Holiness, J.C. Ryle

Fight! – Chapter 4.

The Christian is ‘a man of war.’ If we would be holy – we must fight!

The principal fight of the Christian is with… the world, the flesh, and the devil. These are his never-dying foes.

“The love of the world’s good things, the fear of the world’s laughter or blame, the secret desire to do as others in the world do, and not to run into extremes – all these are spiritual foes which beset the Christian continually on his way to heaven, and must be conquered.”

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world” – Rom. 12:2

True Christianity is a struggle, a fight and a warfare. He who pretends to condemn ‘fighting’ and teaches we ought to sit still and ‘yield ourselves to God’ appears to me to misunderstand his Bible, and to make a great mistake.

We must fight, and overcome. It is a fight of absolute necessity. It is a fight of universal necessity. It is a fight of perpetual necessity.

Faith admits of degrees. He who has the most faith will always be the happiest and most comfortable soldier.

It is a fight of faith. Habitual lively faith in Christ’s presence and readiness to help is the secret if the Christian soldier fighting successfully.

The shield of faith (Eph. 6:16)  … “I know whom I have believed.” The more faith, the more victory. The more faith, the more inward peace.

Pray for faith. You must believe before you fight. ‘Lord, increase my faith.’ Luke 17:5

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