2月26日 争战的长久
争战的长久
只要撒但的内应，你的旧性情——仍活在你里面，牠就会在外面不断地叩门。
一个人与撒但争战的历程，与其寿命同长。正如耶利米论到自己时说，他生来就是“遍地相争相竞的人”（耶15:10）；而一旦成为圣徒，这种争战反而加增。从你属灵重生的那一刻直到肉身死亡，从你第一次定睛天家直到你迈进城门，你都要与撒但、罪恶以及自我交战。以色列人出埃及，象征着我们向黑暗权势公开宣战。他们是何时才得享安息的呢？直到进入迦南才得歇息。
基督徒在地上所处的境遇，没有一处是绝对安宁的。是亨通还是逆境？无论哪种，你双手都有工要作：一手要压制骄傲与自满，另一手要在磨难中托住信心与忍耐。基督徒没有任何一块可以称为“避风港”的特权之地。罗得曾在所多玛与恶人摔跤，他那颗义心因他们污秽的行为而忧伤；但当他到了琐珥情况又如何呢？他的亲生女儿竟把所多玛的火星带进了他的床榻，引燃了乱伦的情欲（创19:30-38）。
有些人以为：如果我换个家庭，如果我换个讲道人，如果我远离某种试探，我就不会如此软弱。我承认，换个环境、换换空气，确实对病人的康复有益，但你以为这样就能躲开撒但的纠缠吗？不！即便你展开清晨的翅膀，牠也会紧追不舍。境遇的改变或许会让撒但改变牠试探的手段，但属世的变迁绝不会让牠放下害人的计谋。
只要牠的内应，你的旧性情——仍活在你里面，牠就会在外面不断叩门。这个魔鬼般的对手会抓住每一个机会向你挑战。牠最爱从背后偷袭，尤其是当你正屈身跪地，手里拿着泥铲，正在为神的国度撒种耕耘的时候。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：出9章，路12章，
个人灵修：伯27章，林前13章
FEBRUARY 26, THURSDAY
THE LENGTH OF COMBAT
As long as his comrade, your old nature, is alive within, he will be knocking at the door without.
The length of a man’s combat with Satan measures the same as the length of his life. He is, as Jeremiah said of himself, born “a man of strife” (Jeremiah 15:10). And once he becomes a saint, the struggles increases. From your spiritual birth to your natural death, from the hour you first set your face toward heaven until you set your foot inside the gate, you will have wars with Satan, sin, and self. Israel’s march out of Egypt is, in a figurative way, our open declaration of war against the forces of darkness. And when did they have peace? Not until they reached Canaan.
No condition the Christian finds himself in here below is quiet. Is it prosperity, or is it adversity? Here is work for both hands—to keep pride and complacency down in the one, faith and patience up in the other. The Christian has nowhere he can call privileged ground. Lot wrestled with the wicked inhabitants of Sodom, his righteous soul vexed with their filthy behavior. Then what happened at Zoar? His own daughters brought a spark of Sodom’s fire into his bed, and he was inflamed with incestuous lust (Genesis 19:30–38)!
Some have thought if they were only in such a family, under such a ministry, removed from a certain temptation, then they would not be such weak Christians. I confess a change of air is a great help to an invalid, but do you think you can thus escape Satan’s presence? No! Even if you were to take the wings of morning, he would pursue you. A change in circumstances may make him change his method of tempting, but nothing temporal can make him lay down his designs. As long as his comrade, your old nature, is alive within, he will be knocking at the door without. This diabolical opponent will challenge you at every opportunity. He delights to sneak up on you from behind, while you are kneeling, trowel in hand, planting seeds for the kingdom.