A20752:235
The Christian warfare wherein is first generally showed the malice, power and politic stratagems…The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems…
The Christian warfare wherein is first generally showed the malice, power and politic stratagems of the spiritual enemies of our salvation, Satan and his assistants the world and the flesh, with the means also whereby the Christian may withstand and defeat them : and afterwards more specially their particular temptations, against the several causes and means of our salvation, whereby on the one side they allure us to security and presumption, and on the other side, draw us to doubting and desperation, are expressed and answered : written especially for their sakes who are exercised in the spiritual conflict of temptations, and are afflicted in conscience in the sight and sense of their sins / by I. Downame ...The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems of the spirituall ennemies of our saluation, Sathan and his assistants the world and the flesh, with the meanes also whereby the Christian may vvithstand and defeate them : and afterwards more speciallie their particvlar temptatiions, against the seuerall causes and meanes of our saluation, whereby on the one side they allure vs to security and presumption, and on the other side, draw vs to doubting and desperation, are expressed and answered : written especially for their sakes who are exercised in the spirituall conflict of temptations, and are afflicted in conscience in the sight and sense of their sinnes / by I. Dovvname ...
London: printed for Cuthbert Burby, 1604
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
CHAP. XV. Of the sword of the spirit.
§. Sect. 1 1And so much for the defensive armour which we must put on; that which followeth is both defensive and offensive, fit to defend our selves, and repel and foil the enemy. The first is the sword of the spirit, the word of God. This the Apostle calleth the sword of the spirit, because it is a spiritual and not a carnal weapon, which the spirit of God himself hath as it were tempered, made, sharpened, and put into our hands, to repel our spiritual enemies whensoever they assault us. If therefore we would defend our selves and drive back Satan, we must not only buckle unto us the defensive armour before spoken of (for he that standeth altogether upon defence, standeth upon no defence) but we must take unto us the sword of the spirit, wherewith we may repel and deadly wound our spiritual enemies. Wherein we are to imitate the example of our chief Captain Jesus Christ, who though he was able to have confuted Satan by other arguments, or to have confounded him by the omnipotent power of his deity,2 yet as he suffered himself to be tempted in all things like unto us, so he used also the same weapons, which he hath appointed us to use in this spiritual combat of temptations, to the end that we might be taught how to handle them, having his example for our imitation, and also may conceive assured hope of victory, considering that our Captain subdued Satan with the selfsame weapons.
§. Sect. 1 1ANd so much for the defensiue armour which wee must put on; that which followeth is both defensiue and offensiue, fit to defend our selues, and repell and foyle the enemie. The first is the sword of the spirit, the word of God. This the Apostle calleth the sword of the spirit, because it is a spirituall and not a carnall weapon, which the spirit of God himself hath as it were tempered, made, sharpened, and put into our hands, to repell our spirituall enemies whensoeuer they assault vs. If therefore we would defend our selues and driue backe Sathan, wee must not onely buckle vnto vs the defensiue armour before spoken of (for he that standeth altogether vpon defence, standeth vpon no defence) but wee must take vnto vs the sword of the spirit, wherewith we may repell and deadly wound our spirituall enemies. Wherein we are to imitate the example of our chiefe Captaine Iesus Christ, who though he was able to haue confuted Sathan by other arguments, or to haue confounded him by the omnipotent power of his deitie,