1204 敵對的律
得勝的…《啟示錄2:7》
無論是自然界還是超自然界，都不可能沒有爭戰。事實上，在生活的物質、心理、道德和屬靈領域，一直都有持續的掙扎。
健康是我身體各部分與周圍所有事物和力量之間的平衡。為了保持健康，我必須有足夠的內在力量來對抗外在事物的威脅。我身體之外的一切，在某種程度上註定都是要導致我的死亡。我活着時維持我生命的那些元素，一旦我身體死了，就會腐蝕和分解我的身體。如果我有足夠內在力量去戰鬥，我就會有助於產生健康所需的平衡；心理生活也是如此。如果我想保持強大而活躍的心理狀態生活，我就必須戰鬥。這種鬥爭產生了被稱為「思維」的心理平衡。
在道德方面，情況也一樣。任何不能加強我道德的事物，都是我內心美德的敵人。我是否能克服困難，從而產生品德，就視我生活中的道德卓越程度而定。但我們必須戰鬥才能有道德。道德不是意外產生的；道德的美德是後天努力習得的。
從靈性上來說也是如此。耶穌說：「在世上你們有苦難…」（約翰福音 16:33）。這意味着任何不屬靈的事物都引向我的墮落。耶穌接著說：「但你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。」我必須學會戰鬥並克服那些敵對我的事物，這樣就產生聖潔的平衡。然後，面臨敵對就成為一種樂趣。
聖潔是我的本性和神的律法在主耶穌基督里的表達之間的平衡。
來自章伯斯的智慧
面對不能理解的事物，懷有敬畏的同情，就像黃金一樣珍貴。《力圖更佳戰鬥》
1204 The Law of Opposition
To him who overcomes… —Revelation 2:7
Life without war is impossible in the natural or the supernatural realm. It is a fact that there is a continuing struggle in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual areas of life.
Health is the balance between the physical parts of my body and all the things and forces surrounding me. To maintain good health I must have sufficient internal strength to fight off the things that are external. Everything outside my physical life is designed to cause my death. The very elements that sustain me while I am alive work to decay and disintegrate my body once it is dead. If I have enough inner strength to fight, I help to produce the balance needed for health. The same is true of the mental life. If I want to maintain a strong and active mental life, I have to fight. This struggle produces the mental balance called thought.
Morally it is the same. Anything that does not strengthen me morally is the enemy of virtue within me. Whether I overcome, thereby producing virtue, depends on the level of moral excellence in my life. But we must fight to be moral. Morality does not happen by accident; moral virtue is acquired.
And spiritually it is also the same. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation…” (John 16:33). This means that anything which is not spiritual leads to my downfall. Jesus went on to say, “…but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness. Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition.
Holiness is the balance between my nature and the law of God as expressed in Jesus Christ.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The sympathy which is reverent with what it cannot understand is worth its weight in gold. Baffled to Fight Better, 69 L