Morning    “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.”

Galatians 5:17

In every believer’s heart there is a constant struggle between the old nature

and the new. The old nature is very active, and loses no opportunity of plying

all the weapons of its deadly armoury against newborn grace; while on the other

hand, the new nature is ever on the watch to resist and destroy its enemy. Grace

within us will employ prayer, and faith, and hope, and love, to cast out the

evil; it takes unto it the “whole armour of God,” and wrestles earnestly. These

two opposing natures will never cease to struggle so long as we are in this

world. The battle of “Christian” with “Apollyon” lasted three hours, but the

battle of Christian with himself lasted all the way from the Wicket

Gate to the river Jordan. The enemy is so securely entrenched within us that he

can never be driven out while we are in this body: but although we are closely

beset, and often in sore conflict, we have an Almighty helper, even Jesus, the

Captain of our salvation, who is ever with us, and who assures us that we shall

eventually come off more than conquerors through Him. With such assistance the

new-born nature is more than a match for its foes. Are you fighting with the

adversary today? Are Satan, the world, and the flesh, all against you? Be not

discouraged nor dismayed. Fight on! For God Himself is with you; Jehovah Nissi

is your banner, and Jehovah Rophi is the healer of your wounds.

Fear not, you shall overcome, for who can defeat Omnipotence? Fight on,

“looking unto Jesus;” and though long and stern be the conflict, sweet will be

the victory, and glorious the promised reward. “From strength to strength go on;

Wrestle, and fight, and pray, Tread all the powers of darkness down, And win the

well-fought day.”

 

Evening  “Good Master.”  Matthew 19:16

If the young man in the gospel used this title in speaking to our Lord, how much

more fitly may I thus address him! He is indeed my Master in both senses, a

ruling Master and a teaching Master. I delight to run upon his errands, and to

sit at his feet. I am both his servant and his disciple, and count it my highest

honour to own the double character. If he should ask me why I call him “good,” I

should have a ready answer. It is true that “there is none good but one, that

is, God,” but then he is God, and all the goodness of Deity shines forth in him.

In my experience, I have found him good, so good, indeed, that all the good I

have has come to me through him. He was good to me when I was

dead in sin, for he raised me by his Spirit’s power; he has been good to me in

all my needs, trials, struggles, and sorrows. Never could there be a better

Master, for his service is freedom, his rule is love: I wish I were one

thousandth part as good a servant. When he teaches me as my Rabbi, he is

unspeakably good, his doctrine is divine, his manner is condescending, his

spirit is gentleness itself. No error mingles with his instruction–pure is the

golden truth which he brings forth, and all his teachings lead to goodness,

sanctifying as well as edifying the disciple. Angels find him a good Master and

delight to pay their homage at his footstool. The ancient saints proved him to

be a  good Master, and each of them rejoiced to sing, “I am thy servant, O Lord!” My

own humble testimony must certainly be to the same effect. I will bear this

witness before my friends and neighbours, for possibly they may be led by my

testimony to seek my Lord Jesus as their Master. O that they would do so! They

would never repent so wise a deed. If they would but take his easy yoke, they

would find themselves in so royal a service that they would enlist in it

forever.