What Sin Will Do

There was one crack in the lantern, and the wind has found it out and blown out the candle. How great a mischief one unguarded point of character may cause us! One spark blew up the magazine, and shook the whole country for miles around. One leak sank a vessel, and drowned all on board. One wound may kill the body.

One sin destroys the soul.

It little matters how carefully the rest of the lantern is protected, the one point which is damaged is quite sufficient to admit the wind; and so it little matters how zealous a man may be in a thousand things, if he tolerates one darling sin. Satan will find out the flaw, and destroy all of his hopes. The strength of a chain is to be measured, not by the strongest, but by its weakest links; for, if the weakest snaps, what is the use of the rest? Satan is a close observer, and knows exactly where our weak points are. We have need of very much watchfulness; and we have great cause to bless our merciful Lord, who prayed for us that our faith fail not. Either our pride or our sloth, our ignorance, our anger or our lust would prove our ruin, unless grace interposed. Any one of our senses or faculties might admit the foe; yea, our virtues and graces might be the gates of entrance to our enemies. Oh, Jesus, if thou hast indeed bought me with thy blood, be pleased to keep me by thy power even unto the end.—Spurgeon