by Christopher Love
in ePub, .mobi & .pdf formats
Updated to modern English
The Combat Between the Flesh and the Spirit by Christopher Love is a searching and deeply experiential work that speaks to every Christian who knows what it is to wrestle with sin and long for holiness. Drawn from his final sermons before martyrdom, this Puritan classic is a field manual for the believer’s inward war—a war not against the world alone, but against the lingering corruption within.
Rooted in the powerful texts of Genesis 6:3 and Galatians 5:16–17, Love brings clarity and conviction to the reality of indwelling sin, the grieving of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit’s gracious operations in the soul. With theological depth and pastoral warmth, he shows that spiritual warfare is not a dramatic spectacle but a daily struggle marked by prayer, watchfulness, and dependence on divine grace. He calls his readers to examine themselves—not merely to be informed, but transformed.
The second part of the book, The Christians Directory, offers wise and timely counsel on how to live as pilgrims in a passing world. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 7:30–31, Love helps believers navigate joy and sorrow, gain and loss, so that they may use the world without being mastered by it.
Ideal for those who desire to walk in the Spirit while honestly confronting the pull of the flesh, this volume is both convicting and consoling. It is not merely a book to be read, but a companion for those engaged in the daily work of mortification, sanctification, and communion with God. In the end, Love reminds us that while the battle rages, the victory is sure—for though the flesh may roar, the Spirit shall reign.
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Table of Contents
To the Honorable Mr. Edward Bradshaw
To the Reader
Sermon I – The Grievousness of God Withdrawing His Spirit (Genesis 6:3)
Sermon II – Signs the Spirit Is Striving or Withheld
Sermon III – When the Spirit Is Withdrawn from a Ministry
Sermon IV – The Hardening of the Heart Without the Spirit
Sermon V – The Motions of the Spirit Toward Good
Sermon VI – On Resisting and Grieving the Spirit
Sermon VII – False Comforts and Deceptive Signs of the Spirit
Sermon VIII – Walking in the Spirit and Not Fulfilling the Lusts of the Flesh (Galatians 5:16)
Sermon IX – Practical Marks of Walking in the Spirit
Sermon X – Hindrances to Walking in the Spirit
Sermon XI – The Life of Sanctification under the Spirit's Rule
Sermon XII – The Flesh Lusts Against the Spirit (Galatians 5:17)
Sermon XIII – The Mutiny Within
Sermon XIV – The Nature of Indwelling Sin
Sermon XV – The Constant Warfare in the Believer
Sermon XVI – A Believer's Duty in the Battle
Sermon XVII – Motives Not to Yield to the Flesh
Sermon XVIII – Helps for Mortifying the Flesh
Sermon XIX – The Nature of True Victory
Sermon XX – Living in the Spirit and Putting to Death the Deeds of the Flesh
Sermon XXI – The Fruits of the Spirit in Combat
Sermon XXII – The Spirit's Help in Duty
Sermon XXIII – The Spirit's Intercession
Sermon XXIV – Reliance on the Spirit's Power
Sermon XXV – The Need for Constant Watchfulness
Sermon XXVI – Marks of Spiritual Decline
Sermon XXVII – Encouragements to Spiritual Warfare
The Christians Directory
Sermon 1 – The Christian's Rule for Earthly Living (1 Corinthians 7:30–31)
Sermon 2 – Moderating Grief in Times of Affliction
Sermon 3 – More Reasons to Restrain Sorrow for Worldly Losses
Sermon 4 – Counsel for Bearing Crosses with Spiritual Perspective
Sermon 5 – Spiritual Comforts Amid Earthly Sorrows
Sermon 6 – Guarding Against Excess in Earthly Joy
Sermon 7 – When Joy Becomes a Snare to the Soul
Sermon 8 – Trading Without Being Possessed by Possessions
Sermon 9 – A Christian's Detachment in Buying and Selling
Sermon 10 – Warning Against Greed and Earthly Gain
Sermon 11 – Honest Commerce as a Test of Spiritual Temperament
Sermon 12 – Trade for Heaven: Investing in Eternity
Sermon 13 – Using the World Without Abusing It
Sermon 14 – Lawful Comforts and Their Spiritual Danger
Sermon 15 – The Passing Fashion of the World and Eternal Priorities