Required reading
The Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Branch First and Second of First General Part of Direction First.
My summary
This week we begin Part Second which gives directions for managing spiritual war successfully.
We start with the first direction which is that the Christian must be armed and the reason why: 'Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.' (Eph 6:11)
In the first branch we are called to observe that a person in a Christless graceless state is naked and unarmed and so unfit to fight Christ's battles against sin and Satan.
Then in the second branch we are taught to observe that the Christian's armour must be:
(i) of divine institution and appointment;
(ii) armour of God in regard of its make and constitution.
What grabbed me
I liked the point about the powerlessness of those who live without Christ: 'The Christless state is a state of impotency: 'For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly,' Rom. 5:6. What can a disarmed people that have not sword or gun do to shake off the yoke of a conquering enemy? Such a power hath Satan over the soul [as that], Luke 11:21, he is called the strong man that keeps the soul as his palace. If he hath no disturbance from heaven, he need fear no mutiny within; he keeps all in peace there. What the Spirit of God doth in a saint, that in a manner doth Satan in a sinner. The Spirit fills his heart with love, joy, holy desires, fears; so Satan fills the sinner's heart with pride, lust, lying. 'Why hath Satan filled thy heart?' saith Peter. And thus filled with Satan (as the drunkard with wine), he is not his own man, but Satan's slave.'
To be outside of Christ is a dangerous place to be!
Next week's reading
Read Branch Third and Fourth of First General Part of Direction First.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
2 comments:
I particularly liked Gurnall's unpacking of man's depravity as being naked or bereft of armour. Illustrating that man was originally clothed in such in the garden, but it was removed through the intervention of Satan. As such, man without Christ "is naked and destitute of all armour to defend him against sin and Satan."
Gurnall's comments serve as a apt reminder of where man is without God: "The state of unregeneracy is a state friendship with sin and Satan. If it be enmity against God, as it is, then friendship with Satan. Now it will be hard to make that soul fight in earnest against his friend. Is Satan divided?" However, for those of us who have been called -- we have been truly blessed for "As gospel-light ascends, so Satan's shady kingdom of darkness vanisheth"
His words are certainly thought-provoking, and should cause us to examine ourselves and whether we are truly clothed in the armour. Or are we carnal Christians, relying on the Lord's name to pull us through, without any thought as to actually following him.
(I also enjoyed his reference to the Munster Rebellion, and jab at the Anabaptists, in the start of the Part Second.)
Glad you're enjoying the book Brett :)
Post a Comment