(1.) God is on your side, who hath all your enemies in his hand, and can rebuke them, or destroy them in a moment. Oh what is the breath or fury of dust or devils, against the Lord Almighty! "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Rom. viii. 31. Read often that chapter, Rom. viii. In the day when thou didst enter into covenant with God, and he with thee, thou didst enter into the most impregnable rock and fortress, and house thyself in that castle of defence, where thou mayest (modestly) defy all adverse powers of earth or hell. If God cannot save thee, he is not God. And if he will not save thee, he must break his covenant. Indeed, he may resolve to save thee, not from affliction and persecution, but in it, and by it. But in all these sufferings you will "be more than conquerors, through Christ that loveth you:" that is, it is far more desirable and excellent to conquer by patience, in suffering for Christ, than to conquer our persecutors in the field, by force of arms. O think on the saints' triumphant boastings in their God. Psal. xlvi. 1-3, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble: therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." Psal. lvi. 1-5, when his "enemies were many" and "wrested his words daily," and "fought against him, and all their thoughts were against him," yet he saith, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God will I praise his word; in God have I put my trust: I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." Remember Christ's charge, Luke xii. 4, "Fear not them that can kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him." If all the world were on thy side, thou might yet have cause to fear; but to have God on thy side, is infinitely more. (2.) Jesus Christ is the Captain of thy salvation, Heb. ii. 10, and hath gone before thee this way himself, and hath conquered for thee; and now is engaged to make thee conqueror: and darest thou not go on where Christ doth lead the way? He was perfected through suffering himself, and will see that thou be not destroyed by it. Canst thou draw back, when thou seest his steps, and his blood?[57] (3.) Thou art not to conquer in thy own strength, but by the Spirit of God, and the power of that grace which is sufficient for thee, and his strength which appeareth most in our weakness, 2 Cor. xii. 9. And "you can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth you," Phil. iv. 13. "Be of good cheer, he hath overcome the world," John xvi. 33.