p. 43 | Untitled article by J. S. Miller

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, December 31, 1867

From Bro. Miller.

By J. S. Miller

BRO. SMITH: Again would I speak a word to the scattered ones through the Conference Department. While I find in my onward journey toward the “city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God,” a great many trials and crosses, I feel that I can say, as I compare them with the inheritance that we all hope for, “These light afflictions which are but for a season shall work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

My brethren and sisters, all who are under the third angel’s message, let us consider well wherein our strength lies. The apostle exhorts his Ephesian brethren to, “be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.” But how are we to become strong in the Lord? Simply by following the directions given; by putting on “the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the fiery darts of the enemy.” In these days is it especially necessary. The enemy has come in like a flood, and the promise is that the Spirit of the Lord shall raise up a standard. Yes it is no ordinary foe with whom we have to do, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in high places.” The evil day is already upon us, and days of still greater evil are immediately before us. No silver-slipper religion is going to answer in these last days. We must be prepared to fight the good fight of faith. We must have our “loins girt about with truth,”—unalloyed truth. We must have on the “breast-plate of righteousness” to ward off the poisoned arrows of the adversary. And what is the breast-plate but the law of God written on the heart?

Then we must have our “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” But there are two kinds of peace. There is a peace that results from compromising the truth. Shall we seek this kind of peace? Never! Then there is a peace that flows like a river—a righteousness that is like the waves of the sea. But this is attained to only when we keep all the commandments of God.

Next comes the shield of faith. Yes we must have the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. It will not do to substitute the one for the other; we must have both. Then comes the helmet, the hope of salvation. Let hope ever be kept bright; it is the only safeguard against errors of the head. So long as the hope of salvation is bright, doubts and skeptical notions will find no lodgment there.

Thus far we have only been preparing for defense. But having thus prepared ourselves we are now expected to fight. But where is our weapon? “Take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” Some people commence wrong end foremost in this matter; they grasp the sword by the blade instead of the hilt, thus wounding themselves. Getting some scripture that they think is pointed they “cut and slash,” but it simply has a tendency to disgust sensible people. It is not sufficient that we know how to quote scripture; we must have the Spirit of God to attend it, “praying always with all prayer and supplications in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”

Brethren and sisters, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might.

J. S. MILLER.

Westerly, R. I., Dec. 8.