October 15

Let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. — 1 Thess 5:8

Faith, love, hope these three form the defensive armor that guards the soul; and these three make self–control possible. Like a diver in his dress who is let down to the bottom of the wild, far–weltering ocean, a man whose heart is girt by faith and charity, and whose head is covered with the helmet of hope, may be dropped down into the wildest sea of temptation and of worldliness, and yet will walk dry and unharmed through the midst of its depths, and breathe air that comes from a world above the restless surges. Faith will bring you into communication with all the power of God. Love will lead you into a region where all the temptations round you will be touched as by Ithuriel’s spear, and will show their own foulness. And Hope will turn away your eyes from looking at the tempting splendor around, and fix them upon the glories that are above. And so the reins will come into your hands in an altogether new manner, and you will be able to be king over your own nature in a fashion that you did not dream of before, if only you will trust in Christ and love Him, and fix your desires on the things above. Then you will be able to govern yourself, when you let Christ govern you. — Alex. McLaren.