Sermon 416 | The Shield Of Faith

Like the Spartans, every Christian is born a warrior. It is his destiny to be assaulted. It is his duty to attack. Part of his life will be occupied with defensive warfare. He will have to defend earnestly the faith once delivered to the saints. He will have to resist the devil, he will have to stand against all his wiles—and having done all, still to stand. He will, however, be but a sorry Christian if he acts only on the defensive. He must be one who goes against his foes as well as stands still to receive their advance. He must be able to say with David, "I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied."

He must wrestle not with flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. He must have weapons for his warfare—not carnal—but "mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds." He must not, I say, be content to live in the stronghold though he is then well guarded and munitions of stupendous strength his dwelling place may be. But he must go forth to attack the castles of the enemy and to put them down, to drive the Canaanite out of the land.

Now, there are many ways in which the Christian may to a great degree forget his marshal character. And alas, there are not a few who, if they are Christians at all, certainly know but very little of that daily warfare to which the Captain of our salvation calls His disciples. They will know most of fighting who cleave closest to king David. They who are willing not merely to be with him when he is in Saul's court with his fingers amid the strings of the harp, but going in and out before the people and behaving discreetly, so that "all Israel and Judah loved David because he went out and came in before them."

They must be men who are willing to go with David into the cave of Adullam when he is outlawed, when his character has become a stench in the nostrils of every proud hypocrite and when Saul the king—in his day the representative of that worldly religion which is not of God, but stands in the strength of man—when he hunts David to seek his life. Thus the men who are willing to follow Christ in the midst of an ungodly and perverse generation must come right out from it and be separate. Their life will have to be like the life of the men of Napthali who hazarded their lives onto the death in the high places of the field.

You will remember that Jonathan, one of the sweetest characters in the Word of God, is one of whom, after all, there is little to be said. His life was inglorious from the very time that he forsook David and his death was among the slain of the Philistines upon the dewless mountains of Gilboa. Alas, poor Jonathan—he could give David his bow—but he could not draw the bow for David. He could give David his garments, even to his armor—but he could not put on the armor for David. The attraction of his father's court was too much for him and there he stayed.

In that Book of the Chronicles, where the Holy Spirit has recorded the names of the mighty men that were with David in Adullam we find not the name of Jonathan. We find the names of those who broke through the Philistines to give David a drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem. We find the name of the man who went down into the pit in the time of winter and smote the lion. But Jonathan has not the honor to stand recorded in the list of the great host which was like the host of God. And there are Christians of that kind nowadays. They have a soft religion—religion which shuns opposition, a reed-like religion which bows before every blast??unlike that cedar of godliness which stands aloft in the midst of the storm and claps its boughs in the hurricane for very joy of triumph, though the earth be all in arms abroad.

Such men, like those who shunned David in Adullam, lack the faith that shares the glory. Though saved, yet their names shall not be found written among the mighty men who for our Great Commander's sake are willing to suffer the loss of all things and to go forth without the camp bearing His reproach. Those Christians too, who having come clean out from the world—diligently engaged in building up the Church—will have to fight more than others who are rather built up than builders.

You remember, in Nehemiah's day, how the Jews worked when they built the walls of Jerusalem. With one hand they held the trowel and in the other they held a weapon. "The builders, everyone had his sword girded by his side and so built." Moreover there were master masons along the wall and the laborers all actually worked. But here and there you might see a sentinel ready to sound the trumpet so that the workmen might prove warriors and rush to the fray and drive away their foes.

Be very diligent in doing good to the Church of Christ and you shall soon have reason to defend your cause. Serve your Master zealously and diligently and let the Lord's blessing rest upon your labors, the Lord's blessing will entail

Satan's curse, the smile of God will necessarily incur the frown of man. According to your nonconformity to the world, your daring to be singular—when to be singular is to be right—according to your diligence in building up the wall of Jerusalem, you shall be compelled to recognize your soldierly character. To you the text shall come with greater emphasis than to more cowardly souls. "Above all, take the shield of faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

Having treated the character of the persons who will most require the shield provided in the text, let us proceed at once to discuss the words before us. We will do so thus. First, let us expound the comparison. Secondly, enforce the exhortation. And thirdly, propound it as a word of comfort to any trembling sinners who are now specially attacked with the faith of the fiery darts of the wicked.

First, then, let us EXPOUND THE METAPHOR. Faith is here compared to a shield. There are four or five particulars in which we may liken faith to a shield.

The natural idea which lies upon the very surface of the simile is that faith, like a shield, protects us against attack. Different kinds of shields were used by the ancients but there is a special reference in our text to the large shield which was sometimes employed. I believe the word which is translated "shield," sometimes signifies a door, because their shields were as large as a door. They covered the man entirely. You remember that verse in the Psalms which exactly has the idea, "You, Lord will bless the righteous, with favor will You compass him as with a shield."

As the shield enveloped the entire man, so, we think faith envelopes the entire man and protects him from all missiles wherever they may be aimed against him. You will remember the cry of the Spartan mother to her son when he went out to battle. She said, "Take care that you return with your shield, or upon it." Now, as she meant that he could return upon his shield dead, it shows that they often employed shields which were large enough to be a bier for a dead man and consequently quite large enough to cover the body of a well man. Such a shield as that is meant in the text. That is the illustration before us.

Faith protects the whole man. Let the assault of Satan be against the head, let him try to deceive us with unsettled notions in theology, let him tempt us to doubt those things which are verily received among us. A full faith in Christ preserves us against dangerous heresies and enables us to hold fast those things which we have received, which we have been taught and have learned and have made our own by experience. Unsettledness in notion generally springs from a weakness of faith. A man that has strong faith in Christ has got a hand with such a grip on the doctrines of grace that you could not unclasp it.

He knows what he has believed. He understands what he has received. He could not and would not give up what he knows to be the Truth of God, though all the schemes that men devise should assail him with their most treacherous art. While faith will guard the head, it will also guard the heart. When temptation to love the world comes in, then faith holds up thoughts of the future and confidence of the reward that awaits the people of God. Faith enables the Christian to esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt and so the heart is protected.

Then when the enemy makes his cut at the sword-arm of a Christian, to disable him if possible from future service, faith protects the arm like a shield. And he is able to do exploits for his Master and go forth, still conquering and to conquer, in the name of Him that has loved us. Suppose the arrow is aimed at his feet—the enemy attempts to make him trip in his daily life—endeavors to mislead him in the uprightness of his walk and conversation? Faith protects his feet and he stands fast in slippery places. Neither does his foot skip, nor can the enemy triumph over him.

Or suppose the arrow is aimed at the knee and Satan seeks to make him weak in prayer and tells him that God will shut out his cry and never listen to the voice of his supplication? Then faith protects him and in the power of faith, with confidence, he has access to God and draws near unto His Mercy Seat. Or let the arrow be aimed at his conscience and let it be winged with the remembrance of some recent sin. Yet faith protects the conscience, for its full assurance of atonement quenches the fiery darts with that delightful text, "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleans us from all sin."

So there is no part of a man which is not secure. Although Satan will certainly attack him in every direction—let him come where he will—

"He that has made his refuge God, Shall find a most secure abode."

Nor does faith only protect the whole man, but if you will think for a moment you will see that the Apostle suggests the idea that it protects his armor, too. After not counting various pieces, he says, "Above all." The man of God is to put on the girdle and the breastplate and he is to be shod and he is to wear his helmet. But though these are all armor, yet faith is an armor for his armor. It is not only a defense for him but a defense for his defenses. Thus faith not only shields the man but shields his graces, too.

You may easily perceive how this is. Satan sometimes attacks our sincerity. He tries to cut the girdle of Truth which is about our loins. But faith enables us to be all sincere, like Moses who forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king and refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Then the enemy will often make an attack against our righteousness and try to batter our breast-plate. Yet does faith come in and enable us like Joseph to exclaim, "How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God." Or like Job we cry, "Till I die I will not remove my integrity from me."

Or like David we can cry, even in the worst of slanders, "You Lord that delivered me out of the jaw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." You see how faith guards the breast-plate and protects the girdle? All our virtues are unable to live of themselves—they need grace to preserve them and that grace is given us through faith. Are you meek? Cover your meekness with faith, or else you will give way to a hasty speech. Are you full of decision? Let your decision be shielded with confidence in God or else your decision may waver and your firmness may give way.

Have you the spirit of love and gentleness? Take care that you have the shield of faith, or your gentleness may yet turn to anger and your love be changed to bitterness. We must protect our graces with faith as well as the nature they adorn. It is not simply the head but the helmet, not the feet merely, but the shoes. Not the loins, but the blade—all must be shielded and secured by this all-covering, all-protecting, all-triumphant shield of faith.

In the second place, let me suggest that faith like a shield receives the blows which are meant for the man himself Some Christians think that faith would enable them to escape blows—that if they had faith everything would be quiet, everything would be peaceful and calm. I know how young Christians imagine this. They think as soon as ever they have come out of their first convictions of their own sinfulness and found the Savior, oh, now they are going to ride softly to Heaven, singing all the way. Why did they put their armor on at all if there were to be no battles? Why have they put their hand to the plow if they are not to plow to the end of the furrow and often to wipe the sweat from their face through their hard toil?

Why enlist, young men, if you are not wanted to fight? What is the good of a fair-weather soldier—one who stays at home to feed at the public expense? No, let the soldier be ready when war comes. Let him expect the conflict as a part and necessary consequence of his profession. But be armed with faith—it receives the blows. The poor shield is knocked and hammered and battered like a hen house exposed in the time of storm. Blow after blow comes rattling upon it and though it turns death aside, yet the shield is competent itself to bear the cut and the thrust.

So must our faith do—it must be cut at, it must bear the blows. Some people, instead of using the shield of faith to bear the blow, use the skulking place of cowards. Ashamed of Christ they make no profession of Him—or having professed Christ, ashamed of the profession—they hide themselves by deserting their colors, by conformity to the world. Perhaps they are even called to preach the Gospel but they do it in so quiet and gentle a way—like men that wear soft raiment and ought to be in kings' houses. Unlike John the Baptist, they are "reeds shaken with the wind."

Of them no one says anything ill because they have done no ill to Satan's kingdom. Against them Satan never roars—why should he? He is not afraid of them, therefore he need not come out against them. "Let them alone," he says, "thousands such as those will never shake my kingdom." But this is not to use the shield of faith. This, I repeat it, is to use the sulking-places of an ignoble coward. Others use the shield of presumption. They think it is right with them when it is not. They are proof, not against the attacks of Satan, but against the weapons of our spiritual warfare.

Seared in their conscience as with a hot iron they fear not the rebukes of God's Law. Deadened even to the voice of love they bow not before the invitations of Christ. They go on their way caring for none of those things. Presumption has made them secure. Such people have no blows to suffer. Their shield lets them go through the world quietly, saying, "Peace, peace, where there is no peace." But only uplift the shield of faith, bearing the blood-red emblem of the Cross and there are plenty of the knights of Hell who are ready to unhorse you. On, Champion, on! In the name of Him that is with you. No lance can pierce that shield. No sword shall ever be able to cut through it. It shall preserve you in all battle and in all strife—you shall bring it home yourself—through it you shall be more than conqueror. Faith, then, is like a shield because it has to bear the blows.

Thirdly, faith is like a shield because it has good need to be strong. A man who has some pasteboard shield may lift it up against his foe—the sword will go through it and reach his heart. Or perhaps in the moment when the lance is in rest and his foe is dashing upon him he thinks that his shield may preserve him—and lo it is dashed to shivers and the blood gushes from the fountain and he is slain. He that would use a shield must take care that it be a shield ofproof He that has true faith, the faith of God's elect, has such a shield that he will see the swords of his enemies go to a thousand shivers over it every time they smite the shield of faith.

And as for their spears, if they but once come in contact with this shield, they will break into a thousand splinters, or bend like reeds when pressed against the wall—they cannot pierce it, but they shall themselves be quenched or broken in pieces. You will say, how then are we to know whether our faith is a right faith and our shield a strong one? One test of it is it must be all of one piece. A shield that is made of three or four pieces in this case will be of no use. So your faith must be all of one piece—it must be faith in the finished work of Christ. You must have no confidence in yourself or in any man but rest wholly and entirely upon Christ else your shield will be of no use.

Then your faith must be of Heaven's forging or your shield will certainly fail you. You must have the faith of God's elect which is of the operation of the Holy Spirit who works it in the soul of man. Then you must see to it that your faith is that which rests only upon Truth, for if there is any error or false notion in the fashioning of it—that shall be a joint in it which the spear can pierce. You must take care that your faith is agreeable to God's Word—that you depend upon true and real promises, upon the sure word of testimony—and not upon the fictions and fancies and dreams of men.

And above all, you must mind that your faith is fixed in the Person of Christ—nothing but a faith in Christ's divine Person as "God over all, blessed forever" and in His proper manhood when as the Lamb of God's Passover He was sacrificed for us—no other faith will be able to stand against the tremendous shocks and the innumerable attacks which you must receive in the great battle of spiritual life. Look to your shield, Man. Not so fast there with that painted God! Not so fast there with that proud heraldic symbol which has no strength in it. See to your shield! See if it is like the shields of Solomon which were borne before the king, each one made of gold. Or at least let them be like the shields of Rehoboam, every one of the best brass, so that there be found no wooden shield in your hand which may be dashed in pieces when you need its help most.

But to pass on—for we must not pause long on any one particular—faith is like a shield because it is of no use except it is well handled. A shield needs handling and so does faith. He was a silly soldier who, when he went into the battle said he had a shield but it was at home. So there are some silly professors who have a faith but they have not got it with them when they need it. They have it with them when there are no enemies. When all goes well with them, then they can believe. But just when the pinch comes, then their faith fails.

Now there is a sacred art in being able to handle the shield of faith. Let me explain to you how that can be. You will handle it well if you are able to quote the promises of God against the attacks of your enemy. The devil says, "One day you shall be poor and starve." "No," says the believer, handling his shield well, "He has said 'I will never leave you, nor forsake you.' " He has said, "Bread shall be given you and your water shall be sure." "Yes," says Satan, "but you will one day fall by the hand of the enemy." "No," says faith, "for I am persuaded that He that has begun a good work in me will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

"Yes," says Satan, "but the slander of the enemy will overturn you." "No," says faith, "He makes the wrath of man to praise Him. The remainder of wrath does He restrain." "Yes" says Satan, as he shoots another arrow, "you are weak." "Yes," says faith, handling his shield, "but 'my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." "Yes," says Satan, "but your sin is great." "Yes," says faith, handling the promise, "but He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him."

"But," says the enemy again, drawing his sword and thrusting, "God has cast you off." "No," says faith, "He hates putting away, He does not cast off His people, neither does He forsake His heritage." "But I will have you, after all," says Satan. "No," says faith, dashing the enemy's jaws, "He has said, 'I give unto My sheep eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of My hand.' " This is what I call handling the shield.

But there is another way of handling it, not merely with the promises, but with the doctrines. "Ah," says Satan, "what is there in you that you should be saved? You are poor and weak and mean and foolish!" Up comes faith handling the shield doctrinally, this time and says, "God has chosen the base things of this world and things which are despised has God chosen, yes and things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are," for "not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called." "Has not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He has promised to them that love Him?"

"Yes," says Satan, "if God should have chosen you, yet after all you may certainly perish!" And then, Christian handling his shield of faith doctrinally again, says "No, I believe in the final perseverance of the saints, for is it not written, 'the righteous shall hold on His way and he that has clean hands shall wax stronger' "? "Those that You gave Me I have kept and none of them is lost," and so forth. So by well understanding the doctrines of grace there is not a single doctrine which may not in its way minister to our defense against the fiery darts of the wicked.

Then the Christian soldier ought to know how to handle the shield of faith according to the rules of observation. "Yes," says the enemy, "your confidence is vain and your hope shall soon be cut off." "No," says faith, "I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken." "Yes, but you have fallen into sin and God will leave you." "No," says faith, "for I saw David and he stumbled, but yet the Lord surely brought him out of the horrible pit and out of the miry clay." To use this shield in the way of observation is very profitable when you mark the way whereby God has dealt with the rest of His people. For as He deals with one, so He will deal with the rest and you can throw this in the teeth of your enemy.

I remember the ways of God. I call to remembrance his deeds of old. I say has God cast off His people, has He forsaken one of His chosen? And since He has never done so, I hold up my shield with great courage and say He never will. He changes not. As He has not forsaken any, He will not forsake me.

Then there is another blessed way of handling this shield and that is experimentally. When you can look back, like the Psalmist, to the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. When you can return to those days of old and call to remembrance your song in the night. When your spirit can say, "Why are you cast down, O my soul, why are you disquieted within me? Hope you in God, for I shall yet praise Him." Why, Brethren, some of us can talk of deliverances so many that we know not where to end, scarcely do we know where to begin. Oh, what wonders has God done for us as a Church and people! He has brought us through fire and through water.

Men did ride over our heads, but up to now all things have worked together for our good. His glory has appeared amidst all the villainies and slanders of men to which we have been exposed. Let us handle our shield, then, according to the rules of past experience! And when Satan tells us that God will fail us at the last, let us reply, "Now you lie and I tell it to you to your face, for what our God was in the past, He will be in the present and in the future and so on even to the end." Young soldiers of Christ, learn well the art of handling your shield.

Lastly for the matter of the figure. The shield in olden times was an emblem of the warrior's honor and more especially in later days than those of Paul. In the age of chivalry, the warrior carried his escutcheon, his shield. Now, faith is like a shield, because it carries the Christian's glory, the Christian's coat of arms, the Christian's escutcheon. And what is the Christian's coat of arms? Well, good Joseph Irons used to say it was a Cross and a crown, with the words "No Cross, no crown"—a most blessed coat of arms, too.

But methinks the Christian's best coat of arms is the Cross of his Savior—that bloodied Cross. Always stained, yet never stained. Always dyed in blood, yet always resplendent with ruby brightness. Always trod on, yet always triumphant. Always despised, yet always glorified. Always attacked, yet always without resistance, coming off more than conqueror. Some of the old Reformers used to have an anvil for their coat of arms and a significant one, too, with this motto, "The anvil has broken many hammers." By which they meant that they stood still and just let men hammer at them till their hammers broke of themselves.

Another old coat of arms with some of the Reformers was likely to be a candle with a great many enemies all puffing to blow it out. Although they all blew as hard as they could, yet the candle did but burn the brighter. Out of darkness came light and from all their attacks the light grew stronger. This morning put your coat of arms upon your shield and lift it up. Let that blood-red Cross be your choice. Then when your battle is over, they will hang your escutcheon up in Heaven. And when the old heraldries have gone and the lions and tigers and beasts and all manner of strange things have vanished from remembrance, that Cross and your old shield indented with many a blow shall be honorable with many a triumph before the Throne of God. Above all things, then, take the shield of faith.

I now leave the expounding of the figure in haste and pass on to ENFORCE THE EXHORTATION.

"Above all taking the shield of faith." If you sent a servant upon an errand and you said to him, "Get so-and-so and so-and-so and so-and-so, but above all now see to such-and-such a thing," he would not understand that he should not neglect any. He would perceive that there was some extra importance attached to one part of his mission. So let it be with us. We are not to neglect our sincerity, our righteousness, or our peace—but above all, as the most important, we are to see to it that our faith is right—that it is true faith and that it covers all our virtues from attack. The necessity of true faith is clearly explained by the text.

Aquí se dice que la fe tiene un poder apagante. Los antiguos probablemente usaban flechas pequeñas, quizás flechas de caña ligeras teñidas con veneno. Se les llamaría dardos de fuego, porque tan pronto como tocaban la carne o incluso adornaban la piel, dejaban un veneno de fuego en las venas. A veces también utilizaban dardos cuya punta estaba hecha de estopa sumergida en algún espíritu inflamable y que ardía mientras volaban por el aire para incendiar las tiendas de sus antagonistas o quemar casas en las ciudades sitiadas. Ahora bien, la fe tiene un poder extinguible: ve la tentación o la blasfemia, o la insinuación que viene contra ella con veneno y fuego dentro para quitarle la vida o quemar sus comodidades.

La fe atrapa el dardo, no sólo lo recibe, sino que quita su aguijón y apaga el fuego. ¡Oh, es maravilloso cómo Dios a veces permite a su pueblo vivir en medio de tentaciones y tribulaciones como si no tuvieran ninguna de ellas! Creo que algunos de los mártires, cuando fueron quemados en el fuego, apenas sufrieron dolor porque el gozo y la paz que Dios les dio los libraron del calor vehemente. Esto lo sé. Hay momentos en que todo el mundo habla bien de algunos de nosotros y nos sentimos miserables debido a la adulación del mundo. No queremos que nos llamen "Hijo de la hija de Faraón".

Y sin embargo, hay otras ocasiones en las que, aunque todos hablen mal, nuestra paz es como un río y nuestra justicia como las olas del mar. Verdaderamente en esos momentos podemos decir: "Ahora estoy en el lugar que me corresponde. Aquí es donde debería estar: fuera del campamento, llevando el oprobio de Cristo". La alabanza del hombre es mortal y condenable. Su censura es buena y divina. Déjalo venir. No puede deshonrar, sólo ennoblece. Así sucede a menudo que la fe apaga el fuego del ataque. No, más: convierte el ataque mismo en consuelo, extrae miel de la ortiga y dulces de alegría del ajenjo y de la hiel. "Sobre todo, tomad el escudo de la fe".

Otro elogio que hace el texto es este: que sólo la fe, entre todas las piezas de la armadura, puede apagar todos los dardos. El casco sólo puede alejar aquellos que apuntan contra la cabeza. El pie está única y exclusivamente protegido por las sandalias. Sólo el pecho está protegido por las corazas, pero la fe protege contra todos los ataques. Tened todas las demás virtudes, pero sobre todo tened fe, porque la fe es la panacea, es el remedio universal. Es bueno no sólo para el calor de la fiebre, sino también para los temblores de la fiebre. Es bueno para todo: bueno para los tímidos, para fortalecerlos. Es bueno que los imprudentes los hagan sabios. Es bueno para los que están abatidos hacerlos valientes y bueno para los que son demasiado atrevidos, hacerlos discretos. No hay aspecto en el que la fe no nos sea útil. Por lo tanto, cualquier cosa que dejes fuera, cuida tu fe. Si os olvidáis de todo lo demás, cuidad sobre todo de tomar el escudo de la fe.

Y luego, nuevamente, se nos dice sobre todo que tomemos el escudo de la fe porque la fe preserva de toda clase de enemigos. ¡Los dardos de fuego de los malvados! ¿Eso se refiere a Satanás? Faith le responde. ¿Se refiere a hombres malvados? La fe los resiste. ¿Se refiere al propio yo malvado? La fe puede superar eso. ¿Se refiere al mundo entero? "Esta es la victoria que vence al mundo, incluso a nuestra fe". No importa quién sea el enemigo, que la Tierra esté en armas en el exterior; esta fe puede apagar todos los dardos de fuego de los malvados. Por tanto, sobre todo, tomad el escudo de la fe.

Sé que hay algunos ministros que parecen enseñar a dudar como un deber. No puedo. No me atrevo. Sobre todo, tomad el escudo de la fe. Ya sabes, en la antigua contienda griega el objetivo del enemigo era acercarse lo suficiente para hacer a un lado el escudo y luego apuñalar debajo de la armadura. Y eso es lo que Satanás quiere hacer. Si puede derribar el escudo y meterse debajo de él, podrá apuñalarnos mortalmente. Cuida tu escudo. No luchéis en perpetua incredulidad. No estéis siempre abatidos. Ora a tu Dios hasta que puedas decir: "Sé en quién he creído y estoy persuadido de que Él es poderoso para guardar lo que le he encomendado".

Oh, los viejos santos no siempre dudaban. "Mi Amado es mío y yo soy suyo", dijo Salomón. David dijo: "Di a mi alma: Yo soy tu salvación". "El Señor es mi salvación". "El Señor es mi pastor". Job también podría decir: "Sé que mi Redentor vive". Pablo podía hablar con mucha confianza en muchos lugares. ¿Y por qué deberíamos contentarnos con decir: "Espero, confío" cuando dijeron que sabían y estaban convencidos de que todo estaba bien entre Dios y sus almas? Que así sea con nosotros. La incredulidad nos deshonra, nos debilita, destruye nuestras comodidades, impide nuestra utilidad. La fe nos hará felices y útiles y, lo mejor de todo, nos permitirá honrar a Dios en la tierra y disfrutar de su presencia mientras aún estemos en las tierras bajas de este mundo actual.

Por último, tengo una o dos palabras que decir a modo de conclusión a algún POBRE PECADOR QUE ESTÁ VIENDO A CRISTO PERO QUE ESTÁ MUY ENFRIADO CON LOS DARDOS ARDIENTES DEL MALVADO.

¿Recuerdas cómo John Bunyan en su Pilgrim's Progress representa a Christiana, Mercy y los niños que vienen a llamar a la puerta? Cuando tocaron, el enemigo que vivía en un castillo cercano envió un perro grande que les ladró a tal ritmo que Mercy se desmayó y Christiana sólo se atrevió a tocar de nuevo. Y cuando consiguió entrar, estaba toda temblando. Al mismo tiempo, muy cerca del castillo había hombres que lanzaban dardos de fuego a todo el que entraba. Y la pobre Misericordia tuvo mucho miedo a causa de los dardos y del perro.

Ahora bien, sucede generalmente que cuando un alma viene a Cristo, el diablo la persigue. Tan seguro como siempre que siente la necesidad de un Salvador y está dispuesto a poner su confianza en Cristo, será cierto para él como para el pobre niño endemoniado. Cuando venía, el diablo lo derribó y lo golpeó. Ahora bien, pobre pecador tentado, no hay nada que pueda traer gozo y paz a tu corazón sino la fe. Oh, que tengas gracia esta mañana para comenzar a usar este escudo. "Ah, señor", dirás, "he estado mirando hacia dentro y no puedo ver nada bueno. He estado mirando mis experiencias y me temo que nunca me he sentido como Fulano de Tal".

Esa es la manera de arruinarte a ti mismo. ¿Alguna vez has oído hablar de un hombre que en un clima frío de invierno se calentaba rodando sobre el hielo y diciendo: "No siento ningún calor como algunas personas?". No, porque está buscando en el lugar equivocado para calentarse. Si esperas obtener algo en ti mismo, esperas más de lo que Pablo alguna vez obtuvo, porque después de haber conocido a su Maestro durante mucho tiempo, dijo: "Sé que en mí (es decir, en mi carne) no habita nada bueno". "Oh, señor", respondes de nuevo, "descubro que estoy dispuesto a hacer muchas cosas, pero no puedo. Y cuando quiero ser lo que debería ser, encuentro una resistencia en algún lugar dentro de mi propio pecho".

Bueno y que hay de eso? Así también lo hizo el Apóstol: "Cuando quiero hacer el bien, el mal está presente en mí". El hecho es que no tienes por qué mirar allí. Estas cosas no son escudos contra Satanás. ¿Qué le importan tus experiencias? Si fueran tan buenos, todavía te rugiría. Lo que teme es tu fe. Deshazte, pues, de estas cosas que sólo te estorban y exponen y desnuda tu pecho a sus ataques y toma el escudo de la fe. ¿Qué te ha dicho Satanás? "Eres un pecador demasiado grande para ser salvo". Bueno, cite este texto: "Al que a mí viene, no le echo fuera".

Esta semana recibí una lección sobre el caso de un buen cristiano que por debilidad mental finalmente cayó en la más profunda desesperación. Nunca conocí a una persona tan desesperada como él y no se puede decir cómo me desconcertó darle algún tipo de consuelo. De hecho, después de todo fallé. Él dijo: "Soy un pecador demasiado grande para ser salvo". Entonces dije: "Pero la sangre de Jesucristo su Hijo nos limpia de todo pecado". "Sí", dijo, "pero debes recordar el contexto, que dice: 'Si caminamos en la luz como él está en la luz, tendremos comunión unos con otros y la sangre de Jesucristo su Hijo nos limpia de todo pecado'.

"Ahora no camino en la luz", dijo. "Camino en la oscuridad y no tengo comunión con el pueblo de Dios ahora y por lo tanto no se aplica a mí". "Bueno", dije, "pero Él puede salvar perpetuamente a los que por él se acercan a Dios". "Ese es el único texto", dijo, "que nunca podré superar, porque dice 'hasta el máximo', y sé que no puedo haber ido más allá de eso y aun así no me brinda consuelo". Le dije: "Pero Dios no te pide nada sino que le creas. Y sabes que si alguna vez tienes una fe tan débil, eres como un niño: la mano débil de un niño puede recibir. Y esa es la marca de un cristiano: de Su plenitud tenemos todo lo que hemos recibido, y si sólo recibes con tu mano, eso es suficiente".

"Sí", dijo, "no tengo la mano, no tengo la mano de la fe". "Muy bien", dije, "tienes la boca del deseo. Puedes pedir, si no puedes recibir con la mano". "No", dijo, "no tengo. No oro, no puedo orar. No tengo la boca del deseo". "Entonces", dije, "lo único que se necesita es un lugar vacío, un vacío, para que Dios pueda ponerlo allí". "Ah, señor", dijo, "¡usted me tiene allí! Tengo un gran vacío. Tengo un vacío doloroso... un vacío. Si alguna vez hubo un pecador vacío en este mundo, ése soy yo". "Bueno", dije, "Cristo llenará ese vacío. Hay un Cristo pleno para los pecadores vacíos".

Déjame decirte ahora lo mismo que le dije a aquel pobre hombre. Todo lo que Dios quiere es un vacío. Tienes una aspiradora. Esto no es mucho que tener: simplemente estar vacío, estar seco, no tener nada en ti. Pero entonces: "A los hambrientos los colma de bienes y a los ricos los despide vacíos". Lo único que se quiere es estar ahí abajo, en el suelo. No es un trabajo duro. No es sentarse, ni levantarse, ni arrodillarse, sino recostarse a Sus pies. Y cuando vea el alma postrada de bruces ante Él, tendrá misericordia de vosotros.

Ahora, Alma, para ese escudo de la fe, dile a Satanás: "En el nombre de Dios me atrevo a creer". "Eres un gran pecador", dice. "Sí, pero creo que Él es un gran Salvador". "Pero habéis pecado más allá de toda esperanza". "No, en Él hay perdón, para que sea temido". Pero él dice: "Estás excluido". "No", dirás, "aunque él me mate, en él confiaré". "Pero su enfermedad es de larga data". "Sí, pero", dirás, "con sólo tocar el borde de su manto, seré limpio". Pero Satanás vuelve a decir: "¿Cómo te atreves? ¿Tendrías el descaro?" "Bueno", dices, "si perezco, confiaré en Cristo y pereceré sólo allí".

Tenga grabado en su alma que, a pesar de todo, confiará en Cristo; sea usted tan pecador o no, aun así confiará en Cristo; que, sean verdaderas o falsas las acusaciones de Satanás, quiere decir haber terminado de responderlas y simplemente confiar en Cristo. Ah, Alma, entonces tendrás tal alegría y paz que nada será igual. ¡Oh, si creyeras en Jesús ahora! Deja tus sentimientos, deja tus hechos y tus obras, y confía en Cristo.

"No me atrevo", dice uno. ¡Atrévete, hombre, atrévete! No puedes hacer nada malo porque Él te lo ordena. Este es el mandamiento: "que creáis en Jesucristo, a quien él ha enviado". "Oh, pero puedo estar perdido incluso si lo hago." Estarás perdido si no lo haces, porque "el que no crea, será condenado". "Pero tengo miedo de ser condenado si creyera". "El que no cree, ya está condenado". Sois como los pobres leprosos a la puerta. Estás muriendo y dices: "Caigamos en manos de los sirios; si nos matan, no podemos más que morir, y si nos salvan con vida, viviremos".

Diga, como hizo Ben-adad respecto del rey Acab: "Hemos oído que los reyes de Israel son reyes misericordiosos, pero pongamos cuerdas sobre nuestras cabezas y salgamos al rey de Israel, tal vez él nos salve la vida". Así que dile a Dios: "He oído que eres misericordioso; si hay un desgraciado del infierno que merece estar en él, yo soy ese pecador. Si hay uno que ahora siente que la tierra se enoja contra él y la tierra dice: trágalo, yo soy. Si hay uno que el cielo se enoja contra él y clama, que el relámpago lo destruya. Y el mar dice: ahogalo. Y las estrellas dicen: hiérelo con pestilencia. Y el sol dice, quémalo.

"Si hay uno a quien la luna dice que se destruya. Y el moho dice: déjame devorar sus cosechas. Y la fiebre dice: déjame cortar el hilo de su vida; si existe tal desgraciado salido del infierno, yo soy". Sin embargo, dile a Dios: "Por tu gracia, creo en tu misericordia, creo en tu promesa, creo en tu Hijo Jesús. Creo en su preciosa sangre y aquí estoy, haz conmigo lo que bien te parezca". Di sólo esto y tendrás misericordia, perdón y paz. Mis queridos oyentes, ¿debo decir esto por mí y no por ustedes? No, pero que Dios conceda que muchos de ustedes esta mañana sean inducidos a poner su confianza en Aquel que ha dicho: "Los que en mí confían, nunca serán confundidos".