The following is taken from Andrew Murray's book, "The Prayer Life:"
The Storm Center on the Battlefield
Mention was made in the conference of the expression "stratigic position" used so often in reference to the great strife between the kingdom of heaven and the powers of darkness.
When a general chooses the place from which he intends to strike the enemy, he pays closest attention to those points which he thinks are the most important in the fight. Thus there was on the battlefield of Waterloo a farmhouse which Wellington immediately saw as the key to the situation. He did not spare his troops in his endeavor to bold that point: the victory depended on it. So it actually happened. It is the same in the conflict between the believer and the powers of darkness. The inner chamber is the place where the decisive victory is obtained.
The enemy uses all his power to lead the Christian, and above all the minister to neglect prayer. He knows that however admirable the sermon may be, however attractive the service, however faithful the pastoral visitation, none of these things can damage him or his kingdom if prayer is neglected. When the Church shuts herself up to the power of the inner chamber, and the soldiers of the Lord have received on their knees "power from on high," then the powers of darkness will be shaken and souls delivered. In the Church, on the mission field, with the minister and his congregation, everything depends on the faithful exercise of the power of prayer...
...Two persons quarrel over a certain point. We call them Christian and Apollyon. Apollyon notices that Christian has a certain weapon which would give him a sure victory. They meet in deadly strife, and Apollyon resolves to take away the weapon from his opponent and destroy it. For the moment the main cause of the strife has become subordinate; the great point now is who shall get possession of the weapon on which everthing depends? It is of vital importance to get hold of that.
So it is in the conflict between Satan and the believer. God's child can conquer everything by prayer. Is it any wonder that Satan does his utmost to snatch that weapon from the Christian, or to hinder him in the use of it?
How now does Satan hinder prayer? By temptation to postpone or curtail it, by bringing in wandering thoughts and all sorts of distractions, or through unbelief and hopelessness. Happy is the prayer hero who, who through it all, takes care to hold fast and use his weapon.
The Storm Center on the Battlefield
Mention was made in the conference of the expression "stratigic position" used so often in reference to the great strife between the kingdom of heaven and the powers of darkness.
When a general chooses the place from which he intends to strike the enemy, he pays closest attention to those points which he thinks are the most important in the fight. Thus there was on the battlefield of Waterloo a farmhouse which Wellington immediately saw as the key to the situation. He did not spare his troops in his endeavor to bold that point: the victory depended on it. So it actually happened. It is the same in the conflict between the believer and the powers of darkness. The inner chamber is the place where the decisive victory is obtained.
The enemy uses all his power to lead the Christian, and above all the minister to neglect prayer. He knows that however admirable the sermon may be, however attractive the service, however faithful the pastoral visitation, none of these things can damage him or his kingdom if prayer is neglected. When the Church shuts herself up to the power of the inner chamber, and the soldiers of the Lord have received on their knees "power from on high," then the powers of darkness will be shaken and souls delivered. In the Church, on the mission field, with the minister and his congregation, everything depends on the faithful exercise of the power of prayer...
...Two persons quarrel over a certain point. We call them Christian and Apollyon. Apollyon notices that Christian has a certain weapon which would give him a sure victory. They meet in deadly strife, and Apollyon resolves to take away the weapon from his opponent and destroy it. For the moment the main cause of the strife has become subordinate; the great point now is who shall get possession of the weapon on which everthing depends? It is of vital importance to get hold of that.
So it is in the conflict between Satan and the believer. God's child can conquer everything by prayer. Is it any wonder that Satan does his utmost to snatch that weapon from the Christian, or to hinder him in the use of it?
How now does Satan hinder prayer? By temptation to postpone or curtail it, by bringing in wandering thoughts and all sorts of distractions, or through unbelief and hopelessness. Happy is the prayer hero who, who through it all, takes care to hold fast and use his weapon.
Amen! that is so true!
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