February 18 ~

For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but ... against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places ... In Thee alone shall we overcome our adversaries ... "Temptations to sin must come" ... but thanks be to God , who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ ... You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe ...
Eph.6:12 (RSV); Ps.44:5 (Sprl); Matt.18:7 (Beck); 1 Cor.15:57 (NAS); Ps.139:16 (TLB)

In ev'ry Christian there's a spiritual war.
And God-ordained it's been, since long ago ...
Fools only would this obvious fact ignore.

My mind is thus a battlefield! Why so?

To crowd me unto Christ! -- that I may dwell
in Him, not only as my Refuge, but
eternally! -- not only safe from hell
but raised up from this lesser realm of dust
into His very Self: His Peace ... Joy ... Love ...

Again, why mental onslaughts on my mind?
To crowd me to my Lord! The purpose of
the warfare is just that! Through it I find
the only place to live is in the Son!
And to that End my foes I'll overcome!

To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God ... And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son ... this life is given through union with His Son ...
Rev.2:7 (NAS); 1 Jn.5:11 (NAS,Wil).

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