Book Summary
The Soul’s Conflict with Itself, first published in 1635, is a cornerstone of Puritan devotional literature penned by Richard Sibbes, a prominent English theologian and preacher of the 17th century. This work emerged during a tumultuous period in England, marked by religious dissent, political instability, and the rise of Puritanism as a powerful spiritual movement. Sibbes, often called "the heavenly doctor" for his comforting and insightful ministry, wrote this book amid personal health struggles and the broader societal unrest of his time. As a Puritan minister, he served as a preacher at Gray’s Inn in London and was deeply committed to guiding his flock through the spiritual and emotional challenges of the era. His writing reflects the Puritan emphasis on introspection, personal piety, and the believer’s intimate relationship with God, making this book a product of both his personal experience and the theological currents of the day. This historical backdrop enriches the text, offering readers a window into the concerns and aspirations of 17th-century Christians.
Setting the Stage
In this work, Sibbes tackles the pervasive reality of inner turmoil that afflicts even the most faithful believers. He opens by acknowledging that spiritual conflicts—such as doubt, fear, anxiety, and the weight of sin—are not aberrations but intrinsic to the human condition. Far from condemning these struggles, Sibbes presents them as opportunities for spiritual refinement and a deeper connection with God. To make his case, he draws extensively from Scripture, citing the experiences of biblical figures like King David, who wrestled with despair in the Psalms, and the Apostle Paul, who spoke of his own "thorn in the flesh." By grounding his arguments in these examples, Sibbes normalizes the reader’s struggles, offering a compassionate and relatable perspective.
The Tension Between Human Weakness and Divine Power
A key theme woven throughout The Soul’s Conflict with Itself is the dynamic relationship between human frailty and God’s sustaining strength. Sibbes argues that the soul’s unrest often arises from its separation from God—a separation exacerbated by sin, doubt, or worldly distractions. Yet, he frames this tension as a redemptive process, where human weakness becomes the stage for divine intervention. He frequently highlights the role of the Holy Spirit as a comforter and guide, promising believers a peace that surpasses earthly trials. This message would have been especially poignant for Sibbes’ original audience, many of whom faced persecution or personal hardship, as well as for Sibbes himself, who wrote during bouts of illness. His reflections on grace and mercy underscore a hopeful theology: that God’s power shines brightest in moments of human vulnerability, turning conflict into a source of spiritual renewal.
Practical Strategies for Overcoming Inner Conflict
Sibbes does not merely diagnose the soul’s struggles; he equips readers with practical tools to address them. He advocates for disciplined spiritual practices such as self-examination, where believers reflect honestly on their thoughts and actions, and fervent prayer, which he sees as a direct line to God’s strength and wisdom. Additionally, he emphasizes the importance of community, urging readers to seek support from fellow Christians to bolster their faith. Sibbes warns against dangers like despair, which can spiral into hopelessness, or prideful self-reliance, which cuts one off from divine help. His prose is vivid and evocative, often likening the soul to a storm-tossed ship or a weary pilgrim, imagery that brings his counsel to life. These strategies are not abstract; they are actionable steps designed to help readers navigate their spiritual battles with confidence and humility, rooted in a trust in God’s provision.
The Enduring Legacy of Sibbes’ Work
Nearly four centuries after its publication, The Soul’s Conflict with Itself remains a vital resource for those grappling with faith and doubt. Sibbes’ ability to blend theological depth with pastoral warmth has ensured its lasting appeal, influencing subsequent generations of Christian writers and thinkers. His insights into the human soul—its struggles, its resilience, and its capacity for redemption—transcend the specific context of 17th-century Puritanism, speaking to universal experiences of spiritual longing and growth. Modern readers, whether facing personal crises or seeking a deeper faith, find in Sibbes a wise and empathetic guide. The book’s enduring relevance is a testament to its author’s profound understanding of the human condition and his unwavering belief in the transformative power of God’s grace.
The Soul's Conflict with Itself
Want to support our work? Please purchase the book on Amazon and leave a positive review.
Free Book Preview (In Modern English)
Author's Preface: Finding Comfort in Troubled Times
There are always two types of people in the visible Church. One type is kept under by Satan with false peace; their lives are just distractions with present pleasures, avoiding God and their own hearts because they know nothing good can come from them. These people speak peace to themselves, but God does not speak peace to them. This Scripture does not apply to them; for these people to find comfort, they need to be genuinely troubled first. True peace comes from knowing the worst first and then being free from it. It's a miserable peace that comes from ignoring evil. The angel stirred the waters and then healed those who stepped in. It's Christ's way to trouble our souls first and then come with healing in His wings.
But there is another group of people, who have been drawn out of Satan's kingdom and are within the Covenant of grace, whom Satan tries to unsettle and disturb. Being the god of this world, he is annoyed to see people in the world living above worldly concerns. Since he cannot change their situation, he will trouble their peace, dampen their spirits, and weaken their efforts. These people should examine themselves as David does here and work to maintain their portion and the glory of a Christian life. For whatever is in God or comes from God is meant for their comfort. God himself is the God of comfort; his Spirit is best known by that role. Our blessed Savior was so concerned that his disciples should not be too discouraged that he forgot his own bitter suffering to comfort them, even though he knew they would all abandon him: "Let not your hearts be troubled," he says (John 14:1). And his own soul was troubled to the point of death, so that we should not be troubled: everything written is for this purpose; every article of faith has a special role in comforting a believing soul. They are not only food but also medicine: Yes, he even swore an oath, so that we might not only have consolation but strong consolation. The sacraments confirm all the comforts we have through the death of Christ; the practice of religion, like prayer, hearing, reading, etc., is so that our joy may be full: the communion of saints is mainly intended to comfort the faint-hearted and strengthen the weak. God's governance of his Church aims for this. Why does he make our journey sweeter and let us see so many comforting days in the world, except that we should serve him with cheerful and good hearts? As for hardships, he only brings us down to lift us up, empties us so he can fill us, and melts us so we can be vessels of glory, loving us as much in the furnace as when we are out, and standing by us all the while. We are troubled, but not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken (2 Cor. 4:8-9). If we consider the fatherly love from which afflictions come, how they are not only moderated but sweetened and sanctified in the end for us, how can it not provide comfort in the greatest seeming discomforts? How then can we let our emotions run wild with sorrow without being unfair to God and his providence, as if we would teach him how to govern his Church?
How ungrateful it is to forget our comfort and only focus on our troubles: to think so much about two or three problems that we forget a hundred blessings. To draw poison from something where we should be drawing honey. How foolish it is to restrict and darken our own spirits and make ourselves unfit for doing or receiving good. A limb out of joint can't do anything without deformity and pain; being downcast takes away the soul's motivation.
Out of all people, Satan has the most advantage over those who are discontented, as they are most similar to his nature, being the most discontented creature under heaven. He crafts all his dark schemes in their minds. The discontentment of the Israelites in the wilderness provoked God to swear that they would never enter His rest (Heb. 3:11). God says, "There is another spirit in my servant Caleb"; the spirit of God's people is an encouraging spirit. Wisdom teaches them that if they feel any grievances, they should conceal them from others who are weaker, so they are not discouraged. God threatens it as a curse to give a trembling heart and sorrow of mind, whereas, on the contrary, joy is like oil to the soul, making duties come off cheerfully and sweetly from ourselves, graciously to others, and acceptably to God. A prince cannot endure it in his subjects, nor a father in his children, to be sulking in their presence. Such people usually have secret pleasures to delight themselves in.
How many people are scared away from religion because of the shame that sometimes comes with it? But what are these discouragements compared to the encouragements that religion brings? These are so amazing that even the angels admire them. Yes, religion does bring challenges, but it also brings comforts that are greater than those challenges. Isn't it a dishonor to religion to think that God won't support and honor His followers, as if serving Him isn't the best service? What a shame it is for someone destined for heaven to be upset over every small loss and challenge. To be afraid of a person who is just human and not stand up for a good cause, especially when we know God will support and comfort us, and His presence can make even the greatest suffering bearable.
My discussion isn't meant to stop people from feeling grief and mourning. Light for the righteous is planted in sorrow. Our separation from the Lord, living in a world full of tears, our daily weaknesses, and our empathy for others require it. Where there is the most grace, there is the most sensitivity, just like in Christ. But we must distinguish between grief and that heaviness and discouragement of spirit, which comes with complaining and neglecting duty. When Joshua was too upset about Israel retreating before their enemies, God corrected him, saying, "Get up, Joshua, why are you lying on your face?" (Josh. 7:10).
Some people think that after committing a serious sin, a person should immediately feel comforted and believe without humbling themselves at all. Indeed, once we are in Christ, we should not question our standing with Him, and if we do, it doesn't come from the Spirit. However, a guilty conscience will be loud and full of objections, and God will not speak peace to it until it is humbled. God will let His best children understand what it means to be too bold with sin, as we see in David and Peter, who felt no peace until they renewed their repentance. The way to rejoice with indescribable and glorious joy is to stir up sighs that cannot be expressed. The knowledge of our state in grace should not prevent us from being humble; in fact, understanding God's love for us naturally brings sorrow and shame for offending His Majesty.
One main thing that stops Christians from being joyful is that they allow themselves too much freedom to question their reasons for comfort and their connection to the promises. They say, "This is wonderfully comforting, but what does it mean for me? The promise doesn't belong to me." This comes from not being diligent enough to make sure of their calling for themselves. We find comfort more quickly through watchfulness and diligence than through idle complaining. Our focus should be on getting solid proof of a good state and then keeping that proof clear. We shouldn't listen to our own fears and doubts or the suggestions of our enemy, who tries to undermine our proof. Instead, we should listen to the Word and our own consciences enlightened by the Spirit. It is pride and stubbornness to reject comfort for ourselves. Christians should work to strengthen their claim. We are never more in heaven, before we get there, than when we can read our proofs. It makes us spend much time with God, sweetens all situations, and makes us willing to do and suffer anything. It gives us comforting and honorable thoughts about ourselves, as being too good for serving any base desire, and brings confidence in God both in life and death.
But what if our situation is so dark that we can't understand our evidence at all?
Look up to God's infinite mercy in Christ, just like we did at the beginning when we found no goodness in ourselves. This is the way to recover anything we think we have lost. By honoring God's mercy in Christ, we receive the Spirit of Christ. So, when the waters of sanctification are troubled and unclear, let's turn to the witness of blood. Sometimes God seems to act in ways that are opposite to Himself; He seems to discourage us, but secretly He encourages us, like with the woman of Canaan. But faith can discover these ways of God and untie these knots by looking to God's free promise and merciful nature. Let our foolish and rebellious flesh complain as much as it wants, asking, "Who are you? And what is your worth?" Yet a Christian knows whom they believe. Faith has learned to set God against everything else.
Again, we must continue to add grace upon grace. A growing and fruitful Christian is always a comfortable Christian; the oil of grace brings forth the oil of gladness. Christ is first a King of righteousness, and then a King of peace; the righteousness that He works by His Spirit brings a peace of sanctification. Although we are not freed from sin, we are enabled to fight against it and to gain victory over it. Some degree of comfort follows every good action, just as heat comes with fire and as beams and influences come from the sun. This is so true that even non-Christians, when acting with a good conscience, have found comfort and peace in return; this is a reward before our ultimate reward.
Another thing that hinders the comfort of Christians is that they forget what a gracious and merciful covenant they live under, where the perfection that is required is found in Christ. Perfection in us is sincerity. What is the purpose of faith but to bring us to Christ? Now, even imperfect faith, if sincere, connects us to Christ, in whom our perfection lies.
God's purpose in the covenant of grace is to highlight the abundance of His mercy above all human sin and unworthiness. We give Him more glory for His mercy by believing than it would give to His justice to destroy us. If we were perfect on our own, we wouldn't honor Him as much as we do when we strive to be found in Christ, having His righteousness upon us.
There is no part of Scripture used more often to lift up discouraged spirits than this: "Why are you cast down, O my soul?" It is figurative and full of rhetoric, and all of it is needed to persuade the troubled soul to quietly trust in God. Without this self-reflection and questioning of our hearts, it will never happen. Chrysostom describes a man burdened with troubles coming into the Church, and when he heard this passage read, he immediately recovered and became a different person. Just as David became familiar with this way of dealing with his soul, we should do the same by asking ourselves why we are cast down. This will at least check and stop the distress, making us ready to consider more solid grounds for true comfort.
The soul needs to be calmed and settled before it can be comforted. Just like when the body is in great disorder, you can't give medicine, when the soul is overwhelmed by emotion, it can't take in any advice. It needs to be gradually calmed so it can listen to reason. Sometimes, it's more effective to use ordinary reasoning, which is more familiar, than to use higher reasoning based on our spiritual condition in Christ. For example, considering human nature's tendency to change or the pointlessness of giving in to emotions over things we can't control. These kinds of reasons can help calm the situation temporarily, but they don't address the core issue, which is sin, the root of all troubles. However, when these thoughts are made spiritual through faith and based on higher principles, they can have a greater impact on the soul. Just like the moon's influence becomes stronger when combined with the sun's influence, these reasons become more effective. Sometimes, having a candle nearby is just as useful as the sun itself.
But our main concern should be to have Gospel-based sources of comfort close to us, like being reconciled with God, which makes everything else right with us, adoption, and communion with Christ, etc., which are never sweeter than when we are facing hardships. Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, who was a prisoner for a long time under Charles the Fifth, was asked what kept him going all that time. He answered that he felt the divine comforts of the martyrs. There are divine comforts that are felt during hardships and not at other times.
Besides personal troubles, many people are very discouraged by the current state of the Church, seeing the blood of so many saints being shed and the enemies often winning. But God has strategies, like Joshua at Ai; He sometimes seems to retreat so He can attack His enemies with a greater advantage. The end of all these troubles will no doubt be the downfall of the Antichristian faction, and we will see the Church in her more perfect beauty. The enemies will be put in their rightful place, the lowest, which is the footstool of Christ. The Church, as it is highest in God's favor, will also be highest in itself. The mountain of the Lord will be exalted above all mountains. Even in the worst condition, the Church has two faces: one towards heaven and Christ, which is always constant and glorious; another towards the world, which appears contemptible and changeable. But God will eventually give her beauty for ashes and double glory for her shame, and she will ultimately prevail. In the meantime, the power of the enemies is in God's hand. The Church of God conquers even when it seems defeated, just as our Head, Christ, did, who overcame by patience as well as by power. Christ's victory was on the Cross. The spirit of a Christian conquers even when their person is conquered.
The way is, instead of getting discouraged, to look for all the promises made to the Church in these later times, turn them into prayers, and earnestly ask God to fulfill them. Then we will soon see God both cursing His enemies and blessing His people from Zion, through the faithful prayers that rise up from there.
In all the promises, we should especially turn to God. In all storms, there is plenty of space in the infinite goodness of God for faith to move forward with full sails.
And remember that whenever God is mentioned, we should understand it as God in the promised Messiah, who is shown to us in many ways. To make these passages more powerful when we read them, we in today's Church should think of God shining on us through Christ, and as our Father in Him. If people had so much confidence with so little light, it's shameful for us not to be confident in good things when we have such strong light around us; especially when we claim to believe that a crown of righteousness is waiting for all who love His coming. Presenting these things to the soul through faith sets the soul in such a strong position that no discouragement can affect it. "We do not lose heart," says Paul. Why doesn't he lose heart? Because these light and short troubles bring about an overwhelming weight of glory (2 Cor. 4:16-17).
Luther, when he saw Melancthon, a godly and learned man, too upset about the state of the Church at that time, started to scold him, just like David does with his own soul here. "I strongly hate those miserable worries," he said, "that make you feel so worn out. It's not the importance of the issue, but the lack of belief. If the cause is false, let's take it back. If it's true, why do we make God, with His rich promises, seem like a liar? Fight against yourself, your greatest enemy; why do we fear the defeated world when we have the conqueror Himself on our side?"
Now, let me say a few words about the publication of this treatise. I started preaching on this text about twelve years ago in the city, and later finished it at Gray's Inn. After that, some people got hold of incomplete notes and tried to publish them without my knowledge. To set things right, I decided to organize them into this form: There is a dedicated and scholarly gentleman from Gray's Inn who recently published observations on the whole psalm, and another who did a great job on this very verse. Many others, through treatises on faith and similar topics, have greatly contributed to the spiritual peace of Christians. It would be wonderful if we all joined in doing what the Apostle took pride in—being helpers of the joy of God's people. Due to my absence while the work was being printed, some sentences were mistaken. Some people might be quick to criticize the efforts of others; but as long as good is being done, let those ill-disposed individuals be as they are, unless God changes their hearts. So, I commend you and this humble treatise to God's blessing.
Gray's Inn, July 1, 1635.
R. Sibbes.
Introduction: David's Struggle in Psalm 42
Why art thou cast down O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. - Psalm 42:11
The Psalms are like the anatomy of a holy person, revealing the inner life of a truly devout individual for others to see. If the Scriptures are compared to a body, the Psalms can be considered the heart, as they are filled with deep emotions and feelings. In other parts of Scripture, God speaks to us; but in the Psalms, holy people speak to God and to their own hearts.
In this Psalm, we see the intense expressions of a broken and troubled spirit.
At this time, David was a man in exile, banished from his own home, from his friends, and, what troubled him the most, from the house of God, because of Saul's persecution, who hunted him like a partridge on the mountains. See how this affects him.
1. He reveals his desire that comes from his love. Love is the main and leading emotion of the soul, and grief comes from being denied what we love. To fully express his affection, he uses an example of a deer. No deer chased by hunters longs for water more than my heart longs for you, O God. Even though he felt God's presence with him in exile, there is a sweeter presence of God in his ordinances, which he now missed and felt deeply. Places and situations are happy or miserable depending on how much God grants his gracious presence. Therefore, he asks, "When, O when shall it be, that I appear before God?" (Ps. 42:2).
2. Then, after expressing his strong desire, he shares his grief, which he couldn't hold back and had to release through tears. He had such a deep well of sorrow within him that it fueled his tears day and night. The only relief he found was to turn this cloud of grief into a shower of tears.
But why does he let his grief take over like this?
Because along with being banished from God's house, his enemies mocked his religion, asking, "Where is now your God?" Troubles don't come alone, but follow one another like Job's messengers. These harsh taunts, along with the memory of his past happiness in communion with God in His house, deeply affected him. He remembered how he used to go with the crowd into the house of God, leading a fine group with him. As a good leader and head of a family, he was eager not to go to the house of God alone, nor to heaven alone, but to bring as many as he could with him. Oh! The memory of this made him pour out not just his words or tears, but his very soul. Past blessings and happiness make the soul more aware of all opposing feelings. Because of this, finding his soul overly sensitive, he questions himself: "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?"
But even though remembering the past sweetness of God's presence helped him a bit, his grief wouldn't be calmed, and it started to build up again. One sorrow called upon another, like one deep wave following another without stopping, until his soul was almost overwhelmed by these waters. Yet, he managed to recover a little by looking up to God, expecting that God would quickly and powerfully send His loving kindness to lift him up, comfort him, and give him songs in the night. Despite all this, his unruly grief wouldn't settle down and attacked again when his enemies mocked him. Their words felt like swords to him, and his heart, being very tender and sensitive to grief, was hurt deeply by these sharp words. So, he went back to his tried and true remedy: scolding his soul and commanding it to trust in God.
Lessons from David's Struggle: Suffering and the Christian Life
Observation #1: Hence, in general, we can observe that grief, when it builds up, won't be calmed right away. We see here emotions mixed with comforts, and comforts with emotions, and how much struggle there is before David can gain control over his own heart. Some Christians with little patience think that if they aren't comforted immediately, all effort with their hearts is pointless, and they give in to their grief. But we see in David, as one problem arises after another, he counters each one, giving his soul repeated reminders and commands until he finally brings it to a calm state. In medicine, if one treatment doesn't remove the harmful humor, we try a second, and if that doesn't work, we try a third. We should do the same with our souls. Perhaps one reminder or command won't work, so we must address the soul again, send it to God again, and never stop until our souls are at peace once more.
Again, in general, notice in David's spirit that a gracious and living soul is most aware of the lack of spiritual resources.
Reason: The reason is that spiritual life has a corresponding taste, and a hunger and thirst for spiritual help.
Observation #2: We see in nature that things necessary for survival are more pressing than those meant for enjoyment. Necessities keep us alive, while delights only make life more comfortable. We can see how famine drove the Patriarchs to go into Egypt. This shows us what to think about those who willingly separate themselves from the gatherings of God's people, where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are present, and where the prayers of holy people come together and, in a way, bind God and bring down God's blessing. No private devotion has the same level of acceptance from heaven.
Observation #3: A third general point is that a godly soul, because of the life of grace, knows when things are going well and when they are not. It knows when it's having a good day and when it's having a bad one. When God shines through the use of certain means, the soul feels like it's in heaven. But when God withdraws, the soul experiences a period of darkness. For those who only have a natural principle without sanctifying grace, they just keep going through the motions, ending up where they started. They're not bothered by changes because there's nothing inside them to be troubled. So, whether there are dead means, lively means, or no means at all, it makes no difference to them, which is a sign of a dead soul. And so we come more specifically to the words: "Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me?" (Ps. 42:5).
The words imply David's situation he was in, and describe his behavior in that situation.
His situation was such that, in terms of his external circumstances, he faced many troubles; and in terms of his inner state of mind, he was first brought low and then unsettled.
Now, regarding how he behaves in this situation and state of mind, he is straightforward with himself: David talks to himself, first scolding himself for being too cast down, and then for being too anxious.
And then he makes a commitment to himself to trust in God. Here, we see the duty he imposes on himself, which is to trust in God, and the reasons for this duty.
First, from the confidence that better times will come, which would give him a reason to praise God.
And then by showing him that God is a saving God in all troubles, even as salvation itself, an open glorious Savior for everyone to see, "The salvation of my countenance," and all this is emphasized because of David's relationship with God, "He is my God."
Observation #1: Notice first, from the state he was in, that since guilt and corruption entered human nature through the fall, it has been subjected to misery and sorrow in all conditions, from the king on the throne to the person working at the mill. No one has ever been so good or so great that they could lift themselves above the reach of troubles.
1. And that special group of people, the best and most excellent among the rest (which we call the Church), more than others, is evident when we consider the Head, the Body, and the members of the Church. For the Head, Christ, took on our human nature as it was subject to suffering after the fall, and because of what He endured both in life and death, He was a man of sorrows.
2. For the body of the Church, it can say from the beginning to the end as it is in Psalm 129:1: "From my youth they have afflicted me." The Church began in blood, has grown up by blood, and shall end in blood, as it was redeemed by blood.
3. All the members are predestined to be like Christ their Head, in both grace and glory, as well as in suffering (Rom. 8:29). It's no surprise for those born as soldiers to face battles, for travelers to encounter difficulties, for sailors to face storms, or for strangers in a foreign land (especially among enemies) to experience unusual treatment.
A Christian is a person from another world and is away from home here, which they would forget if they weren't challenged here, and would take their journey to their homeland. But even though all Christians agree and understand that "through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22), there is a different experience given to each person according to their place, abilities, and grace.
Application: And so, it's just an excuse from our flesh to complain about suffering, saying, "No one has ever been as troubled as I am." This is just self-pity, because wasn't this also true for the Head, Body, and members, as we see here with David, an important member? When he found himself in this situation, he reasoned with himself, "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?"
Observation #2: From how David felt during his troubles, we can see that all of God's people go through difficulties. They often feel these troubles deeply, to the point of feeling down and discouraged. The reason is that they are human, just like everyone else, and experience the same emotions and reactions to outside events. Their nature relies on the same support and comfort as others, and when these are taken away or lacking, it affects them. Besides the troubles they share with others, because of their new status and mindset from Christ, they are more sensitive to troubles that affect their blessed condition. This comes from the new life they have in Christ, which becomes clearer when we look at the specific causes of this distress, some of which are external and some internal.
Want to keep reading? Purchase the entire book on Amazon and support our ministry.
