Christian In Complete Armour #1

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9780851514567

The Christian in Complete Armour is certainly one of the greatest of all the Puritans' practical writings. This first volume in the 3-volume paperbac...

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Author: William Gurnall
Publisher: Banner of Truth

The Christian in Complete Armour is certainly one of the greatest of all the Puritans' practical writings. This first volume in the 3-volume paperback set is a modernized abridgement of the Puritan Classic by William Gurnall.

Table of Contents Expand ↓

		Page
	Preface	15
	Biographical sketch of the Author	17
	Chapter 1: The Saint's Call to Arms	23
I.	THE CHRISTIAN'S CALL TO COURAGE	24
	Cowardice vs. Courage	25
	Sources of Christian Courage	27
	1. An established knowledge of God's truth	28
	2. A heart set in the right direction	29
II.	THE CHRISTIAN'S CALL TO SERVICE	29
	Directives Issued	29
	1. Renounce your bosom sins	30
	2. Conform your life to Christ	31
	3. Sidestep stumbling blocks	32
	4. Trust God in every circumstance	32
	5. Stay on course to the end of your life	33
III.	AN ADMONITION TO ‘BE STRONG IN THE LORD'	33
	The Source of the Saint's Strength	33
	The Significance of God's Strength	36
	1. The nature of the saint's conscience	36
	2. The character of the conscience	37
	3. The nature of God's plan	38
	4. The nature of God	40
	A Solemn Warning	41
IV.	AN ADMONITION TO APPROPRIATE ‘THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT'	42
	What Is ‘The Power of His Might'?	42
	Appropriating God's Power	42
	Three Reasons for Trusting God's Power	43
	1. His past record	43
	2. Your present dilemma	44
	3. His eternal desire	45
	The Fivefold Bond Securing God's Power	47
	1. His near kinship to the saints	47
	2. His dear love for the saints	48
	3. His everlasting covenant	49
	4. His self-imposed obligation	49
	5. His interceding Son	50
	Occasions for Using God's Power	50
	1. When weighed down by sin	52
	2. When overpowered by temptation	53
	3. When oppressed by Christian duty	54
	Four Reasons Why God's Power Is Sometimes Hidden	55
	1. You may have overlooked God's power	55
	2. God may have purposely delayed His power	56
	3. The cause of hindrance of the blessing may be in yourself	57
	4. God may call you to persevere in the face of overwhelming odds	58
	Chapter 2: First Consideration: The Saint's Armour	59
I.	THE CHRISTIAN MUST BE ARMED	59
	The Armed Saint – His Divine Provisions	60
	1. Christ as armour	60
	2. The graces of Christ as armour	60
	The Unarmed Sinner – His Dim Prospects	60
	1. Alienation from God	61
	2. Ignorance	62
	3. Impotency	63
	4. Friendship with sin and Satan	63
	The Enemy – His Diabolical Plan	64
	1. The natural inclination of man's soul	64
	2. The supernatural malice of Satan	65
	The Armour – Its Creator	66
	1. God is the sole designer of His saints' armour	66
	2. God makes His saints' armour and trains them in its proper use	68
	The Armour – Its Various Parts	69
	1. All the parts together cover the whole saint, soul and body	70
	2. Each piece has a special function	70
	3. Each piece is complete and perfect	74
	Our Graces – Why We Must Perfect Them	74
	1. Because our graces can sustain injury	74
	2. Because Satan is still perfecting his wrath and skill	75
	3. Because we fulfill God's purpose when we grow in grace	75
	The Armour – Its Proper Use	76
	1. The armour must be put on	76
	2. The armour must be kept on	76
	The Armour – Its Proper Place	80
	Final Exhortation	80
II.	WHY THE CHRISTIAN MUST BE ARMED	81
	The Danger if Unarmed	81
	Satan as Tempter to Sin	82
	1. Satan chooses when to tempt	83
	2. Satan chooses how to tempt	85
	3. Satan chooses what or whom to use as the instruments of temptation	89
	Warning	93
	Precautions	95
	1. Ask God for counsel	95
	2. Know your heart	95
	3. Read God's Word attentively	95
	Satan as Accuser of Sin	96
	1. Satan accuses the saints of his own wicked thoughts	97
	2. Satan exaggerates the saints' sins	98
	3. Satan appoints himself both judge and jury to try the saints	100
	4. Satan tries to rob the saints of their covenant promise	101
	The Saint's Proper Reaction to Satan's Accusations	103
	1. Let his accusations make you more careful	103
	2. Let them make you more humble	103
	3. Let them show you the fallacy of his logic	103
	God's Perfect Response to Satan's Accusations	105
	1. God uses Satan's own schemes to make His saints wise	105
	2. God uses Satan's tricks to make His saints thankful	107
	3. God uses the devil's wiles to make His saints wary	107
	The Saint's Fortification	108
	1. Beware of Satan as a seducer	108
	2. Cling to God's promise of justification	109
	3. Avoid entrapment	109
	4. Maintain assurance of salvation	111
	The Assurance of Victory if Armed	113
	Satan's Damnation	114
	1. The curse that lies upon Satan	114
	2. The limits God places upon Satan	115
	Satan's Intentions and God's Intervention	116
	1. Satan's intention: to defile the saint's conscience	117
	2. Satan's intention: to defile other saints	118
	3. Satan's intention: to defile the saint's relationship with God	119
	Chapter 3: Second Consideration: The Nature of the War and the Character of the Enemy	124
I.	THE NATURE OF THE WAR	124
	Why Saints Must Wrestle	124
	1. The sharpness of combat	124
	2. The universality of combat	126
	3. The duration of combat	126
	How Not to Wrestle	128
	1. Do not wrestle against God's Spirit	128
	2. Do not wrestle against God's providence	129
	3. Do not wrestle by your own rules	130
	How to Wrestle	131
	1. Enlist God as your second	131
	2. Stay in training	132
	3. Use your advantage wisely	132
	A Word of Encouragement to Wrestlers	133
II.	THE CHARACTER OF THE ENEMY	134
	The Saint's Minor Assailants: ‘Flesh and Blood'	134
	1. Our inner corruptions	134
	2. Human beings	136
	The Saint's Chief Assailants: Evil Spirits	141
	1. Their system of government	141
	(a) Satan's claim to his throne	143
	(b) God's present concession to Satan's claim	144
	(c) How to test your true allegiance	146
	2. Their powers	151
	3. Their kingdom (‘the darkness of this world')	161
	(a) Why sin is described as darkness	166
	(b) Why those in darkness are under Satan's rule	168
	(c) Warning to beware of Satan's tricks	170
	(d) The blinding power of ignorance	172
	(e) Warning to beware of ignorance	174
	(f) The way to knowledge	181
	4. Their nature (‘spiritual wickedness')	186
	(a) The importance of understanding the nature of devils	193
	(b) Spiritual wickedness in the saints: the cause and the cure	195
	(i) Sin in the heart	196
	(ii) Sins about spiritual topics	201
	Errors involving spiritual principles	201
	Pride	205
	(c) A final thought on spiritual wickedness	223
	5. The grounds of war (‘in high places,' or ‘for heavenly things')	225
	(a) The saint's heavenly calling	225
	(b) A call worth fighting for	228
	(c) A word of caution to those who desire a heavenly prize	231
	(d) A practical note – on the folly of pursuing earthly things	234
	(e) A final word about our heavenly prize	238
	Chapter 4: Third Consideration: A Second Exhortation to be Armed	240
I.	THE EXHORTATION AND THE IMPLICATION	240
	First Observation: The Implications of a Repeated Admonition	240
	Imperative truths	241
	Second Observation: The Need to Inspect and Repair Your Graces	245
	1. Why your graces must be kept in good repair	245
	2. Who suffers when your grace diminishes	247
	3. How to know whether or not your grace is declining	250
	4. How to recover from declining grace	254
II.	REASONS FOR THE EXHORTATION	258
	The Hour of Battle	258
	1. The nature and quality of evil and the ‘evil day'	260
	2. The certainty of an evil day	263
	3. The necessity of armour to withstand the evil day	265
	4. Directions for preparing for the evil day	267
	The Requirements for a Happy Outcome of the War	269
	1. The necessity of perseverance	271
	2. The necessity of divine armour to persevere	272
	3. Why the unregenerate cannot persevere	273
	4. The certainty of persevering if armed	276
	5. The promised result of perseverance	281
	Chapter 5: Fourth Consideration: The Position to be Maintained in the Fight	285
I.	STAND – DO NOT FLEE OR YIELD	285
	Scripture Expressly Commands it	286
	God Supplies Armour Sufficient for the Battle	287
	The Christian's Safety Lies in Resisting	288
	The Enemy is Overcome Only by Force	289
	1. Satan is a cowardly enemy	289
	2. Satan is an encroaching enemy	290
	3. Satan is an accusing enemy	291
II.	STAND IN YOUR OWN PLACE – DO NOT USURP ANOTHER'S	291
	Five Considerations to Persuade All to Stand	294
	1. You lose God's approval when you leave your appointed place to work outside your calling	294
	2. You lose God's protection when you ignore His restrictions as to place and calling	295
	3. God does not hold you accountable for another man's work	297
	4. You suffer needlessly when you bear burdens God never intended you to carry	297
	5. A flighty spirit usually carries men out of their place and calling	298
III.	STAND – DO NOT SLEEP	301
	Why the Christian Must Remain Wakeful	302
	1. The Christian's work is too important and demanding to be done while half asleep, or in a half-hearted fashion	302
	2. Watchfulness reaps advantages for the Christian	303
	How to Stand and Watch	304
	1. Watch constantly	304
	2. Watch universally	306
	3. Watch wisely	307