A guest review of a classic book on revival, the power of God, and the decline of spirituality among the people of God. Linda Williams urges you to read a book she feels has been overlooked by the church for too long.

This cover is from the 2017 Whitaker House edition.

Jessie Penn-Lewis, War on the Saints (Whitaker House, 1996).

Written in 1910, following the acclaimed Welsh Revival, Jessie Penn-Lewis analyzed the reasons for the eventual decline of the spirit of revival. She comes to the conclusion that “Revival is the hour and power of God, and of the devil, for the descent of the Divine power brings the accompanying onslaught of evil supernatural powers. It means movement in the spiritual realm. Revival itself is the hour of God, when heaven is opened, and the power of God works among men, but when the Divine power appears to pass away, and evil supernatural powers manifest their workings in a man, or a church, or a country, then men marvel that the devil’s work should be where God had been so manifest, not knowing that the devil was planting his seeds, and doing His work, from the dawn of revival. Revival ebb began with its flow, but all unseen” (Chap. 12: “Revival Dawn and the Baptism of the Spirit,” emphasis hers).

In this way, Ms. Penn-Lewis proceeds to systematically rip off the scales of deception and self-delusion that are the causes of spiritual bondage, and the effects it has on the spiritual man.

Used as a practical diagnostic tool, War on the Saints identifies the many forms of spiritual deception to which every believer is susceptible, and gives practical instruction on how one may uncover such falsehoods in one’s own doctrines, practices and belief systems.

This is not “spiritual warfare” in the common, misused term. There is no instruction on how to cast out demons, or how to pray “properly” for the healing of the sick. On the contrary, this book focuses exclusively on the idea that spiritual warfare is very much like real, military warfare, and that we must “take back ground” that has been lost to the Adversary in our own minds, lives and congregations due to false teachings and the conclusion which have been drawn from those false teachings.

While the sentence structure occasionally requires some concentration, the book is written in brief, easily digested snippets. Ms. Penn-Lewis provides excellent “meat” for the experienced and inexperienced believer alike. Her style of writing simply and logically addresses the various forms and methods of spiritual deception used by the Adversary to coax, confuse, blind, and entrap the man of God, to either limit his usefulness or derail him/her completely from God’s path for his/her life. As the book delves into the shockingly successful methods and processes used since the beginning of time, the reader will discover, if honest, that s/he too may have been duped by the Adversary. Once the deception is uncovered, practical suggestions are given for the “renewal of one’s mind” by means of focusing on “rightly dividing the Word of Truth,” God’s peace, and God’s expectation of how we are to live our lives. The instruction contained within targets specifically how to fight against the wiles of the Adversary, but leaves the application and the practice of these devices to the believer. As such, an individual can take this concept as far as s/he may desire to go.

Evangelicals are known for their emphasis on conversion, but unfortunately they often neglect life after conversion and beyond justification. Needed, therefore, is a comprehensive theology of the Christian life from beginning to end, along with an explication of the means of that transformation. In Called to Be Saints, Gordon Smith invites us to think theologically about what is means to be a mature Christian. To address matters of the Christian life and its spirituality effectively, we need to find an answer to the questions of what is the beginning of the Christian life, what is the character of Christian maturity, and what is the approach and means of the formation of this character. A comprehensive theology of the Christian life will address all three of these questions, that is, the beginning, the end, and the means by which one grows toward maturity. There are a number of publications regarding the initiation into the Christian faith. Moreover, there are likewise plenty of resources on the spiritual formation of believers. However, there are few resources regarding what it means to be a mature Christian. This book seeks to address this lacuna in Christian scholarship.

The chapters within address the goal and objective towards which Christians walk. That is, the end to which we are converted. The opening chapter makes the case for why such a theology is needed. It notes that there is a significant “sanctification gap” in the churches today – that is, there is a marked distinction between what we profess to be, i.e. saints, and what we actually are. However, there is a call to holiness – or perfection – made by the Father to participate in the life of Christ, through the power of the Spirit. As Aquinas stated, a thing is said to be perfect when it attains its proper end. Chapter 2 is the central chapter within the text, with its insistence that the Christian vision for maturity is one that is “in” Christ. To be a Christian is to be a disciple of Jesus, and a mature disciple is one who knows Jesus through the fruit of learning that leads to intimacy, loves Jesus such that he is the first and deepest love, and serves Jesus such that all one does is in response to Christ’s call and is an expression of allegiance to him.

Chapters 3 through 6 identify four distinctive features of a mature Christian, that is, what it means to fulfill the purpose for which we are created. There are also two appendices, the first of which is an invitation to pastors to consider what it means for the character of congregational life to be “in” Christ, and the second of which is an invitation to leaders within the academy to consider how they can design the life of the university setting around a vision of transformation “in” Christ. This text affirms that our lives are a gift that is offered to us in Christ.

Overall, this book is both a call and an invitation to live life “in Christ” – more precisely, to live a life that is the fruit of dynamic participation in the life of Christ. The title has four marks, all of which are presented as invitations: 1) to be a wise person and to pursue wisdom with passion and persistence; 2) to do good work in response to the call of Christ – i.e., vocational holiness; 3) to love others as one learns to live in love; and 4) to know the joy of God, which is the deep wellspring of the blessed life. Each of these – wisdom, good works, love, and joy – are offered to us in Christ.

Being consummately practical, this book presents a trinitarian theology of holiness that encompasses both justification and sanctification, as well as union with Christ and communion with God. Smith unfolds how and why Christians are called to become wise people, do good work, love others and enjoy rightly ordered affections. This is for the whole Christian community. It is a challenge to young people to establish early in their lives the kind of life that they wish to live. It is also a guide to those in midlife who might need to make midcourse corrections to their priorities in order to focus on what matters most. And finally, it encourages those who are in their senior years to be attentive to what sort of legacy they wish to leave behind them. For each group, it is about stewardship. Christians in every walk of life, therefore, will find this text a rich resource for learning what it means to “grow up in every way… into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). I recommend it to all comers.

Reviewed by Bradford McCall

Publisher page: http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=4030

Preview Called to Be Saints: https://books.google.com/books/about/Called_to_Be_Saints.html?id=OppYAgAAQBAJ