Miles J. Stanford, The Complete Green Letters , p. 20.

Sooner or later the Holy Spirit begins to make us aware of our basic problem as believers—the infinite difference between self and Christ....

Much of His preparation in our lives consists of setting up this struggle—our seeing self for what it is, and then attempting to get free from its evil power and influence. For there is no hope of consistent abiding in the Lord Jesus as long as we are under the dominion of the self-life, in which "dwelleth no good thing" (Rom. 7:18a).