“And so old Mr Strong is a soldier, anyway,” said Frank.
“Yes, and a conqueror,” said Jem. “Don’t you remember, ‘He that ruleth his spirit is greater than he that taketh a city.’”
“Yes,” said David, thoughtfully. “Mr Strong is a soldier, and, Frank, he is fighting the very same battle that papa is fighting—for the honour of Christ. It is that they are all fighting for in one way or other. It is that that makes it warring a good warfare, you know.”
“No,” said Frank, “I am afraid I don’t know much about it. Tell me, Davie.”
“Oh, I don’t pretend to know much about it, either,” said David, with a look at Jem. But Jem shrugged his shoulders.
“You should have asked papa,” said he.
“Go ahead, Davie,” said Frank.
“Well,” said David, with some hesitation, “it is supposed that all Christians are like their masters—more or less. He was ‘holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners;’ and that is not an easy thing for any man or boy to be, and so all have to fight with themselves, and the world—”
“And with the devil,” said Jem. “The principalities and powers, you know.”
“I suppose so, but we don’t know much about that, only the end of it all is that they may become like Christ—so that they may make Him known to the world.”