The Will FIGHTING THE RIGHT FIGHT
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Matt. 23:26.
When the devil comes to tempt us, he doesn't knock on the door and say, "Good morning. I am the devil. I have come to tempt you today." He knows it wouldn't work that way. If he did that, we would say, "We've heard of you; forget it!" and slam the door in his face.
So he comes at us instead through our weaknesses, through our problems. The devil is stronger than we are. He is smarter than we are. He knows that the best way to tempt us is to get us to concentrate on our faults and weaknesses, trying to overcome them, instead of looking to Jesus and depending on on His strength. There is a big difference between the fight of faith, which the Bible invites us to fight, and the fight of sin. If we try to fight sin and the devil in our own strength, we will lose the battle every time.
Jesus gave the Pharisees instruction as to where to put their effort. He told them that if they would clean the inside, the outside would be clean as well. This is one of the most important truths in understanding how to live the Christian life. It is essential to realize where our human effort must be directed, and where our human effort is totally useless. We are told that if we will fight the fight of faith with all our willpower, we will conquer (see Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 513). What is the fight of faith? It is the life of relationship with God, the striving to set aside time day by day for the purpose of getting acquainted with the Lord Jesus. This fight of faith is the only fight for the Christian spoken of in the Bible. As we direct our energies and efforts toward that, Jesus will fight sin and the devil for us as He has promised to do. "May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it" (1 Thess. 5:23, 24, R.S.V.).
"Man is not able to save himself, but the Son of God fights his battles for him, and places him on vantage-ground by giving him His divine attributes. And as man accepts the righteousness of Christ, he is a partaker of the divine nature. He may keep the commandments of God, and live."--Ellen G. White, in Review and Herald, Feb. 8, 1898.
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Matt. 23:26.
When the devil comes to tempt us, he doesn't knock on the door and say, "Good morning. I am the devil. I have come to tempt you today." He knows it wouldn't work that way. If he did that, we would say, "We've heard of you; forget it!" and slam the door in his face.
So he comes at us instead through our weaknesses, through our problems. The devil is stronger than we are. He is smarter than we are. He knows that the best way to tempt us is to get us to concentrate on our faults and weaknesses, trying to overcome them, instead of looking to Jesus and depending on on His strength. There is a big difference between the fight of faith, which the Bible invites us to fight, and the fight of sin. If we try to fight sin and the devil in our own strength, we will lose the battle every time.
Jesus gave the Pharisees instruction as to where to put their effort. He told them that if they would clean the inside, the outside would be clean as well. This is one of the most important truths in understanding how to live the Christian life. It is essential to realize where our human effort must be directed, and where our human effort is totally useless. We are told that if we will fight the fight of faith with all our willpower, we will conquer (see Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 513). What is the fight of faith? It is the life of relationship with God, the striving to set aside time day by day for the purpose of getting acquainted with the Lord Jesus. This fight of faith is the only fight for the Christian spoken of in the Bible. As we direct our energies and efforts toward that, Jesus will fight sin and the devil for us as He has promised to do. "May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it" (1 Thess. 5:23, 24, R.S.V.).
"Man is not able to save himself, but the Son of God fights his battles for him, and places him on vantage-ground by giving him His divine attributes. And as man accepts the righteousness of Christ, he is a partaker of the divine nature. He may keep the commandments of God, and live."--Ellen G. White, in Review and Herald, Feb. 8, 1898.
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