A85783:379
The Christian in Complete Armour
The Christian in complete armour. Or, A treatise of the saints war against the Devil, wherein a discovery is made of that grand enemy of God and his people, in his policies, power, seat of his empire, wickedness, and chief design he hath against the saints. A magazine opened: from whence the Christian is furnished with spiritual arms for the battle, helped on with his armour, and taught the use of his weapon, together with the happy issue of the whole war. The first part. / By William Gurnall, Minister of the Gospel in Lavenham. Imprimatur, Edmund Calamy.The Christian in compleat armour. Or, A treatise of the saints war against the Devil, wherein a discovery is made of that grand enemy of God and his people, in his policies, power, seat of his empire, wickednesse, and chiefe designe he hath against the saints. A magazin open'd: from whence the Christian is furnished with spiritual armes for the battel, help't on with his armour, and taught the use of his weapon, together with the happy issue of the whole warre. The first part. / By William Gurnall, Minister of the Gospel in Lavenham. Imprimatur, Edmund Calamy.
London: printed for Ralph Smith, 1655
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.
VERSE 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against Principalities and Powers, against the Rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
VERSE 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against Principalities and Powers, against the Rulers of the darknesse of this world, against spiritual wickednesse in high places.
The words are coupled to the Precedent with that causal particle For, which either refers to the two foregoing verses, and then they are a further reason, pressing the necessity of Christian fortitude in the tenth verse, and furniture in the eleventh: or else to the last words of the eleventh verse, where the Apostle having descried the Saints grand enemy to be Satan, and described him in one of his attributes, his wily subtlety, he in this further displays him in his proper colours, not to weaken the Saints hands, but waken their care, that seeing their enemy marching up in a full body, they might stand in better order to receive his charge. Where by the way we may observe the Apostles simplicity and plain dealing; he doth not undervalue the strength of the enemy, and represent him inconsiderable, as Captains use to keep their soldiers together, by slighting the power of their adversary; no, he tells them the worst at first. If Satan had been to set out his own power, he could have challenged no more then is here granted him. See here the difference between Christ dealing with his followers, and Satan with his. Satan dares not let sinners know who that God is they fight against; this were enough to breed a mutiny in the devils camp. Silly souls they are drawn into the field by a false report of God and his ways, and are kept there together with lies and fair tales, but Christ is not afraid to show his Saints their enemy in all his Power and Principality, the Weakness of God being stronger then the powers of hell.