The principal fight of the Christian is with the world, the flesh and the Devil. These are never-dying foes. These are three enemies against whom he must wage war. With a corrupt heart, a busy devil, and an ensnaring world, he must either fight or be lost.
He must fight the flesh. Even after conversion he carries within him a nature prone to evil, and a heart weak and unstable as water. That heart will never be free from imperfection in this world, and it is a miserable delusion to expect it. There is need of a daily struggle and a daily wrestling in prayer. "I see a law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity" "Mortify your members which are upon the earth"
He must fight the world: The subtle influence of that mighty enemy must be daily resisted, and without a daily battle can never be overcome.
The love of world's good things - the fear of the world's laughter or blame - the secret desire to keep in with the world - the secret wish to do as others in the world do. "The friendship of the world is enmity with God"
"Be not conformed to this world."
He must fight the devil. That old enemy of mankind is not dead. Never slumbering, and never sleeping, he is always "going about as a lion seeking whom he may devour". An unseen enemy, he's always near us, about our path and about our bed, and spying out all our ways. "A murderer and "a liar" from the beginning, he labours night and day to cast us down to hell. Sometimes by leading us into superstition, sometimes, by suggesting infidelity, sometimes by one kind of tactics and sometimes by another, he is always carrying on a campaign against our souls. This mighty adversary must be daily resisted if we wish to be saved. The strong man armed will never be kept out of our hearts without a daily battle.
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