Watchman Nee, a martyr for his Christian faith, opens this book with a sobering definition of the world in which we live. He states that through his study of scripture, he finds that the world is hostile to Christianity because there is a mind behind the world order and that is the mind of Satan. He then proposes that all things trend toward this ruler of the world. They may start out under the Spirit of God--things such as families, businesses or great universities, but once the restraint of the divine is removed, those institutions revert in the opposite direction. For many years they may continue to be successful, but eventually their effectiveness is gone. He then deals with how we should live in our hostile surroundings--crucifixion, distinctiveness, lights, detachment and mutual refreshing. Many practical though difficult principles are given by which we may live victorious lives when from all sides we are pulled in the opposite direction. ( )