The Battle Following Conversion
Nimes, France
1886
This manuscript is published in entirety in 3MR 117-119.
[Words of counsel to the church at Nimes, France.]
All heaven is interested in the work that has been going on in this wicked city of Nimes. Victories have been gained and souls have been wrenched from Satan’s grasp. If there is a holding of these victories, there will be the necessity of much help from above. If those newly come to the faith will feel their own weakness and depend upon Jesus for strength every hour, then they can resist the deceptions of Satan and become God’s witnesses upon the earth. There is not a soul won to Christ, the message of the third angel does not make its way to a single heart, without defeat to the tempter and bruising of the head of the serpent. This will arouse [the] malice of the adversary to greater activity. When the truth is received into the heart, it commences its leavening, transforming process. Sin will appear hateful. That soul will, through faith and willing obedience to God’s commandments, enlist in his behalf a strength more mighty than his own to combine with his human effort to resist the enemy. 4LtMs, Ms 46a, 1886, par. 1
These souls who have decided to walk in the light will have need of great watchfulness and most earnest prayer. As soon as Satan sees one soul breaking away from his deceptive lies and coming to the light of truth, he is actively at work to place every conceivable obstacle in his path. Let a man or woman become interested in the truth and show respect and obedience to the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, let him in good earnest set about the work of repentance and the saving of his soul, and he will assuredly draw upon himself the disfavor and opposition of the circle of his worldly acquaintances. If he is a member of any of the churches, the determined, active opposition of the church members will be set in operation. Every soul who has come to the point to accept advanced truth has realized this in every age of the world. 4LtMs, Ms 46a, 1886, par. 2
No man can serve God without enlisting against himself evil men and evil angels. Evil angels well know that one soul accepting the truth as it is in Jesus will by precept and example weaken their hold upon other souls, for the truth is aggressive. Alarmed because he is losing his prey, Satan will first seek to deceive, next to oppress and persecute. Evil men, rebuked by the precept and example of those who come to the light of Bible truth, will become agents of the great adversary of souls and will leave no means untried to draw them away from their allegiance to God and induce them to leave the narrow path of holiness. But none need to be alarmed and afraid. God’s word is pledged that if they are true to principle, if they believe and obey all God’s requirements, they are members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. They are certain to have enlisted in their behalf the agencies of heaven and to come off victorious through the merits of Christ—more than conquerors through Him that loved them. 4LtMs, Ms 46a, 1886, par. 3
Oh, if we could only see and understand that the repentance of one soul sends inexpressible joy through all the host of heaven. Melody is called forth from every harp and every voice in glorious anthems because another name is registered in the book of life, another light is kindled to shine amid the moral darkness of this corrupt world. The very same event spreads consternation among the fallen angels and humiliates the great leader in the rebellion against God’s holy law. The prince of darkness, seeing a soul whom he has counted his own escaping from under his control as a bird out of the snare of the fowler, and making Christ his refuge, works with hellish intensity to again entrap the one escaped. 4LtMs, Ms 46a, 1886, par. 4
There is more joy in heaven in the presence of the angels over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance. It is impossible to estimate what may be the work that these souls may accomplish if they go on gathering more and increased light from the Word of God and walk in the way of all His commandments. If they become channels of light to this dark and irreligious city, they will be indeed God’s witnesses and through their fervent piety and Christlike example may be the means of winning souls to the truth. 4LtMs, Ms 46a, 1886, par. 5