Chapter 14—Fortitude
Those who are finally victorious will have seasons of terrible per-
plexity and trial in their religious life; but they must not cast away their
confidence, for this is a part of their discipline in the school of Christ,
and it is essential in order that all dross may be purged away. The
servant of God must endure with fortitude the attacks of the enemy,
his grievous taunts, and must overcome the obstacles which Satan will
place in his way.
Satan will seek to discourage the followers of Christ, so that they
may not pray or study the Scriptures, and he will throw his hateful
shadow athwart the path to hide Jesus from the view, to shut away the
vision of His love, and the glories of the heavenly inheritance. It is
his delight to cause the children of God to go shrinkingly, tremblingly,
and painfully along, under continual doubt. He seeks to make the
pathway as sorrowful as possible; but if you keep looking up, not
down at your difficulties, you will not faint in the way, you will soon
see Jesus reaching His hand to help you, and you will only have to
give Him your hand in simple confidence, and let Him lead you. As
you become trustful, you will become hopeful.
In the Strength of the Lord
Jesus is the light of the world, and you are to fashion your life
after His. You will find help in Christ to form a strong, symmetrical,
beautiful character. Satan cannot make of none effect the light shining
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forth from such a character. The Lord has a work for each of us to
do. He does not provide that we shall be sustained by the influence
of human praise and petting; He means that every soul shall stand in
the strength of the Lord. God has given us His best gift, even His
only-begotten Son, to uplift, ennoble, and fit us, by putting on us His
own perfection of character, for a home in His kingdom. Jesus came
to our world and lived as He expects His followers to live. If we are
self-indulgent, and too lazy to put forth earnest effort to cooperate with
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