Jonathan Edwards on Spiritual Warfare

This portion of a Jonathan Edwards's sermon is taken from the book Charity and Its Fruits

There are many things which do greatly oppose the grace which is in the heart of a Christian. This holy principle has innumerable enemies, as it were, constantly watching and warring against it. The Christian is encompassed around with enemies on every side. Being a pilgrim and a stranger in the earth he is, as it were, in an enemy's country. There are thousands of devils that are bitter enemies to the grace which is in the heart of a Christian, and do all in their power against it. And the world is an enemy to it. It abounds with persons and things that make opposition to it. And the Christian not only has many enemies without, but multitudes within his own breast which he carries about with him, and of which he cannot divest himself; many corruptions which have footing in his heart, which are the worst enemies of grace, and are under the greatest advantages of any in their warfare against it. Those enemies are not only many but exceedingly strong and powerful, and bitter in their enmity, implacable, irreconcilable, mortal enemies, seeking nothing but the utter ruin and overthrow of grace. And they are unwearied in their opposition. So that the Christian, while he remains in this world, is represented as being in a state of war; his business is the business of a soldier. Many are the powerful and violent assaults which the enemies of grace make upon it; they are not only constantly besieging it, but sometimes they assault it as a city which they would take by storm. They are always lurking and watching advantages against it, but sometimes they rise up in a dreadful rage against it. Sometimes one enemy, and sometimes another, and sometimes all together with one consent besetting it on every side, covering it like a flood, ready to overwhelm it and as though they would swallow it at once. Sometimes grace in the midst of the violent opposition of its enemies, besetting it with united strength, is like a spark of fire encompassed with swelling billows, or raging waves, which appear as if they would swallow it up and extinguish it in a moment. Or like a jewel of gold in the midst of a furnace of raging heat, enough to consume anything but pure gold, which is of that nature that it will not consume in the fire.