The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - VI - Direction First continued

Required reading
The Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall (Available from Amazon or free here) - Commence Branch First of Second General Part of Direction First by reading up to the heading 'Satan's second main design'.

My summary
Today we continue looking at why the Christian must be armed.

Gurnall tells us that there is great danger to the Christian if you are unarmed.  This is because of Satan's first main design which is to draw you into sin using his subtlety.

Thus, Satan shows his subtlety in three ways:
(i) in choosing the most proper and advantageous seasons for tempting;
(ii) in managing his temptations, laying them in such a method and form;
(iii) in pitching on fit instruments for his turn to carry on his designs.

What grabbed me
I was helped by the comments about pride: 'Another lust that Satan cockers is pride. Man naturally would be a god to himself, though for clambering so high he got his fall; and whatever doctrine nourisheth a good opinion of man in his own eye, this is acceptable to him; and this hath spawned another fry of dangerous errors—the Pelagian and Semi-pelagian, which set nature upon its legs, and persuade man he got alone to Christ, or at least with a little external help, of a hand to lead, or argument to excite, without any creating work in the soul. O, we cannot conceive how glib such stuff goes down. If one workman should tell you your house is rotten, and must be pulled down, and all new materials prepared; and another should say, No such matter; such a beam is good, and such a spar may stand —a little cost will serve the turn: it were no wonder that you should listen to him that would put you to least cost and trouble. The faithful servants of Christ tell sinners from the Word, that man in his natural state is corrupt and rotten, that nothing of the old frame will serve, and there must needs be all new; but in comes an Arminian, and blows up the sinner's pride, and tells him he is not so weak or wicked as the other represents him. If thou wilt, thou mayest repent and believe; or, at least, by exerting thy natural abilities, oblige God to superadd what thou hast not. This is the worman that will please proud man best.'

Pride is the root cause of much error.

Next week's reading
Conclude Branch First of Second General Part of Direction First.

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