The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - XLVI - Direction Eight continued

Required reading
The Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Direction Eight by reading 'the section entitled Faith's First Quenching Power' of Division Second of Second General Part.

My summary

Today we plough on with Direction Eight: 'Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.' (Eph. 6:16)

We continue the second general part which examines the quenching of the fiery darts by looking at the second division: the power and puissance of faith over this enemy.

Gurnall tells us that the fiery darts of Satan which the believing soul is able by faith to quench may be described as of two sorts:

(i) those that do pleasingly entice and bewitch with some seeming promises of satisfaction to the creature;

(ii) such as affright and carry horror with them.

It is the first sort, the darts that entice, that we are concerned with today.  

Gurnall affirms their fiery nature and then spends the rest of the section demonstrating Faith's power to quench them, including the darts of:

(i) lust of the flesh;

(ii) lust of the eyes;

(iii) pride of life.

What grabbed me

I liked the encouragement to see Satan's temptations through the eye of faith: 

'[How faith quenches the 'lust of the flesh.'] 

Question. How does faith quench this fiery dart of sensual delights? 

Answer 1. As it undeceives and takes off the mist from the Christian's eyes, whereby he is now enabled to see sin in its naked being and callow principles before Satan hath plumed [it]. It gives him the native taste and relish of sin before the devil hath sophisticated it with his sugared sauce. And truly, now sin proves a homely piece, a bitter morsel. Faith hath a piercing eye; it is 'the evidence of things not seen.' It looks behind the curtain of sense, and sees sin, before its fiery was on and it be dressed for the stage, to be a brat that comes from hell, and brings hell with it. Now, let Satan come if he please, and present a lust never so enticing, the Christian's answer is ready. 'Be not cheated, O my soul,' saith faith, 'with a lying spirit.' He shows thee a fair Rachel, but he intends thee a blear-eyed Leah; he promises joy, but he will pay thee sorrow. The clothes that make this lust so comely are not its own. The sweetness thou tastest is not native, but borrowed to deceive thee withal. 'Thou art Saul,' saith the woman of Endor, 'why hast thou deceived me?' Thus, faith can call sin and Satan by their own names when they come in a disguise. 'Thou art Satan,' saith faith, 'why wouldst thou deceive me? God hath said sin is bitter as gall and wormwood, and wouldst thou make me believe I can gather the sweet fruits of true delight from this root of bitterness? grapes from these thorns?'

Faith lets us see sin for what it really is!

Next week's readingContinue Direction Eight by commencing the section entitled 'Faith's Second Quenching Power' of Division Second of Second General Part by reading of Satan's fiery darts of atheism and blasphemy.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.