“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the ruler of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Eph. 6: 12, 13)

“We have enemies to contend with” says somebody. Don’t talk about them or your trials and temptations. Talk of the power of Christ. All power has been given to Him. So when we wrestle, we will remember that it is not an even- handed battle, but we fight a fight of faith, and where sin abounded, there did grace much more abound.

Who are conquerors? Those who have gained the victory. Flesh and blood are of no account in the defense. The only power that can resist evil is the power of an endless life, and he who has the Son has that life. If I fight with my fists, I do the fighting. If I fight the fight of faith, someone else is fighting for me and I am getting the benefit.

Christ has fought hand-to-hand with Satan here on earth and triumphed. What must be the result when a battle has been fought and one side has conquered completely? Peace. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jn. 14:27). We simply lay hold of the eternal life of Christ, and that is done by laying hold of His word, which is spirit and life.

The trouble is that sometimes we have some darling sin that we do not want to give up, so we are afraid that Christ will gain the victory and that sin will have to be given up. We call Christ in to help us defeat our enemy, and when He comes He finds us on the side of the enemy! But if we will give up all these things, Christ will give us something that is infinitely better.

Waggoner, General Conference Bulletin, 1891, No. 9