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TOPIC: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks About the Tempter (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 077. Pushing Bravely On
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Pushing Bravely On
And the fourth finger-post to the victory-road is fearlessness. Nothing weakens us like fear. Nothing weakens the tempter in his assaults upon us like a quiet, bold, steady fearlessness. Satan can't operate in an atmosphere of trust; it chokes him. God cannot act in an atmosphere of fear; it hinders Him. One of the commonest phrases on the lips of God throughout this Bible is this, "Fear not." Like a bit of sweet inspiriting music it runs throughout these pages. And, if He may have His way it will be the unfailing music of our lives. "Fear not," is His continual word to you and me.
No matter how tight the corner, how steep the road, and how rough, how difficult the circumstance, however fearsome the growling of the tempter—yet "fear not." Let this be the continual song of your life. The tempter can't stand up before a fearless spirit. And there is no need for fear; our Lord is Victor. He has all power. And His power is at our disposal. There is always need of prayer, but never cause for fear.
That Revelation cry of victory has a tremendous second clause to it. "They overcame on the ground of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony." (Rev_12:11.) Their voice rang out clear, and boldly fearless. The human was coupled with the divine. The testimony made the overcoming power of the blood effective. Bold, wise fearlessness in life and speech, in action and spirit, undercuts the power of the tempter.
And the fifth finger-post needs sharp emphasis. There must be aggressive warfare against the evil one. I do not mean by "aggressive," making a noise and raising clouds of dust, but the steady on-moving of the sun in its course. I mean the aggressiveness of love, of sunshine, of goodness. There needs to be the fearless standing up against the wiles of the tempter. We should get our fighting clothes on and well-girded too, for sharp decisive action.
There is a good deal of meek submission by Christian people that is both cowardly and sinful. What comes along is yielded to as God's will. Whereas a great deal of what comes along is not His will, but is the result of the planning of the evil one. Aggression means a thinking keenly into God's way of working, a seeing clearly what is His will, and what is opposed to His will, and then a vigorous resisting in the Victor's Name of anything not God's will.
We should be ambitious to be able to repeat dear old Paul's words at the end of his strenuous life, "I have fought the good fight." (2Ti_4:7.) There's great need of more fighters, wise, steady, sane, hard fighters against the evil one, in Jesus' great Name.
"Ne'er think the victory won
Nor lay thine armour down;
Thine arduous task will not be done
Till thou obtain the crown."
That victorious cry of Michael's host has still another clause, "They overcame him on the ground of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony, and they loved not their life even unto death." There was the aggressiveness of sacrifice. There is nothing so aggressive in the fight against the evil one as the sacrificial spirit of love, that counts not its own life a thing to be prized in order that victory may come.