By John Hames
"Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day" (Eph. 6:13).
Since the convert is in a new country and has never gone over the road before, it is quite necessary that he should be informed of the hills, valleys, sloughs and sunbaked plains that skirt his homeward path.
Doubtless the words forming the title of this chapter sound a little strange to our reader. However, we will proceed to explain what we mean by this strange expression. Some evening you will retire feeling as peaceful and happy as a lark, while the spirit of prayer heaves in your soul like the waves of the sea. You will spend the night as restful as an infant upon its mother's breast but on awaking in the morning your first discovery will be that the spirit of prayer has somehow slipped away and no matter how you pelt away and try to get hold of God it will all seem fruitless.
You will also find yourself pressed and strangely tempted within and as you go about the house you will discover that wife, husband, children or roommate are more of a trial to you than usual. You will feel so strangely pressed and tempted that you will find yourself not wanting to speak or be spoken to. I do not mean that you will yield to this feeling for if so it would grieve the Spirit and make you a backslider. However, this is the way the temptation will strangely affect you. As you go forward with the home or business duties of the day you will notice from all appearances that everything is going wrong and working against you. Perhaps the clock has stopped and you are late getting up, wife is slow with breakfast, the baby is unusually cross, the children have misplaced your hat, you just missed your regular car and on reaching the office you discover that you have left the key in your other trousers, etc., etc. This is a day in which Satan is permitted to sift you as wheat is sifted and thoroughly test your religion to see whether it will keep you patient, prayerful and victorious or, on the other hand, if you will grow touchy and crabbed and commence to scold the children, short talk the office girl, wear a cross and sour look, jerk the horses, kick the cow, shake the baby and slam the door in the peddler's face.
The secret of retaining the victory on this noted day lies in not talking much, taking time to answer every one kindly, closing the door softly, leading the cow gently, promptly repelling every suggestion of Satan and also watching unto prayer continually. This will bring you out at the close of the day without the smell of fire, wind or water upon your garments.
Therefore on attending the evening prayer meeting God will lift the pressure, restore the spirit of prayer and fill your soul with glory.
