The World Conquered By The Faithful Christian
The three great enemies of the Christian are the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The Puritans being acutely aware of this engaged their pulpits and their pens with these themes with much greater frequency and depth than the present generation of believers. There is a corollary between these enemies of God's people; the devil being the Prince of this world and the flesh being man's fallen nature, which gravitates to and has a love of the world. This treatise addresses in detail one of these enemies as it relates to the Lord's people——the world.
As was frequently the case, the Puritans made a division between professors and possessors of true heart religion. This can be seen in Chapter Three, "Four Ways the World Holds Back Men" . . . by darkening their sight. The things of time and sense blind them from seeing their need for Christ, by deadening their senses. And by engaging their hearts——men cannot have Christ and the world. Therefore, the love of the world must be forsaken from the heart if it truly desires to have Christ.
The eminent Puritan Pastors were master physicians of the soul and were able to apply God's truth with power. There are truths and doctrines that overlap and intersect or are closely connected. For example, contentment and overcoming the world are closely related. When a Christian is content (whatever their outward circumstances may be) and their refuge and security are in the Lord, the world has little sway on their affections. Richard Alleine writes, ". . . in God I am secure . . . how little is it that the world, with all its glory on the one hand and all its fury on the other hand, can do against my soul! Such a one needs not the world to make him happy nor does he fear that the world can make him miserable."
One might ask the question, if we deal with the same themes in great depth and frequency, will that be profitable to our souls? I believe it will be profitable, for if we read or hear something in the same or a similar way repeatedly, it will have less or eventually no impact on us. But when we hear the same truth in a fresh way, it gains our attention (and under God's blessing) will benefit us spiritually, and give us renewed vigor to serve God and love His truth more deeply.
The Bible never says that you should not serve two masters——it declares that you cannot serve two masters. If you are struggling with being double-minded, this book (by God's grace) will be very helpful in enabling you to overcome an inordinate love for this world and will thereby increase your desire and commitment to love and serve Christ with all of your heart.