“The object is to put your opponent on his back and keep him there. Do not so compliment sin as to let it breathe or rise.
Your bout with sin and Satan is not a weekend sport; it is the final conflict. So you dare not give your enemy a handhold. Wrestlers strive to fasten upon some part of the body, which will let them more easily throw their adversary. To prevent this, ancient wrestlers used to anoint their bodies before a match. You should do likewise. Strive to put off the old man-- that corruption. David called his own iniquity Psalm 18:23. Observe what it is and mortify it daily; it is a favorite handhold of Satan's. He will beat a shameful retreat when he finds no iniquity in you to catch hold of-- and he dare not touch that in you which is holy.
Is your flesh mortified? Now anoint your soul with the frequent meditation of Christ's love. It will help you disdain the offer of sin and, like oil, will make your spirit supple and your will agile to evade the enemy. Satan will find little welcome where Christ's love dwells. Love will kindle love, and flame as a wall of fire to keep him away.
Use your advantage wisely. If you are a smart wrestler, you will fall with your weight upon your enemy when you have him on the ground. Though in most sports the referee would call "Foul!" if you were to strike when your opponent is down, this is not the case with wrestling. The object is to put your opponent on his back and keep him there. Do not so compliment sin as to let it breathe or rise. Do not repeat Ahab's sin and let the enemy lose when God has decreed his destruction.
Learn a little wisdom from Satan's brood. Though they had Christ on His back, they still took precautions. They never thought they had Him sure enough-- not even when dead. So they sealed and watched His grave. You should do the same to hinder the resurrection of your sin: seal it down with stronger purposes and solemn covenants, and watch it by a wakeful, circumspect walk.”
One, of the reasons Israel today is in such a struggle for survival is that when God said destroy your enemies in the promised-land they did not and let the enemy live to grow in strength and numbers so that they are more powerful today than on the day they were to perish.
Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=53617
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