Fierce and frequent are the conflicts
Of Thy warriors, O our God;
But how sweet to know that Jesus
Every step the way hath trod.
Jesus, Captain of salvation,
Thou our battlefield has tried;
Fear we not the foes of darkness,
Thou our armor hast supplied.

Thou art with us, Thou art for us,
Thou hast ‘gainst the tempter stood.
Thou our feebleness canst pity,
Yea, and help, when none else could.
Many a silent conflict wages
Fierce and oft within the breast
Of some silent saint who seemeth
Most of all to be at rest.

From the depth of every trial,
May our hearts still rest in Thee.
Peace amid the fiercest fighting,
Calm upon the roughest sea.
In the heat of hardest battle,
Look to Thee for victory.
Find the weapons of our warfare,
Saviour, all supplied in Thee.

"He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame; and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself; but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it" (Prov. 9:7-12).

Here we are warned against meddling with the scorner. To correct such is vain; they willingly put on you shame. Let them alone, said the Lord to the disciples (Matt. 15:14). You may only gain a blot in reproving a wicked person. They have a deeper need_to be born again. Where no life is, hatred is the result. There is no wisdom in reproving a scorner, any more than in giving that which is holy to the dogs or in casting your pearls before the swine. The upshot may be that they will trample the misdirected word under their feet, and turn and rend you.

Correction and reproof are for those who have an ear to hear, that they walk not inconsistently with their profession. Hence we are told here to "reprove a wise man, and he will love thee." A wise man may not always pursue the path of wisdom; he may need reproof. A fool is one who never hears, though always ready to find fault. A wise man listens and weighs; when he recognizes what is of God, he will love you.

Another thing that distinguishes wisdom is the appreciation of what is good and helpful. Egotism is necessarily unwise and evil, because man is sinful and God is unknown and untrusted. It is self-satisfied and refuses to learn, having no distrust of its own dark, selfish, and sinful state. On the other hand, "Impart to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase learning." It is not the great that are wise, nor does age of itself understand judgment. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). Dependence on God is our only right attitude habitually, and this includes our hearing from one another that which approves itself to our conscience as His truth. It is well to remember that we are members of one another, and He despiseth not any, let him be ever so lowly. But He hateth the proud and will punish the scorner.

The secret of it all is plain. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding." Creature intelligence is of no value for the soul, for eternity, for relationship with God. It begins, and must begin, with fearing Him, the True and the Good, the Righteous and the Holy. There is repentance no less than faith, and therefore trembling at His Word; this is the direct opposite of judging God’s Word and trusting in self, justifying ourselves instead of God. Growth belongs to life in our present condition, and growth is by the right knowledge of God who has communicated it in His Word for this purpose. "The knowledge of the Holy" should read "the knowledge of the Holy Ones."

"For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased." The pious Jew addressed here looked for long life here below through divine favor. When divine principles have their just and unimpeded result, every word will be fulfilled, as when Christ reigns over all the earth. We Christians have a far different calling now and look for a higher glory. Nevertheless we can say and do believe that piety is profitable for everything, having promise of life, of the present one, and of that to come.

It remains true also that "if thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself; but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it." God remains in changeless majesty; but in His righteous judgment, each shall bear his own burden, and reap as he sows, from the flesh corruption, and from the Spirit life everlasting.

(From "The Proverbs".)

In the previous issue we considered in a rather general way the battle that Satan and his angels (or demons) wage against the believers in Christ, and the need for us to "put on the whole armor of God" in order to "be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph, 6:11). We noted that in Eph. 6:10-20 we have described in particular Satan’s attacks against the believer who is making a definite effort to learn more about his God and his Saviour, to know and to do His will, and to be of service to Him. This is spiritual warfare of the highest kind. It does not so much have to do with resisting temptations aimed at stirring sinful flesh into activity, but with defending against attacks designed to discourage us from pursuing our course of seeking to honor, obey, serve, and worship God.

The first piece of armor the Christian warrior is to put on is truth. "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth." Since Paul was writing to the Ephesians from a prison in Rome, where he was guarded by a Roman soldier, it may well be that the analogies he drew in Eph. 6 were to Roman armor. The girdle or belt of the Roman soldier’s armor was very important because almost everything else fastened to it. If the belt was not in place, then the other parts of the armor would not be in proper functioning order. In a similar way, truth_the revealed truth of God in the Holy Scriptures_is the foundation for all other pieces of the Christian’s armor. Typically, Satan’s first area of attack when we are first saved is in regard to the truth, particularly as concerns the person and work of Christ. The apostle John gives a word of warning to the little children, or spiritual babes, to beware of antichrists, that is, those who deny that Jesus is the Christ or that He is the Son of God (1 John 2:18-27). God desires that we come into the "knowledge of the Son of God" and "that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Eph. 4:13,14). There are many false teachers around, who superficially cannot be distinguished from the true ones because they teach a mixture of truth and error. We must put on the girdle of truth, testing every new teaching that we encounter by the Word of God. We must be like those of Berea who "searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11).

"Having on the breastplate of righteousness." One of Satan’s chief devices to draw our attention away from Christ is to bring before our thoughts our own past sins_particularly those sins of the recent past and those we have committed since our conversion. He may taunt us:"Do you really think God is paying any attention to your attempts to worship Him (or know Him, or learn His will), considering how you lost your temper (or yielded to a bad habit, etc.) yesterday? How can you call yourself a saved person when you keep sinning so frequently?" And we often listen to his taunts, and start thinking about ourselves and our sinful lives, and perhaps start wondering whether God has really forgiven us all those many times we have sinned against Him. The armor we need to protect us against such attacks of Satan is "the breastplate of righteousness." This, I believe, refers first and foremost to the practical application of the truth of our justification. "To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5; also 3:21-28; 4:1-8). If we are true believers in Christ’s atoning work on the cross, and thus have been justified by faith, then we should always abide in the confidence of this wonderful fact. So when Satan attacks us with respect to our recent sins, we can confidently face him "having on the breastplate of righteousness," assured that we have been justified and that all our sins_past, present, and future_ have been atoned for by the shedding of Christ’s blood. A further aspect of the breastplate of righteousness has to do with our practical righteousness, or refraining from sin in our daily lives. The more we succeed in this regard, the less ammunition Satan will have with which to attack us.

"Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." On that most famous night in Israel’s history, when the destroying angel passed throughout Egypt slaying the firstborn of each household, the Israelites were instructed to eat the passover "with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand" (Exod. 12:11). They were to be ready to escape from Egypt at a moment’s notice. Similarly, spiritual shoes are a necessary part of the Christian’s armor in "standing against the wiles of the devil." The shoes depict the believer’s preparedness or readiness with the gospel of peace. In Romans 10:15 we find a strikingly similar expression:"How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace." The beauty of the feet of the gospel preacher_seemingly surpassing the beauty of his mouth_lies in the willingness of the preacher to go to out of the way places, wherever the Lord sends him, to proclaim the gospel of peace. Note in the Book of Acts how frequently the Lord sent His servants such as Philip, Peter, and Paul to distant places to proclaim the gospel_sometimes to an audience of only one or two people (Acts 8:26-39; 10:1-48; 16:9-34; etc.). We all should "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Tim. 4:5), even if not gifted as an evangelist. And we are enjoined to "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you" (1 Pet. 3:15). Satan, on the other hand, is always ready to whisper into our minds a thousand excuses for not sharing the gospel with others:"too busy," "too tired," "too much effort," "have a headache," "not the appropriate time," "won’t respond anyway," "might give me a dirty look," "might not be my friend any more," etc., etc. If our feet are shod with the preparedness of the gospel of peace, we will not allow Satan’s excuses to hinder us from going where God sends us and speaking to those to whom He directs us.

I would suggest that the gospel of peace is not necessarily limited to the good news of how to be saved. Being peacemakers, living peaceably with others, manifesting a peaceful spirit before all, are of great value in today’s world of upset and turmoil. "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matt. 5:9). "Follow peace with all men" (Heb. 12:14). "Keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3). This includes also the ministry of restoration to the Lord. "If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother" (Matt. 18:15). "If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness" (Gal. 6:1). "He which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins" (James 5:20). This is often difficult and trying work, and Satan will seek to dissuade us from such work as much as from evangelistic work. So how necessary it is to be always in readiness for such service, prepared to go where we are sent, prepared to ignore Satan’s excuses, having our "feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." (To be continued.)

Ere God had built the mountains,
Or raised the fruitful hills;
Before He filled the fountains
That feed the running rills;
In Thee, from everlasting,
The wonderful I AM
Found pleasures never wasting,
And Wisdom is Thy name.

When like a tent to dwell in,
He spread the skies abroad,
And swathed about the swelling
Of ocean’s mighty flood,
He wrought by weight and measure;
And Thou wast with Him then_
Thyself the Father’s pleasure,
And Thine the sons of men.

And couldst Thou be delighted
With creatures such as we,
Who, when we saw Thee, slighted
And nailed Thee to a tree?
Unfathomable wonder!
And mystery divine!
The voice that speaks in thunder
Says, "Sinner, I am thine!"

In 1 Chronicles 12:23-40 we read of the men of war of the various tribes of Israel coming to Hebron to acknowledge David as their king after the death of Saul. David is well known to us as a type of Christ, and the characteristics of his soldiers mentioned in these verses provide lessons for us who are to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ.

The men of Judah "bore shield and spear." The shield is an instrument of defense. Our shield is the shield of faith with which we can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Faith must be firmly built on God’s Word. The spear is a weapon of offense. Our weapon of offense is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." We see the importance of God’s Word in both our defense and offense toward our enemy. The men of Judah were "ready armed" or "prepared" to the war. How important is Bible study_always having our weapons ready_-in being a good soldier of Jesus Christ!

The men of Simeon were mighty men of valor or courage. Weapons are only part of the full equipment of a soldier. He must have the courage to advance upon the enemy and use the weapons. Courage (or "virtue" which had the same meaning at the time of King James) is urged upon God’s people in 2 Pet. 1:3,5. It is not enough to read and understand God’s Word. We must have the courage to practice it in the midst of a society which considers Biblical standards ridiculous, and to speak out uncompromisingly for God’s truth in a society that does not believe in absolutes of doctrine or behavior.

The tribe of Levi reminds us of the priestly character of all believers. Priests and Levites were often in the forefront of battle formations in the Old Testament (Josh. 6:12, 13; 2 Chron. 20:20-22). Prayer is mentioned in connection with the Christian’s armor (Eph. 6:18) and is a way of spreading God’s influence and limiting Satan’s (Eph. 6:19; 2 Thess. 3:1,2). Praise, another priestly or Levitical function, always abounded in Israel whenever a victory was won (Exod. 15:1-21; Judges 5, for example). We should rejoice whenever a victory over the enemy is won, whenever a soul is saved, or whenever a backslider is restored, for example. We can worship Christ, the Captain of our salvation, at all times, for He has led captive a host of captives (Eph. 4:8) and has disarmed rulers and authorities and triumphed over them through the cross (Col. 2:15).

The men of Benjamin were a triumph of grace. Because of natural ties they had formerly been allied with Saul and his house, but now they pledged their loyalties to David. All of us were by nature servants of sin and Satan before God’s grace and the power of His Holy Spirit turned us to Christ. Let us make sure we are His servants in deed as well as in name.

The tribe of Ephraim sent a large group, all of them "famous throughout the house of their fathers." Fame, whether because of wealth, talent, or position, will often make us proud, and pride will make us disruptive. The pride of Ephraim had threatened or caused disruption on at least two occasions in the years of the judges (Judg. 8:1-3; 12:1-6). On the occasion of David’s coronation they seemed willing to subordinate their fame and pride to David’s rule for the good of the kingdom as a whole rather than to use it for their own self-glory. Some of us may have talent, wealth, or intelligence; but any of these things is a gift of God and is to be used for His glory and the benefit of the body of Christ. Whatever our status, we are to have the mind of Christ who "made Himself of no reputation" in order to minister to us.

If we all had the mind of Christ we would be of one mind and disruptions among us would cease. How much more effective we would be as soldiers of Christ if there were no disruptions among us.

The men of Manasseh were expressed by name. Although we are called to be of one mind, we remain individuals. We are members of one body, but members in particular. Our God loves individuality. We see this expressed in His creation. No two snowflakes are exactly alike, no two zebras have exactly the same pattern of stripes, no two human beings have exactly the same fingerprints. In Revelation 2:17 we read, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." Evidently each person’s "stone" will be different; each person will be recognized as an individual throughout eternity. Each Christian’s name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. Each one is individually responsible to God:there can be no "hiding in the crowd" with Him.

Only two hundred men of Issachar came to this gathering, but what men they were! They had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do. Besides having personal wisdom they were true delegates of their brethren. These relatively few wise men may have been more valuable than all the armed men of David, for in Ecclesiastes 9:18 we read, "Wisdom is better than weapons of war." We are commanded not to be "unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Eph. 5:17). The word of wisdom is a gift of the Spirit. Would that more of us had it. More of us could have wisdom if we realized our need of it and asked God to give it to us (James 1:5).

Zebulun’s soldiers were experts in all the strategies and instruments of war and in addition they could "keep rank" (or "set the battle in array") and were not "of double heart." Paul commended the Colossians for their "order" (or "orderly array") and "steadfastness" (or "solid front") (Col. 2:5). The Greek word used in Colossians 2:5 for "steadfastness" is a military term referring to the Greek phalanx. The Greek phalanx was a body of heavily armed infantry which stood in ranks with overlapping shields. They moved as a unit and always kept a row of these overlapping shields facing the enemy. In Ephesians the shield of faith is to be used to quench the fiery darts of the wicked. In the phalanx formation referred to in Colossians 2:5 each person’s shield would protect not only himself but also his neighbor. Unity among Christians defeats the purposes of the enemy. Satan and his allies try to cause divisions among God’s people, knowing this injures the testimony of the Church as a whole and isolates individuals who are then more susceptible to personal attacks. How well our enemies have succeeded over the centuries! When we argue with and criticize one another we are doing Satan’s work for him. How much better to stand against him in orderly array. Sometimes Christians feel that words like "keeping rank" and "maintaining order" imply stuffiness and conformity and blind adherence to tradition; however, God has designed the unity of the body for the protection of its members. We have seen from the thoughts on Manasseh that Christians do not give up their individuality because they are united in the body of Christ. The balance to this is that we are to help one another and to work together to resist the enemy because a united effort is more effective than a multitude of isolated individual efforts. In a practical way, the phalanx idea is carried out as we are concerned for one another, pray for one another, and minister God’s Word to one another (Eph. 6:18,19) in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Another description of the men of Zebulun was that’ ‘they were not of double heart." This reminds us of James’s remarks about the double minded man who is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8) and needs to purify his heart from love of the world (James 4:4-8). The good soldier of Jesus Christ does not entangle himself in the affairs of this world so as to please Christ. No one can love the world and love God. No man can serve two masters. We must be single-mindedly devoted to Christ to serve well as His soldiers.

The captains or leaders of Naphtali are given special mention. Some groups of Christians make too much of their leaders; some do not make enough. Rulers and governments are included in the lists of spiritual gifts in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. Let us hearken to the counsel and direction of those gifted to lead.

The list in 1 Chronicles 12 concludes with the tribes of Dan and Asher and those from the east of Jordan. No one was left out. All Christians are called to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Let us each ask ourselves honestly whether we have responded to that call.

(This article was adapted from "Making David King" in Help and Food, Vol. 10.)

FRAGMENT "Lest. . . the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt" (Exod. 13:17). Some people falter the moment they learn there is opposition. They have been taught that the Christian life is only comfort and prosperity. Love, joy, and peace are indeed the fruit of the Spirit, but the same Spirit has told us we struggle against wicked spirits in high places (Eph. 6:12), and we should endure hardships as good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:3).

Wise

In one of our previous studies of God’s attributes we noted His omniscience or possession of all knowledge. Closely akin to God’s omniscience is His possession of all wisdom. Wisdom is correct judgment and the right use of knowledge. God’s wisdom is so far above that of all other beings that He is described thrice in Scripture as "the only wise God" (Rom. 16:27; 1 Tim. 1:17; Jude 25).

Perhaps the chiefest displays of God’s wisdom are found in His creation and in His plan of salvation, or the new creation. First, as to the creation of the universe:"O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all; the earth is full of Thy riches" (Psa. 104:24; also 1-23). "The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens" (Prov. 3:19). "He hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by His discretion" (Jer. 10:12).

As to the plan of salvation, the apostle Paul sought to show in Romans 11 that neither Jews nor Gentiles have in any way deserved salvation. The nation of Israel had been God’s chosen people but they forfeited this special place because of wickedness and rebellion against God. The Gentiles as a whole had lived in idolatry, not having any desire for the one true God. So "God concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all" (verse 32). As the apostle contemplates God’s wonderful plan of salvation, manifesting God’s grace and mercy to Jew and Gentile alike, and designed to give all the glory to God, he breaks out with the well-known doxology:"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" (verse 33).

The wisdom of God the Son is also mentioned in Scripture. We read that as a boy of twelve, "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52). His wisdom is prophecied by Isaiah:"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots; and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord; and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth" (11:1-4). The wisdom of Christ is amply displayed in His responses to the Pharisees’ attempts to trip Him up (Matt. 22:17-45), following which "they marvelled," "they were astonished at His doctrine," and "no man was able to answer Him a word, neither dared any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions" (verses 22,33,46). In Proverbs 8:12,22-36 we find a sort of allegory in which wisdom appears to be synonymous with the eternal Son of God.

God delights to impart this wisdom to others. He gave wisdom to craftsmen of Israel for fashioning the tabernacle and the priests’ garments (Exod. 28:1-6; 31:1-6). He gave to Solomon "a wise and an understanding heart" (1 Kings 3:12) so that "all Israel . . . feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment" (verse 28). The Lord promised to give His disciples "a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist" (Luke 21:12-15); this was later borne out in Stephen when those who disputed with him "were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake" (Acts 6:9,10).

God does not automatically impart wisdom to all believers. He wants us to ask for it just as Solomon of old asked for it (1 Kings 3:5-13). Solomon, in turn, urged his children to "get wisdom," for "wisdom is the principal thing" (Prov. 4:5-7). Paul exhorted the Ephesians to be "as wise, redeeming the time" (Eph. 5:15,16). Also, he prayed that the Colossians "might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" (Col. 1:9). And James exhorted, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God" (James 1:5). God imparts this wisdom through "the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise" (2 Tim. 3:15; see also Col. 3:16).

Let us now consider some of the features of this wisdom, and the characteristics of those who are wise.

Several scriptures tell us that it is wise to prepare for the future. It was "a wise man which built his house upon a rock" (Matt. 7:24), and the five wise virgins who "took oil in . . . their lamps" (Matt. 25:1-4). The wise steward prepared for being discharged from his job (Luke 16:1-8). A wise son gathers in the summer (Prov. 10:5). And the sluggard (or lazy person) is admonished to consider the ways of the ant and be wise (Prov. 6:6-8).

The Book of Proverbs, written by Solomon unto whom the Lord had imparted so much wisdom, gives us many features of wisdom, including that most basic element, "the fear of the Lord," which "is the beginning of wisdom" (9:10).

"A wise son heareth his father’s instruction" (13:1). If, however, the son is foolish and does not obey, yet there is hope for him for "the rod and reproof give wisdom" (29:15).

A wise man is one who "refraineth his lips" and "holdeth his peace" (10:19; 17:28; 29:11; see also James 3).

A wise man will hearken unto counsel, "receive commandments," "lay up knowledge," and will even love one who rebukes him (12:15; 10:8,14; 9:8,9).

A wise man is one who wins souls, pacifies the wrath of a king, and is strong (11:30; 16:14; 24:5).

Finally, James, in the New Testament, describes the wise man:"Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but. . . the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy" (3:13-17).

May we, then, be "followers of God" (Eph. 5:1) by seeking this "wisdom that is from above," imparted to us by "the only wise God our Saviour" (Jude 25). And let us give "honor and glory for ever and ever" to "the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God" (1 Tim. 1:17).