The Christian's Defenselessness In Self

There is the flesh, with all its baits, charms, and subtle attractions, continually laying its snares and traps for our feet, perpetually ensnaring us in some evil word or some evil work, and we in ourselves utterly defenseless against it. Said I defenseless? Yes, eager to run into it, like the silly bird that sees the seeds of grain spread in the trap, but thinks not, when it flutters around it, that the trap will fall and confine it a prisoner. So we, allured by a few morsels of grain spread before our eyes, often see not the snare, until we are fast entangled therein.

Faith then is that eye of the soul which sees the concealed hook; by faith we call upon the Lord to deliver us from snatching at the bait; and by faith, as a spiritual weapon, we cut at times the snare asunder. Oh, how defenseless are we, when the temptations and allurements of the flesh plead for indulgence, unless faith is in exercise, unless faith realizes the hatred of God against sin, and brings into our consciences a sense of God's heart-searching eye, and his wrath against all transgression! But where the Lord has put this weapon of faith into the hand of his soldier, he will often strengthen his arm to wield it in these seasons of extremity, even though that weapon should cut and wound self.

- Excerpt from J.C. Philpot's Through Baca's Vale, November 29th