unceasingly tempted for forty days in the desert. Luke 4. The three final temptations are mentioned: The first temptation was to prove His spiritual power. The second temptation offered Him earthly power. The third temptation was to perform a masterpiece that would give Him great honor.

Point 3: Chastity is the third of these tremendous factors in life. Many are those who have been slain on this part of the front. Many otherwise great men have become small because they have not fortified themselves properly and watched sufficiently on this point. Even David suffered a great defeat on this point although he was not destroyed, but the exceedingly wise Solomon was defeated. And many are the preachers who have been put to shame on this point. A great number of sisters, because they have not been sufficiently careful in this area, have failed their faith and failed Christ in order to get married to a strange man against God’s will.

Many people succumb to their lusts in this area, souls who otherwise can be very praiseworthy. It is important to be vigilant from the beginning in both what you think and what you look at. If you do not fall in this area, then you will necessarily not fall in other areas.

If you want to gain a great and final victory, if you want to walk in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14), then you should, as in a natural war, start working purposefully and thoughtfully and build extra fortifications on these three points. Then you will have the best hope of the front line never being breached by the enemy.