[12]"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee."-Isa. 23:3.
By this we see the secret of having perfect peace and fellowship with God. While our minds are stayed upon Him we will become mighty through God to the pulling down of the strongholds of Satan.
In the fourth chapter of Philippians Paul declares that if we are careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God, that the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.

[12]

Standing in the Gap
"And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none."
Read Ezekiel 22: 23-30.
As it was in the days of Ezekiel, so it is to-day in the Church. The people (church members) the prophets (pastors and teachers), the priests (intercessors), and the princes (church officials) have neglected the things of God and turned aside to the things of the world. Love of money, love of pleasure, love of praise, love of ease, and love of self have crowded out the love of God. As a result the church on the whole is void of the presence and power of God. "A gap-a breach" has been made, and the enemy is coming in like a flood.
Who Will Stand in the Gap?
Abraham stood in the gap when God revealed His purpose to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because their sin was very grievous. Every prayer was answered. When Abraham stopped praying the judgment of God fell upon the city. Even then God remembered Abraham and delivered Lot.
Moses stood in the gap at a time when God's wrath was kindled against Israel because of their idolatry, and again when they murmured against God's servants. As a result "the Lord repented of the evil which He thought to do unto the people," and again the Lord said, "I have pardoned according to Thy Word."
Samuel stood in the gap many years when the people lost the ark of Jehovah; and afterwards turned away from God and desired a king like the nations round about them; and again when king Saul disobeyed God, and spared Agag and the best of the sheep. It was then that Samuel "cried unto the Lord all night."
Elijah stood in the gap caused by the worship of Baal on the part of king Ahab, his wife and the people. For three and a half years Elijah stood alone in the breach until God answered by fire and His enemies were destroyed. Then His people fell on their faces, crying out: "The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God."
Job stood in the gap for his whole family when they spent their time feasting. He rose up early in the morning and offered burnt-offerings unto the Lord according to the number of them all; for Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually."
Where is an Abraham, or a Moses; a Samuel, or an Elijah, or a Job who will stand in the gap to-day? "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him." Battling in the Gap.
In Ezekiel's day, God said of His foolish prophets: "Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord." Ezek. 13: 5. Shall He say the same to-day? The battle is on-the battle between truth and error, between the right and the wrong, between God and Satan. Who among us will stand against the wiles of the devil and withstand in this evil day? God is taking out a people for His name (Acts 15:14), and therefore is looking for those who will firmly stand with Christ by faith in the midst of Jordan (the victory of Calvary) until all the people are passed over (Joshua 3:1-17).
The Holy Spirit helpeth our infirmity. He takes the faintest prayer of the humblest saint and ampli fies it, like a radio broadcasting station, until all heaven hears nothing else. The Holy Spirit so operates in and through the true Church on earth that He is restraining the mystery of iniquity and the manifestation of the lawless one, the man of sin, until the body of Christ is made ready for His glorious coming (2 Thess. 2: 5-10). This restraining power of the Holy Spirit depends upon God's armor-clad servants who are praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.'' Eph. 6:10-18. May God Depend on You?
The great majority of professing Christians in our churches to-day cannot be counted upon for this "fight of faith" against the powers of darkness. They are not able to ''stand in the gap." Says the "Watchman-Examiner" of New York: "J. Campbell White declared that Protestantism in North America, judged by fair tests, is not more than ten or fifteen per cent, efficient. What are fair tests? The following have been agreed on by groups of pastors and laymen: (1) Supernatural living-living a life that only Christ makes possible; (2) personal work-individual effort to make new disciples; (3) stewardship of life and property, acting as trustees of life and possessions instead of as owners; (4) prayer-power, illustrating the reality of prayer as the mightiest force outside of Omnipotence itself; (5) world vision and purpose, sharing Christ's passion to save the lost everywhere.''
If this statement is substantially true, and we believe it is, it shows the imperative need that every soldier of Christ Jesus should stand boldly in the Gap, clad in the whole armor of God, and wrestle against the powers of darkness until we all hear the shout, the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. This may mean the greatest revival the world has ever seen. Therefore continue to pray for a revival.-'' The Pentecostal Evangel.''
Christians are often heard openly confessing that they are both puzzled and mastered by thoughts which work in their minds, and evidence a fatal power in their lives. They also freely confess that they earnestly desire to have their thought-life cleansed and regulated, and they often pray, more or less vaguely and unintelligently, that God will do this thing for them.
This is a very big difficulty in multitudes of lives -a difficulty of which Satan takes constant advantage, until the souls he is robbing are enlightened by the Spirit to see and understand his devices, and therefore to see they are giving the consent of their wills to his mischievous movements within their minds.

Asher & Co., Printers, Richmond.