OUR BATTLE GROUND SHOULD BE WISELY CHOSEN.
By John Nevins Andrews
BRO. COTTRELL makes some excellent remarks in REVIEW No. 25, on the importance of wisely choosing the place of battle with our great Adversary. Few persons realize that there is the least need of care in this thing. Many act as though there was no foe for them to meet. They take not the least pains to clothe themselves with the armor of God which alone can enable them to withstand the wiles of the Devil. They use not the slightest precaution to guard against a surprise from him. They venture upon his ground as though there were not the slightest danger. They post no sentinels; they do not go out with any armor or weapons of warfare. They are not careful to obey the orders of the great Captain whose soldiers they profess to be. They rashly venture within the lines of the enemy and are taken captive by him at his will. 1. There are many who cannot go into the company of the gay and thoughtless without drinking into the same spirit; yet they go there without a moment's hesitation. 2. There are others who cannot go into the company of worldlings and sharpers, without becoming imbued with their spirit, frequently to the loss of their money, and always to the loss of their Christian graces. Yet they do not dream of any danger. 3. There are others greatly exposed to danger from strong drink, licentiousness, foolish shows, and the like, who do not realize that they should flee from such temptations instead of coming directly into their power. 4. There are innumerable weaknesses of humanity and none are exempt from some of them. It is the course of wisdom to find where we are weakest, and not rashly expose ourselves when Satan has prepared the strongest force to assail us in the very time, and place, and manner, that we can with the greatest difficulty withstand. A good soldier sometimes retreats. It is no part of wisdom to fight a foe stronger than ourselves on a battle field when every advantage is on his side. We are commanded to resist the Devil. Yet the same Bible which commands us to resist the Devil, and assures us that he will flee from us, does also command us under certain circumstances to flee ourselves. A wise soldier13will retreat till he can fight with some chance of success. But he who knows nothing, fears nothing. Those who have never exerted themselves to resist Satan, have no sense of the danger to which they are exposed in meeting him. We expose ourselves to ruin when we meet him off our guard, and without armor. Yet in this very condition multitudes of those who call themselves soldiers of Christ rashly venture upon Satan's own ground. Why not we choose the battle field when the circumstances are to our own advantage? Why not be cautious never to step out of the path of duty? Why not examine our own armor often to see that we are in every respect thoroughly prepared to meet our foe? Why not determine that if Satan is to attack us with temptation to vanity, it shall find us abasing ourselves in the deepest humiliation? If to any evil practice, why not find us guarded by habits of virtue, and made strong to resist by the grace of God? Or if circumstances, that we cannot control, suddenly bring us into places of most dangerous temptations, why not we be ready to flee with the utmost haste? The good soldier is always ready to fight or to flee, just as the case demands. Why not ourselves have the proper union of this noble courage and this wise and prudent caution? If we realize the importance of having a proper field for our conflict with Satan, let us look to the example of the Captain of our salvation. When about to encounter the utmost power of Satan, he chose his own field of battle, the wilderness, and that he might prepare for Satan's assault he gave himself to prayer and fasting. What an example for us, under the fierce assaults of the Devil. He did not lightly encounter the mighty foe. What a lesson for such as ourselves! When shall we awake to a sense of our terrible danger? 1 Cor. v, 18, “Flee fornication.” 1 Cor. x, 14, “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” 1 Tim. vi, 11, 12, “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.” These scriptures show that even the man who fights the fight of faith, is sometimes to flee. Read the story of Joseph as an admirable example of the true soldier standing his ground when he should stand, and fleeing when he should flee. Gen. xxxix. Read the sad story of David, for the case of an unwary soldier who did not flee when he ought to have done so. Sam. xi. When Satan has prepared his ambush with consummate skill, then flee. Do not stop to maintain an unequal contest. Rather do not stop to be disarmed and taken in his snare before you have fought at all. If you pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” do not rashly enter it of your own accord. A wise soldier will retreat till he can fight with some chance of success. But he who knows nothing, fears nothing. Those who have never exerted themselves to resist Satan, have no sense of the danger to which they are exposed in meeting him.