Many deal slackly with themselves in respect to little violations of their consecration vow, saying, "What's the use of such carefulness and so different a life from that of the world in general?" Ah! there is great use in it; for victories in little things prepare for greater things and make them possible; and on the contrary, surrender to the will of the flesh in the little things means sure defeat in the warfare as a whole. We who have become footstep followers of Jesus Christ know that we are to be tested (if our testing has not already commenced), and should realize that only as we practice self-denials in the little things of life, and mortify (deaden) the natural cravings of our flesh in respect to food, clothing, conduct, etc., shall we become strong spiritually and be able to "overcome".
Our faults, great and small, injure our spiritual fruitage. This thought should prompt us to wage unceasing warfare against them, not by beating the air, but by intelligent effort. We can overcome them by detaching our affections from, abhorring, avoiding and opposing them. In opposing them we are to attack them as well as to repel their attacks. We attack them by displacement with opposite graces, and by restraint through other than opposite graces. We repel them by diversion of attention from, and by presentation of impenetrable hearts and minds to them, and all this by the Lord's Spirit.
2 Chron. 12:14; Prov. 4:23; Eccles. 5:6; Isa. 1:18; 44:20; Jer. 17:9; Ezek. 20:16; Matt. 12:31, 33-35; 15:2-20; 1 Cor. 5:6; Eph. 2:1-5; Heb. 3:13; 12:5; Jas. 1:14, 15; 2:10, 11; 4:1-3, 17; 2 Pet. 1:4; 1 John 3:4-15; 5:17.
