CCA--Part II, Direction First, First General Part

Part Second: Directions for managing this War successfully, with some Motives sprinkled among them.

Direction 1: The Christian must be armed, and the reason why

First General Part: The Christian must be armed.

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Text: Put on the full armor of God.

I. The thing itself--armor
II. The kind of armor--the armor of God
III. The quantity or entireness of the armor-- the whole armor of God
IV. The use of this armor-- Put on

I. What is this armor?

A) By armor is meant Christ himself. "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ"
B) Also, the graces of Christ are our armor. "Put on the new man."

Observation--A soul outside of Christ has no armor to protect himself against Satan. He is naked. This state can be described in several ways.
(1) It is a state of alienation from God.
(2) It is a state of ignorance, where man knows not where to seek for help.
(3) It is a state of impotence, powerlessness.
(4) It is a state of friendship with Satan.

Application

1. This should dispel any wonder at Satan's great power and influence in the world. Natural man has no armor against Satan, nothing to protect himself.
2. This also should inform us of Satan's great enmity to the gospel.

II. It is the armor of God both by institution (he declares what the armor is) and by constitution (it is made by him).

A) The Christian's armor must be only that which God has appointed for that end.

Reproof 1--Against those who use armor not appointed by God.
1. The Papist. They fight with armor that God has not approved, e.g. masses, matins, vigils, pilgrimages, lent-fasts, vows of chastity and poverty, indulgences, penance, etc.
2. The Carnal Protestant, who fights with weapons of the world, such as self-discipline, fear of exposure, etc.
Reproof 2--Those who use the armor of God, but not as God has appointed.
1. Not as a defense against sin, but a cover for sin. This man comes to church not to hear the word and apply it, but to show men how holy he is.
2. Those who place confidence in the armor itself, rather than God in the armor. This is the man who thinks his many prayers will defend him.
3. Those who use the armor of God but do not "eye God through them." The Word is mighty when it is read as the Word of God. Three examples of this:
i. When we do a duty, but to not look to God for the blessing upon the duty.
ii. When we have low thoughts of the means, as if the duty were beneath us.
iii. When we abandon a duty because we do not receive from it what we expect.

B) The Christian's armor must be the armor of God in regard to its constitution.

Gurnall: My meaning is, it is not only that God must appoint the weapons and arms the Christian useth for his defence: But he must also be the efficient of them, he must work all their work in them and for them. Prayer is an appointment of God, yet this is not a sure armor, unless it be a prayer of God, flowing from his Spirit.

III. The entireness of the saint's armor--The Whole armor of God. The armor is complete in three ways:

A) The Christian must be armed over his entire body, from head to toe, against every attack, both fleshy and spiritual.
B) The Christian's armor must be all connected and hang together. To this end, he quotes II Pet. i.5-7:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

C) The Christian's armor must be complete in the sense that every piece is brought to perfection and completedness. Why is this needed?
1. Graces are subject to decay and need to be renewed.
2. Because Satan grows increasingly subtle against us.
3. Because this is God's will for us, that our graces be brought to completion.

Application-- Gurnall: "O how few are there who endeavour thus to improve in their spiritual state, and labour to perfect what is yet lacking in their knowledge, patience, and the rest." I quite agree.

IV. Put on the armor of God, the use we are to make of it.

Doctrine: It is not enough to have grace, but we must exercise and use this grace. Why is this so?
A) Christ commands us to keep our armor on, to be in constant exercise of the grace we have. As long as we are on this earth, the armor is to be upon us.
B) Satan is always waiting for us, wanting to catch us unawares.
C) It is much harder to recover a grace then to use it when you have it.
D) It is for the good of our fellow-soldiers also that we exercise our graces.

But, but, the objection rings up: This is surely hard work, for us to be kept in such constant diligence, with our armor always on. Does God really mean religion to be such a toilsome business as this would make it?

Answer 1: Those who object thus show themselves to be strangers to the true Christian's joy and walk. For those in the Spirit, the exercises of the Spirit are pleasant and sweet. Surely, the duties of the Christian may seem hard to some, but the reveal to those who use them by faith their easiness and sweetness. His burden is light!

Answer 2: The constant exercise of grace is indeed hard, but only to the fleshy, worldly part of us. We will be abundantly rewarded for the labor in opposition to our flesh.
A) The exercise of your grace will increase your grace.
B) The exercise of your grace shows to your soul that God has given you grace.
C) The exercise of your grace causes God to communicate himself to you.

Application

(1) This should be a strong warning to those who not only are not exercising their graces, but are instead strengthening their lusts.
(2) Be exhorted to walk in the exercise of your grace.