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  VICTORS OR VICTIMS
  by A.W. Tozer
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Summary: The Spirit-filled life is a life of struggle and warfare with
the devil, but it holds the promise of complete victory through Christ.

Topics: "Christian Growth", "Spiritual Warfare"
Scripture References: Romans 7:15-25, 2 Corinthians 2:14, Galatians 5:17, Ephesians 6:12, Philippians 3:14, 2 Timothy 4:7, James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 John 5:4, Revelation 3:15-16

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DESCRIPTION
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A.W. Tozer emphasizes that the Christian journey is fraught with
challenges, particularly for those striving for a deeper relationship
with Christ. He warns that the Spirit-filled life is often marked by
struggle and spiritual warfare, rather than peace and comfort. Tozer
highlights that retreating into a complacent Christian existence is
exactly what Satan desires, as it stunts spiritual growth and renders
believers ineffective. He encourages Christians to embrace the fight
against their own nature and the forces of darkness, asserting that true
victory lies in following the example of Christ. Ultimately, Tozer calls
for a rejection of compromise in favor of a vibrant, active faith.

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CONTENT
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If Satan opposes the new convert he opposes still more bitterly the
Christian who is pressing on toward a higher life in Christ. The Spirit-
filled life is not, as many suppose, a life of peace and quiet pleasure.
It is likely to be something quite the opposite. Viewed one way it is a
pilgrimage through a robber-infested forest; viewed another, it is a
grim warfare with the devil. Always there is struggle, and sometimes
there is a pitched battle with our own nature where the lines are so
confused that it is all but impossible to locate the enemy or to tell
which impulse is of the Spirit and which of the flesh.

There is complete victory for us if we will but take the way of the
triumphant Christ, but that is not what we are considering now.

My point here is that if we want to escape the struggle we have but to
draw back and accept the currently accepted low-keyed Christian life as
the normal one. That is all Satan wants. That will ground our power,
stunt our growth and render us harmless to the kingdom of darkness.
Compromise will take the pressure off. Satan will not bother a man who
has quit fighting. But the cost of quitting will be a life of peaceful
stagnation. We sons of eternity just cannot afford such a thing.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/victors-or-victims/
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