Indulgence of Appetite
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Will man take hold of divine power, and with determination and
perseverance resist Satan, as Christ has given him example in His
conflict with the foe in the wilderness of temptation? God cannot
save man against his will from the power of Satan’s artifices. Man
must work with his human power, aided by the divine power of Christ,
to resist and to conquer at any cost to himself. In short, man must
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overcome as Christ overcame. And then, through the victory that it is
his privilege to gain by the all-powerful name of Jesus, he may become
an heir of God and joint heir with Jesus Christ. This could not be the
case if Christ alone did all the overcoming. Man must do his part; he
must be victor on his own account, through the strength and grace that
Christ gives him. Man must be a co-worker with Christ in the labor of
overcoming, and then he will be partaker with Christ of His glory.
It is a sacred work in which we are engaged. The apostle Paul ex-
horts his brethren: “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved,
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, per-
fecting holiness in the fear of God.” It is a sacred duty that we owe
to God to keep the spirit pure, as a temple for the Holy Ghost. If the
heart and mind are devoted to the service of God, obeying all His com-
mandments, loving Him with all the heart, might, mind, and strength,
and our neighbor as ourselves, we shall be found loyal and true to the
requirements of heaven.
Again the apostle says: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal
body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” He also urges his
brethren to earnest diligence and steady perseverance in their efforts
for purity and holiness of life, in these words: “And every man that
striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to
obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”
The Christian Warfare
Paul presents before us the spiritual warfare and its reward, in
contrast with the various games instituted among the heathen in honor
of their gods. Young men who were trained for these games practiced
close self-denial and the most severe discipline. Every indulgence
which would have a tendency to weaken physical power was forbid-
den. Those who submitted to the training process were not allowed
wine or luxurious food, for these would debilitate instead of increas-