One More from the "Doctor" - Defending the Faith!

I realize that I've quoted Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones several times this past week, but this quotation cuts to the heart of so much weakness arising from within evangelicalism. Remember as you read this that he delivered this address to a meeting of the Inter-Varsity Fellowship of Students way back in 1954!

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3).

Here we are given a stirring call to the defense of the faith. Such a call is not popular today. It is not popular today even in some evangelical circles. People will tell you that it is all 'too negative'. They continually urge that we must keep on giving positive truth. They will tell us that we must not argue and we must never condemn. But we must ask, How can you fight if you are ever afraid of wounding the enemy? How can you rouse sleeping fellow warriors with smooth words? God forbid that we find ourselves at the bar of judgment and face the charge that we contracted out from love of ease or for fear of man, or that we failed to do our duty in the great fight of the faith. We must--we must fight for the faith in these momentous times.

Add to this the strains from the following hymn by Isaac Watts:

Am I a soldier of the cross,

a follower of the Lamb,

and shall I fear to own his cause,

or blush to speak his name?

Must I be carried to the skies

on flowery beds of ease,

while others fought to win the prize,

and sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?

Must I not stem the flood?

Is this vile world a friend to grace,

to help me on to God?

Sure I must fight, if I would reign;

increase my courage, Lord.

I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,

supported by thy word. [emphasis mine]