The battle does us good. The conflict educates us, strengthens us, establishes us. It is necessary that we be grounded and settled and finally approved and rewarded. One of the best results of temptation is that it shows us what is in our hearts. Until temptation comes, we feel strong and self-confident; but when the keen edge of the adversary's weapons have, pierced our souls, we have more sympathy with others and less confidence in our own selfsufficiency. We are humiliated and broken at His feet, poor and helpless. This is the best thing that can happen to us. Temptation exercises our faith and teaches us to pray. It puts us under fire and compels us to exercise our weapons and prove their potency. It shows us the resources of Christ and the preciousness of the promises of God. It teaches us the reality of the Holy Spirit and compels us to walk closely with Him and hide continually behind His strength and all-sufficiency. Every victory gives us new confidence in our victorious Leader and new courage for the next onset of the foe, so that we become not only victor, but more than conquerors, taking the strength of our defeated foes and gathering precious spoil from each new battlefield.
