The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - LVIII - Direction Ten continued

Required readingThe Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Direction Tenth by commencing the Second General Part and reading up to the heading 'Use or Application'.

My summary

Now Gurnall unpacks what it means that our weapon is described as the 'sword of the Spirit'.  

His doctrine is that 'the written word is the sword by which the Spirit of God enables his saints overcome all their enemies.'

Then Gurnall expands on who the enemies are who we overcome by the Word of God:

(i) the bloody persecutor, who breathes slaughter against the saints, and pursues them with fire and faggot;

(ii) heretics, the seducers;

(iii) our own lusts;

(iv) afflictions, both outward and inward.

What grabbed me

I loved this description of the use of the Scriptures on heretics: 'Other arms we may load ourselves with, by tumbling over many authors; but he that hath this sword, and hath been but taught of the Spirit the use of this weapon, is provided well enough to meet the stoutest champions for error the devil hath on his side, in an encounter. With this, poor women have been able to disarm great doctors of their studied arguments, ruffling all their art and logic with one plain place of Scripture, as she who brained Abimelech, that great commander, by tumbling a piece of millstone on his head. Out of this armoury came those weapons Paul tells us are so 'mighty through God, casting down imaginations,' or reasonings, ...by which an ancient will have the Greek Philosophers' syllogisms to be meant. Indeed, he that hath the word on his side, and a holy skill to use it, hath as much advantage of his adversary that comes with other armour —let him be never so good a fencer—as a man with a good sword hath over him that comes forth only with a bulrush in his hand.'

With the Word of God, you can brain any philosopher not matter how many letters he has after his name!

Next week's reading

Continue Direction Tenth by concluding the Second General Part.

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