But oh, the struggle! Oh, the conflict! by J. C. Philpott

I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, and it shall be no more. Ezekiel 21 verse 27

Jesus wants our hearts and affections Therefore, every idol must go down, sooner or later, because the idol draws away the affections of the soul from Christ. Everything that is loved in opposition to him must, sooner or later, be taken away, that the Lord Jesus alone may be worshipped. Everything which exacts the allegiance of the soul must be overthrown. Jesus shall have our heart and affections, But in having our heart and affection, He shall have it wholly, solely, and undividedly. He shall have it entirely for Himself. He shall reign and rule supreme.

Now, here comes the conflict and the struggle. Self says, I will have a part. Self wants to be honored, admired, esteemed, bowed down to. Self wants to indulge in and gratify its desires. Self wants, in some way, to erect its throne in opposition to the Lord of life and glory. But Jesus says, No, I must reign supreme. Whatever it is that stands up in opposition to him, down it must go. Just as Dagon fell down before the Ark, so self must fall down before Christ. in every shape, in every form, in whatever subtle guise self wears, down it must come to a wreck and ruin before the King of Zion.

So, if we are continually building up self, Jesus will be continually overthrowing self. If we are setting up our idols, he shall be casting them down. If we are continually hewing out cisterns which can hold no water, He will be continually dashing these cisterns to pieces. If we think highly of our knowledge, we must be reduced to total folly. If we are confident of our strength, we must be reduced to utter weakness. If we highly esteem our attainments, or in any measure are resting upon the power of the creature, the power of the creature must be overthrown, so that we shall stand weak before God, unable to lift up a finger to deliver our souls from going down into the pit.

In this way does the Lord teach his people the lesson that Christ must be all in all. They learn not in the way of speculation, nor in the way of mere dry doctrine, nor from the mouth of others, but they learn these lessons in painful soul experience. and every living soul that is sighing and longing after a manifestation of Christ and desiring to have Him enthroned in the heart, every such soul will know, sooner or later, an utter overthrow of self, a thorough prostration of this idol, a complete breaking to pieces of this beloved image, that the desire of the righteous may be granted, and that Christ may reign and rule as King and Lord in Him and over Him, setting up His blessed kingdom there and winning to Himself every affection of the renewed heart.

Are there not moments, friends? Are there not some few and fleeting moments when the desire of our souls is that Christ should be our Lord and God? When we are willing that He should have every affection? That every rebellious thought should be subdued and brought into obedience to the cross of Christ? That every plan should be frustrated, which is not for the glory of God and our soul's spiritual profit? Are there not seasons in our experience when we can lay down our souls before God and say, let Christ be precious to my soul. Let Him come with power to my heart. Let Him set up His throne as Lord and King and let self be nothing before Him.

But oh, the struggle. Oh, the conflict when God answers these petitions. When our plans are frustrated, what a rebellion works up in the carnal mind. When self is cast down, what a rising up of the fretful, peevish impatience of the creature. when the Lord does answer our prayers and strips off all false confidence, when He does remove our rotten props and dash to pieces our broken cisterns, what a storm, what a conflict takes place in the soul. But He is not to be moved. He will take His own way. I will overturn. Let the creature say what it will. I will overturn. Let the creature think what it will. Down it shall go to ruin. It shall come to a wreck. It shall be overthrown. My purpose shall be accomplished, and I will fulfill all my pleasure. self is a rebel who has set up an idolatrous temple, and I will overturn and bring the temple to ruin for the purpose of manifesting my glory and my salvation, that I may be your Lord and your God. If God has overturned our bright prospects, shall we say it was a cruel hand that laid them low? If he has overthrown our worldly plans, Shall we say it was an unkind act? If he has reduced our false righteousness to a heap of rubbish in order that Christ may be embraced as our All in All, shall we say it was a cruel deed? Is he an unkind father who takes away poison from his child and gives him food? Is she a cruel mother who snatches her boy from the precipice on which he was playing? No. The kindness was manifested in the act of snatching the child from destruction. So if the Lord has broken and overthrown our purposes, it was a kind act. For in doing so, He brings us to nothing, That Christ may be embraced as our all in all, That our hearts may echo back, O Lord, fulfill all Your own promises in our souls, And make us willing to be nothing, That upon the nothingness of self, the glory and beauty and preciousness of Christ may be exalted. This Puritan devotional has been brought to you by Grace Gems, a treasury of ageless Sovereign Grace writings. Please visit our website at www.gracegems.org, where you can browse and freely download thousands of choice books, sermons, and quotes, along with select audio messages. No donations accepted. Thank you.