Two mighty forces are arrayed today. On one hand, we have not only the visible legions o f un righteousness but principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies. The devil has mobil ized all his reserves for a finish fight and we are encompassed by the horses and chariots o f the prince of this age. It is easy to grow panicky and cry, “ Alas, my master! how shall we do?” Some of us are so beset with adversaries that we may feel not only helpless but also hopeless. Perhaps ill health has camped on our premises, trouble has enveloped us, circumstances have blockaded us or temptations and besetting sins, the world, the flesh and the devil, have us in a state of siege. The state of the world is so desperate that we lay down our newspaper and the dismay of Elisha’s servant over whelms us. We are in a dismal hour and unless a man knows the secret of Elisha, he may well con clude that there is no way out. But I bring a message of cheer to all who know the Lord of Hosts. I care not how many devils are camped on your hillsides. It matters not how many horses of hell and chariots of perdition have fenced you in. The words of this imperturbable old prophet are still grandly true: “ Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” We are too much inclined these days to count our adversaries and discount our allies. We take stock of those that be against us and over look those that be for us. We do well to list our assets instead of bemoaning our liabilities. For one thing, THE SAINTS OF AGES PAST ARE ON OUR SIDE. Although they tell us now that the “ cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews twelve does not mean heavenly onlookers gone on before who watch us run our race, I still like to think of a great old preacher who was laboring late at night over a message to be delivered to a very small gathering next day. A friend asked, “Why are you working so hard at this when only a few people will hear it?” He replied, “ You forget how large my congregation will really be.” He had in mind that “A cloud of witnesses around Holds us in full survey;” and bids us
Then, THE LIVING SAINTS ARE ON OUR SIDE. An old Confederate veteran told me that in the last days of the Civil War when the line of Southerners was very thin, the weary soldiers often nudged each other as they stood in the darkness just to let each other know that there was a com rade close at hand. We Christians are too inclined to nag rather than to exhort and encourage one another as we see the Day approaching. We are comrades, not competitors, and however much we may differ on non-essentials, we ought to be able to sing: “Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above.” Consider further that THE ANGELS ARE ON OUR SIDE. These are allies we often forget. “ Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to min ister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” They helped our Lord at His temptation and in the garden. He could have summoned twelve legions of them to save Him from the cross. But He went that way alone that we might never be alone. Many of us remember the old picture, “The Guardian Angel,” which used to hang in so many homes. It depicted a heavenly helper standing guard over a child who stood on the edge of a precipice. There is the serious objection, of course, that some children have gone over the precipice, angel or no angel. Nevertheless, we moderns have not taken sufficiently into account the heavenly host that surrounded Elisha. We have classified angels with fairies but the Bible does no such thing. There are invisible forces all around us but our eyes are not opened to behold them. Best of all, GOD IS WITH US. A long time ago, the Apostle Paul took stock of all his adver saries. No man ever had more. He listed them all in the eighth chapter of Romans. He made a wide sweep and included the visible and invisible, earth and heavens: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, the sword. Surely that would be enough but he widens his range still fur ther: he starts with death and goes through life; he goes up to include angels and principalities and powers. He comes to earth for things present and
“Forget the steps already trod And onward urge our way.”
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