A Golden Chain, Chapter 40
CHAP. 40. Of Christian warfare.
CHristian warfare, is concerning the right way of fighting in the spirituall battell.
The partes thereof, are the preparation to battell, and the combate it selfe.
To the preparation, we must vse the complet armour of God. Eph. 6.13. For this cause, take vntounto you the whole armour of God, that yee may be able to resist in the euill day, and hauing finished all things, stand fast.
The parts hereof, are especially sixe. I. Trueth. II. Iustice. III. Euangelicall obedience. IV. Faith. V. The word of God. VI. Continuall and feruent prayer with watching. Eph. 6.14. Stand therefore, and your loynes girded about with veritie, and hauing on the brestplate of righteousnesse. 15. And your feete shodd with the preparation of the Gospell of peace. 16. Aboue all, take the sheild of faith, wherwith ye may quench all the fierie dartes of the wicked. 17. And take the helmet of saluation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. 18. And praie alwaies with all manner praier and supplication in the spirit, and watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication for all Saints. 1. Pet. 5.8. Be sober, and watch: for your aduersarie the deuill, as a roaring lyon, walketh about seeking whome hee may deuoure.
The combate, is a mutuall conflict of them that fight spiritually.
The warriours, are the tempter and the Christian souldier. Ephes. 6.12. For we werestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, and against the wordly gouernours, the princes of the darkenesse of this world, against spirituall wickednesses, which are in high places.
The Tempter, is the prince, or his helpers. The prince, is Satan and his angels, which are spirituall wickednesses, in high things. His helpers are the flesh and the world.
The conflict of all these, is temptation, whereby man is prouoked to cōmit such wickednes, as is hurtfull to the saluation of his soule. 1. Pet. 2.11. Dearly beloued, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims abstaine from fleshly lusts, which fight against the soule.
In the Souldier, two things are to be considered: his resisting and his fall.
Resistance is an action, whereby the souldier doth withstand temptation, through grace working inwardly in him. 1. Ioh. 2.14. I write vntounto you babes, because ye hauehave knowne the father: I hauehave written to you fathers, because ye hauehave known him that is from the beginning: I hauehave written to you yong men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye hauehave ouercome the wicked. 1. Pet. 5.8. Eph. 6.16. Psal. 91.13. Thou shalt walke vponupon the lyon and aspe: the young lyon and the dragon shalt thou tread vnderunder feete.
To confirme this, these preseruatiues which follow, are very necessarie.
I. When thou art tempted to sinne, doe not onelyonly abstaine from it, but earnestly louelove and followe after the contrarie. Ioh. 8.44.
II. Neuer yeeld or consent to Satans wordes, whether he speake the truth, accuse falsely, or flatter dissemblingly. Ioh. 8.44. Yee are of your father the deuil, and the lusts of your father ye will doe: he hath beene a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him: when he speaketh a lie, then speaketh he of his owne: for he is a lier and the father thereof. Mark. 1.24. And cried with a loud voice, and said, What hauehave I to do with thee, Iesus, the sonne of the most high God. And Iesus said, Hold thy peace and come out of him. Act. 16.17. Shee followed Paul and vsus, and cried, saying, These men are the seruants of the most high God, which shewe vntounto vsus the waie of saluation, &c. August. Serm. 241.
III. One temptation is to be looked for after another, and then especially, when our enemie after he hath set his snares, is at rest: for the deuill neuer maketh an ende of his malice. 1. Pet. 5.8.
The fall is, whereby the souldier through infirmitie fainteth, being subdued by the power of the enemie. Gal. 6.1. Brethren, if a man be fallen by occasion into any fault, ye which are spirituall, restore such a one with the spirit of meeknesse, considering thy selfe, least thou also be tempted.
To this appertaineth the spirituall remedie. A remedie, is a thing hauing aptnesse to restore him which is fallen to his former estate. Gal. 6.1.
And here two things must alwaies be thought on.
I. If there be a willing mind, eueryevery one is accepted for that grace which he hath, not for that which he hath not. 2. Cor. 8.12. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a mā hath, & not according to that he hath not
II. In all these things, whosoeuer will lead a godly life in Christ, the power of God is to be made perfect through their infirmitie. 2. Cor. 12.9. And hee said vntounto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my power is made perfect through weakenesse: very gladly therefore will I reioice rather in mine infirmities, that the power of God may dwell in me. 10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproches, in necessities, in persecutions, in anguish for Christs sake, for when I am weake, then am I strong.