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<p>&quot;We are powerless against this mighty army<br />
            that is attacking us! We do not know what to<br />
            do. But our eyes are upon You!&quot; </strong>2 Chr. 20:12<br />
          <br />
          There is no use fighting the battle in our own <br />
          strength. We have none.<br />
          <br />
          O, when <strong>temptation </strong>creeps like a serpent into the <br />
          carnal mind, it winds its secret way and coils around <br />
          the heart. As the boa-constrictor is said to embrace <br />
          its victim, entwining his coil around it, and crushing <br />
          every bone without any previous warning—so does <strong><br />
            temptation often seize us suddenly in its powerful <br />
            embrace</strong>. Have we in ourselves any more power to <br />
          extricate our flesh from its slimy folds, than the poor <br />
          animal has from the coils of the boa-constrictor?<br />
          <br />
          So with the corruptions and lusts of our fallen nature. <br />
          Can you always master them? <strong>Can you seize these<br />
            serpents by the neck and wring off their heads?</strong><br />
          <strong><br />
            To examine our heart </strong>is something like examining <br />
          by the microscope a drop of ditch-water—the more <br />
          minutely it is looked into, the more hideous forms <br />
          appear. All these strange monsters, too, are in <br />
          constant motion, devouring or devoured. And, as <br />
          more powerful lenses are put on the microscope, <br />
          more and more loathsome creatures emerge into <br />
          view, until eye and heart sicken at the sight. <br />
          <br />
          Such is our heart. Superficially viewed—passably fair. <br />
          But <strong>examined by the spiritual microscope</strong>, hideous <br />
          forms of every shape and size appear—lusts and <br />
          desires in unceasing movement, devouring each <br />
          other, and yet undiminished—and each successive<br />
          examination bringing new monsters to light! <strong>O what <br />
            a company of lusts!</strong> How one seems to introduce and <br />
          make way for the other! and how one, as among the <br />
          insect tribe, is the father of a million!<br />
          <br />
          We must take these lusts and passions by the neck, <br />
          and lay them down at the feet of God, and thus bring <br />
          the omnipotence of Jehovah against what would destroy<br />
          us—&quot;Here are my <strong>lusts</strong>, I cannot manage them. Here are <br />
          my <strong>temptations</strong>, I cannot overcome them. Here are my <strong><br />
            enemies</strong>, I cannot conquer them. Lord, I do not know <br />
          what to do. Will You not subdue my enemies?&quot; <br />
          <br />
          This is fighting against sin—not in the flesh, but in the <br />
          Spirit. Not by the law, but by the gospel. Not by self, <br />
          but by the grace of God. And if your soul has had many <br />
          a tussle, and many a wrestle, and many a hand-to-hand <br />
          conflict with sin, you will have found this out before now <br />
          —that nothing but the grace, power, and Spirit of Christ <br />
          ever gave you the victory, or the least hope of victory.<br />
          <br />
          <strong>&quot;We are powerless against this mighty army<br />
            that is attacking us! We do not know what to<br />
            do. But our eyes are upon You!&quot; </strong>2 Chron. 20:12
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