A Great Loss: Power to Wage Spiritual Warfare

     By A. W. Tozer

    Moreover he must have a good report of them which
     are without: lest he fall into reproach and the snare of
     the devil.                                              -  -  1Timothy 3:7

         The Christian should always be aware that the devil's
     master strategy against us is to destroy our power to
     wage spiritual warfare! And he has been succeeding, we
     must add.

         The average Christian these days is a harmless
     enough thing, God knows.  He is a child wearing with
     considerable self-consciousness the harness of the
     warrior; he is a sick eaglet that can never mount up with
     wings; he is a spent pilgrim who has given up the
     journey and sits with a waxy smile trying to get what
     pleasure he can from sniffing the wilted flowers he has
     plucked by the way.

         Such as these have been reached!  Satan has gotten
     to them early.

         By means of false teaching or inadequate teaching, or
     the huge discouragement that comes from the example
     of a decadent church, he has succeeded in weakening
     their resolution, neutralizing their convictions and
     taming their original urge to do exploits; now they are
     little more than statistics that contribute financially to
     the upkeep of the religious institution.

         There can be complete victory for us if we will but
     take the way of the triumphant Christ, but too many
     have accepted the low-keyed Christian life as the normal
     one. That is all Satan wants.  That will ground our
     power, stunt our growth and render us harmless to the
     kingdom of darkness­and we sons of eternity just
     cannot afford such a thing!
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     Yours in Christ,
     Paul N. F.