The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - LVI - Direction Ten commenced

Required readingThe Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall (Available from Amazon or free here) - Commence Direction Tenth by reading up to the Second General Head of the First General Part.

My summary

This week we commence the tenth direction: 'And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God' (Ephesians vi. 17).

Firstly Gurnall gives two observables from the words:

(i) mark the kind or sort of arms here appointed for the Christian's use (defensive and offensive);

(ii) observe the order and place wherein this piece of armour stands.

Then Gurnall divides the text into three parts

(i) the weapon itself, that is, the word of God;

(ii) the metaphor in which it is sheathed - the sword, with the person whose it is - the sword of the Spirit;

(iii) an exhortation to make use of this weapon and directions how.

Today we start unpacking the first part, what is here meant by the Word of God and Gurnall's doctrine is that the Holy Scriptures are the undoubted word of God.

He then proceeds to his first head of the first part: the proof of the divinity of the Scriptures from their subject matter.  He asks us to consider that the Scriptures have the image of God on them because of the:

(i) historical parts;

(ii) prophetical parts;

(iii) doctrinal parts;

(iv) perceptive parts.

What grabbed me

I enjoyed Gurnall's description of the Word of God as a defensive weapon: 'The saint is oft compared to Christ's garden and orchard. With the sword of the word he keeps this his orchard from robbing. There would not long hang any of their sweet fruit—either graces or comforts—upon their souls, were not this great robber Satan kept off with the point of this sword. O, this word of God is a terror to him; he cannot for his life overcome the dread of it. Let Christ but say, 'It is written,' and the foul fiend runs away with more confusion and terror than Caligula at a crack of thunder. And that which was of such force coming from Christ's blessed lips to drive him away, the saints have always found the most successful instrument to defend them against his fiercest and most impetuous temptations. Ask David what was the weapon with which he warded off the blows this enemy made at him, and he will tell you it was the word of God. 'Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer,' Ps. 17:4. That is, by the help of thy word I have been enabled to preservemyself from those wicked works and outrageous practices, to which others, for want of this weapon to defend them, have been harried.'

When attacked by the evil one, bring out the Word of God and he will flee!

Next week's reading

Continue Direction Tenth by reading the Second General Head of the First General Part.

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