June 15, 2023
…when thou art run down by the violence of temptation, what is the behavior of thy soul in this case? Dost thou rally thy routed forces, and again make head against thy enemy so much the more eagerly, because foiled so shamefully? Or art thou content to sit down quietly by thy loss, and choose rather to be a tame slave to thy lust, than to be at any further trouble to continue the war?
William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour
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We all take losses occasionally; it’s part of being human in a fallen world. What matters is how you handle your failures. The sincere soul will be ashamed of his sin and double down on his efforts to fight temptation in the future. The hypocrite will accept the loss and make peace with it.