The Christian In Complete Armour

[warrior12]

The title of the topic, is the name of a book written by William Gurnall in the 1600. Written in the said time old english, it was rewritten in a more easily readable english.  As I endeavour to read this book to completion, I want to share some lines that this man wrote, that I think is intriqing and agreeable with my spirit.  

Please comment as you please .  The first post here I will introduce the book as printed on the opening pages. From then on, I will post passages that is intresting and I see as truths also. 

The book can also be downloaded from the net in pdf format freely.

Of the Saints' War against the Devil:
Wherein a Discovery is made of that grand Enemy of God and his People,
in his Policies,
Power, Seat of his Empire, Wickedness, and chief design he hath against the
Saings.
A Magazine Opened,
From whence the Christian is furnished with Spiritual Arms for the Battle,
helped on with his Armour,
and taught the use of his Weapon: together with the happy issue of the
whole War.
By William Gurnall, M.A.,
Of Emanuel College, Pastor of the Church of Christ, Lavenham, Suffolk.
ACCURATELY REPRINTED FROM THE AUTHOR'S OWN EDITIONS.
With a Biographical Introduction,
By the Rev. J. C. Ryle, B.A.

 

pg. 11

Now having set every one in his proper place,
about his particular duty; as a wise general after he
has ranged his army, and drawn them forth into rank
and file, he makes the following speech at the head of
the Ephesian camp, all in martial phrase, as best
suiting the Christian's calling, which is a continued
warfare with the world, and the prince of the world.
The speech itself contains TWO PARTS.

FIRST, A short but sweet and powerful
encouragement, Eph. 6:10. SECONDLY, The other
part is spent in several directions for their managing
this war the more successfully, with some motives
here and there sprinkled among them, Eph. 6:11-20.
We begin with the first.

[warrior12]

In continuation of the reading of this book.   

Pg  19

Use Second.—Let this then exhort you, Christians, to labour for this holy
resolution and prowess, which is so needful for your Christian profession,
that without it you cannot be what you profess.

The fearful are in the forlorn of those that march for hell, Rev. 21; the violent and valiant are they
which take heaven by force: cowards never won heaven. Say not that thou
hast royal blood running in thy veins, and art begotten of God, except thou
canst prove thy pedigree by this heroic spirit, to dare to be holy despite men
and devils.

The eagle tries her young ones by the sun; Christ tries his
children by their courage, that dare to look on the face of death and danger
for his sake, Mark 8:34, 35. O how uncomely a sight is it to see, a bold sinner
and a fearful saint, one resolved to be wicked, and a Christian wavering in
his holy course; to see guilt put innocence to flight, and hell keep the field,
impudently braving it with displayed banners of open profaneness; [to see]
saints hide their colours for shame, or run from them for fear, who should
rather wrap themselves in them, and die upon the place, than thus betray the
glorious name of God, which is called upon by them to the scorn of the
uncircumcised.

Take heart therefore, O ye saints, and be strong; your cause
is good, God himself espouseth your quarrel, who hath appointed you his
own Son, General of the field, called 'the Captain of our salvation,’ Heb. 2:10.
He shall lead you on with courage, and bring you off with honour. He lived
and died for you; he will live and die with you; for mercy and tenderness to
his soldiers, none like him.

Edited July 8, 2024 by warrior12

[Who me]

18 hours ago, warrior12 said:

taught the use of his Weapon

 

7 hours ago, warrior12 said:

Let this then exhort you, Christians, to labour for this holy
resolution and prowess, which is so needful for your Christian profession,
that without it you cannot be what you profess.

Two quotes that strongly indicate the Christian is not merely pew fodder, passively  sitting there but is an active recuit being engaged  in his training to use his weapons.

 

Who wants to stand in the battle line with unfit, untrained soldiers who haven't trained and practised using their weapons.

[warrior12]

1 hour ago, Who me said:

 

Two quotes that strongly indicate the Christian is not merely pew fodder, passively  sitting there but is an active recuit being engaged  in his training to use his weapons.

 

Who wants to stand in the battle line with unfit, untrained soldiers who haven't trained and practised using their weapons.

Yes, and we are reminded of what are our weapons . Here Paul states it clearly.

⁴ The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 

⁵ We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [as a church] is complete.

 

[First and the Last]

1 hour ago, warrior12 said:

Yes, and we are reminded of what are our weapons . Here Paul states it clearly.

⁴ The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 

⁵ We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [as a church] is complete.

 

Some more insight:

2 Corinthians 10:4, "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)"

Emphasizes the spiritual nature of the believer's battle and the divine power available to overcome spiritual strongholds. The "weapons of our warfare" are not physical or worldly, but spiritual and mighty through God. This indicates that the tools and strategies for spiritual victory come from God and are empowered by His Spirit, rather than relying on human strength or conventional means.

These spiritual weapons to include prayer, fasting, the Word of God, faith, and the power of the Holy Spirit. These are essential for confronting and overcoming the strongholds—deep-seated patterns of sin, false beliefs, and demonic influences—that oppose God's truth and hinder spiritual growth. The phrase "pulling down of strong holds" speaks to the effectiveness and authority of these spiritual weapons in demolishing anything that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.

This perspective encourages believers to engage in spiritual disciplines and rely on God's power rather than their own abilities. It reinforces the belief in the transformative power of the Holy Spirit to bring about change, deliverance, and victory in the life of a believer. Thus we reminded that our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces, and that through God's mighty power, we can achieve triumph over any opposition. This understanding fosters a reliance on God's strength and an active, faith-filled approach to spiritual warfare.

 

2 Corinthians 10:5, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"

Continues the theme of spiritual warfare, emphasizing the need to confront and conquer thoughts and ideologies that oppose God's truth. "Casting down imaginations" refers to rejecting false reasoning, deceptive philosophies, and any arguments that conflict with the knowledge of God. United Pentecostals see this as an essential aspect of maintaining spiritual integrity and purity.

The phrase "every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God" speaks to the prideful attitudes and erroneous beliefs that challenge or distort divine truth. Such strongholds must be actively dismantled through the application of biblical truth and the power of the Holy Spirit.

"Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" highlights the importance of aligning one's mind with Christ's teachings. This involves a deliberate effort to control and redirect one's thoughts, ensuring they conform to the principles and commands of Jesus. This underscores the necessity of a disciplined mind, renewed by the Word of God, and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in guiding believers toward righteous thinking and living.

This perspective encourages believers to engage in self-examination and to be vigilant against any influence that might lead them away from God's truth. It promotes a proactive approach to spiritual growth, where believers actively reject falsehood and embrace the transformative power of Christ's teachings. This passage serves as a call to live in obedience to Christ, fostering a mindset that is continually renewed and aligned with God's will.

[warrior12]

Be strong in the Lord.

[Why the saint's strength is laid up in God.]

pg 30

Use Second. Doth the Christian's strength lie in God, not in himself? This
may for ever keep the Christian humble, when most engaged in duty, most
assisted in his Christian course. Remember, Christian, when thou hast thy
best suit on, who made it, who paid for it.

Thy grace, thy comfort is neither
the work of thy own hands, nor the price of thy own desert; be not, for
shame, proud of another's cost. That assistance will not long stay which
becomes a nurse to thy pride; thou art not lord of that assistance thou hast.

Thy Father is wise, who when he alloweth thee most for thy spiritual
maintenance, even then keeps the law in his own hands, and can soon curb
thee, if thou growest wanton with his grace.

Walk humbly therefore beforethy God, and husband well that strength thou hast, remembering that it is
borrowed strength. Who will waste what he begs? or who will give that
beggar that spends idly his alms? when thou hast most, thou canst not be
long from thy God's door. And how canst thou look him on the face for
more, who hast embezzled what thou hast received?

[warrior12]

pg 39

[Of acting our faith on the almighty
power of God, AS ENGAGED FOR OUR HELP.]

Fourth Tie. The saints' dependence on God, and expectation from God in
all their straits, oblige his power for their succour. Whither doth a gracious
soul fly in any want or danger from sin, Satan, or his instruments, but to his
God? As naturally as the cony to her burrow. ‘What time I am afraid,’ saith
David, ‘I will trust in thee,’ Ps. 56:3. He tells God he will make bold of his
house to step into when taken in any storm, and doth not question his
welcome.

Thus when Saul hunted him, he left a city of gates and bars to
trust God in open field. Indeed all the saints are taught the same lesson, to
renounce their own strength, and rely on the power of God; their own
policy, and cast themselves on the wisdom of God; their own righteousness,
and expect all from the pure mercy of God in Christ, which act of faith is so
pleasing to God, that such a soul shall never be ashamed, ‘The expectation
of the poor shall not perish,’ Ps. 9:18.

A heathen could say, when a bird
scared by a hawk flew into his bosom, I will not betray thee unto thy
enemy, seeing thou comest for sanctuary unto me. How much less will God
yield up a soul unto its enemy when it takes sanctuary in his name, saying,
‘Lord, I am hunted with such a temptation, dogged with such a lust, either
thou must pardon it, or I am damned; mortify it, or I shall be a slave to it;
take me into the bosom of thy love, for Christ's sake; castle me in the arms
of thy everlasting strength, it is in thy power to save me from, or give me up
into, the hands of my enemy.

I have no confidence in myself or any other:
into thy hands I commit my cause, my life, and rely on thee.’ This
dependence of a soul undoubtedly will awaken the almighty power of God
for such an one's defence. He hath sworn the greatest oath that can come
out of his blessed lips, even by himself, that such as thus fly for refuge to
hope in him, shall have strong consolation, Heb. 6:17. This indeed may give
the saints the greater boldness of faith to expect kindly entertainment when
he repair to God for refuge, because he cannot come before he is looked
for. God having set up his name and promises as a strong tower, both calls
his people into these chambers, and expects they should betake themselves
thither.

Edited July 25, 2024 by warrior12

[farouk]

On 7/25/2024 at 7:56 PM, warrior12 said:

pg 39

[Of acting our faith on the almighty
power of God, AS ENGAGED FOR OUR HELP.]

Fourth Tie. The saints' dependence on God, and expectation from God in
all their straits, oblige his power for their succour. Whither doth a gracious
soul fly in any want or danger from sin, Satan, or his instruments, but to his
God? As naturally as the cony to her burrow. ‘What time I am afraid,’ saith
David, ‘I will trust in thee,’ Ps. 56:3. He tells God he will make bold of his
house to step into when taken in any storm, and doth not question his
welcome.

Thus when Saul hunted him, he left a city of gates and bars to
trust God in open field. Indeed all the saints are taught the same lesson, to
renounce their own strength, and rely on the power of God; their own
policy, and cast themselves on the wisdom of God; their own righteousness,
and expect all from the pure mercy of God in Christ, which act of faith is so
pleasing to God, that such a soul shall never be ashamed, ‘The expectation
of the poor shall not perish,’ Ps. 9:18.

A heathen could say, when a bird
scared by a hawk flew into his bosom, I will not betray thee unto thy
enemy, seeing thou comest for sanctuary unto me. How much less will God
yield up a soul unto its enemy when it takes sanctuary in his name, saying,
‘Lord, I am hunted with such a temptation, dogged with such a lust, either
thou must pardon it, or I am damned; mortify it, or I shall be a slave to it;
take me into the bosom of thy love, for Christ's sake; castle me in the arms
of thy everlasting strength, it is in thy power to save me from, or give me up
into, the hands of my enemy.

I have no confidence in myself or any other:
into thy hands I commit my cause, my life, and rely on thee.’ This
dependence of a soul undoubtedly will awaken the almighty power of God
for such an one's defence. He hath sworn the greatest oath that can come
out of his blessed lips, even by himself, that such as thus fly for refuge to
hope in him, shall have strong consolation, Heb. 6:17. This indeed may give
the saints the greater boldness of faith to expect kindly entertainment when
he repair to God for refuge, because he cannot come before he is looked
for. God having set up his name and promises as a strong tower, both calls
his people into these chambers, and expects they should betake themselves
thither.

@warrior12 Great passage, Ephesians 6 (the thread title is also the name of a commentary on Ephesians 6).

[Bruce_Leiter]

Does your author ever get to verses 18-20, which describe the ties that our needed prayers provide to hold the armor on our bodies, so to speak?

Persistent prayer by way of Jesus' victory is the key to winning the warfare against the devil and the demons (for example, 1 Thessalonians 5:17--pray all the time).

I comment in brotherly love that you stated at the beginning that your spirit agreed with this author's writings. My suggestion is that you consider studying the Bible itself more than authors who talk about the Bible. I find such study to be much more fulfilling.

My other suggestion is that you find a Bible-study group of Christians who are willing to discuss and stick closely with the Bible, perhaps in the church that you attend.

[hishandmaiden]

It is important that we put on the armor of God at all times, for the devil is a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. If we do not want to be devoured, we need to fight him, and we do so by going on our knees in intercessory prayers.

We also need to test the latest teachings with the Word of God, and not fall to every doctrine that comes our ways.

Our warfare is not physical but spiritual.