“This is the saddest warfare that any poor creature can be engaged in. A soul under the power of conviction from the law, is pressed to fight against sin, but hath no strength for the combat. They cannot but fight, and they can never conquer; they are like men thrust on the sword of enemies, in purpose to be slain. The law drives them on, and sin beats them back. Sometimes they think indeed that they have foiled sin, when they have only raised a dust so that they see it not; that is, they distemper their natural affections of fear, sorrow and anguish, which makes them believe that sin is conquered, when it is not touched. But that time they are cold, they must to the battle again; and the lust which they thought to be slain, appears to have had no wound.”
The Saddest Warfare
The Mortification of Sin, John Owen