he trees, the
black masses of the enemy are gathered, and a midnight attack is but
too likely to bring a bloody awakening to a camp full of sleepers.

My text goes on to bring the enemy nearer and nearer and nearer.
'Watch ye'--and if, not unnoticed, they come down on you, 'stand fast
in the faith.' There will be no keeping our ranks, or keeping our
feet--or at least, it is not nearly so likely that there will
be--unless there has been the preceding watchfulness. If the first
command has not been obeyed, there is small chance of the second's
being so. If there has not been any watchfulness, it is not at all
likely that there will be much steadfastness. Just as with a man
going along a crowded pavement, a little touch from a passer-by will
throw him off his balance, whereas if he had known it was coming, and
had adjusted his poise rightly, he would have stood against thrice as
violent a shock, so, in order that we may stand fast, we must watch.
A sudden assault will be a great deal less formidable when it is a
foreseen assault.

'Stand fast _in the faith_.' I take it that this does not mean
'the thing that we believe,' which use of the word 'faith' is the
ecclesiastical, but not the New Testament meaning. In Scripture,
faith means not the body of truths that we believe, but the act of
believing them. This further command tells us that, in addition to
our watchfulness, and as the basis of our steadfastness, confidence
in the revelation of God in Jesus Christ will enable us to keep our
feet whatever comes against us, and to hold our ground, whoever may
assault us.

But remember that it is not because I have faith that I stand fast,
but because of that in which I have faith. My feet may be well
shod--and it used to be said that a soldier's shoes were of as much
importance in the battle as his musket--my feet may be well shod, but
if they are not well planted upon firm ground I never shall be able
to stand the collision of the foe. So then, it is not my grasp of the
blessed truth, God in Christ my Friend and Helper, but it is that
truth which I grasp at, that makes me strong. Or, to put it into
other words, it is the foothold, and not the foot that holds it, that
ensures our standing firm. Only there is no steadfastness
communicated to us from the source of all stability, except by way of
our faith, which brings Christ into us. 'Watch ye; stand fast in the
faith.'

The next two words of command are very closely connect