The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 1 · Chapter 13 – Chapter 14
CHAP. XIII. Of the ſhield of faith.
§. Sect. 1 THe fourth peece of the Chriſtian armour which the Apoſtle exhorteth vsus aboue all to put on, is the ſhield of faith, which of all other parts is moſt neceſſarie, becauſe how weake ſoeuer it be in it ſelfe, yet it doth defend and protect vsus againſt all the temptations of Sathan; for he that putteth on faith, doth put on Ieſus Chriſt alſo, it being a propertie inſeparable of faith, to applie vntounto vsus Chriſt Ieſus and all his benefits, that is, his merits and righteouſnes, and euerlaſting life it ſelfe. And this will be not onelyonly a glorious garment to couer our deformitie out of Gods ſight, to preſerue vsus from the heate of Gods wrath, and to obtaine the euerlaſting bleſſing of our heauenly father, but alſo it is armour of proofe to defend vsus from the violent aſſaults of our ſpirituall enemies. Let vsus therefore take vntounto vsus the ſhield of faith, that wee may alſo put on the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, Rom. 13.14.as the Apoſtle exhorteth vsus, Rom. 13.14. for hauing him wee ſhall want nothing, which may either defend our ſelues or offend our enemies; the Lord himſelfe will be our ſhield and buckler, and therefore it will be impoſſible for our foes to preuaile againſt vsus.
What is meant by quenching Sathans firie darts.But let vsus conſider further of the excellencie and neceſſitie of this ſhield of faith, which appeareth by the vertue thereof, in repelling all the firie darts of Sathan. The Apoſtle ſaith, that thereby wee may quench his firie darts, alluding to the cuſtome of ſouldiers in ancient time, who malitiouſly poyſoned their darts, whereby the bodies of thoſe who were wounded were ſo inflamed, that they could hardly be cured, or eaſed of their raging and burning paine. And ſuch darts are all Sathans temptations, whereby wee are wounded with ſinne; for if they bee not repelled and quenched with the ſhield of faith, they will inflame our luſts to ſinne, and one ſinne will inflame our hearts to another, till there be kindled in vsus a world of wickedneſſe. And this wee may ſee in the example of Dauid, who after that he gaue himſelfe to idleneſſe and ſloth, and ſo was pearced with one of Sathans firie darts, it preſently inflamed his heart to commit adulterie, and hauing giuen place to that, hee was prouoked to murther; ſo that if wee admit one of theſe firie darts, they will inflame vsus to receiue another, and ſo our burning wounds will torment our conſciences, and moſt hardly admit of any cure.
And therefore it behooueth vsus to take vntounto vsus the ſhield of faith, whereby we may quench theſe firie darts. But why doth the Apoſtle vſe this improper ſpeech, ſeeing the ſhield doth not quench, but repell the darts that beate vponupon it? I anſwere, partly to ſhew the nature of our enemies temptations, namely, that they are firie, mortall, raging, and pernitious (as before I ſaid) and partly to ſet foorth a double vertue of faith; for firſt thereby wee repell and beate backe his temptations, and ſo reſiſt him ſtedfastly in the faith, 1. Pet. 5.9.as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, 1. Pet. 5.9. And ſecondly, if Sathans darts hauehave pearced and wounded vsus, faith alſo doth coole the ſcorching heate of ſinne, by applying vntounto vsus the precious baulme of Chriſts blood, ſo that our wounds are not mortall vntounto vsus, though mortall in themſelues, if they were not cured by this ſoueraigne ſalue of ſinne, which being applied by faith, doth eaſe the burning torments of our euill conſciences, and preſerueth vsus from all danger of death. The firſt of theſe vertues is ſignified hereby, in that he calleth faith a ſhield, which repelleth Sathans temptations, as the ſhield doth the darts that are caſt againſt it: the ſecond by the word (quenching) namely, that as water quencheth the fire, ſo faith quencheth the firie darts of Sathans temptations, as is aforeſaid.
VVhy Sathan is called the wicked one.Laſtly, wee are to note that he calleth Sathan the wicked one, to ſhew vntounto vsus that hee is the father and author of all wickedneſſe and ſinne, both by ſinning himſelfe, and prouoking others to ſinne by his temptations. And therefore he is called the wicked or euill one both here and Matth. 6.13. But deliuer vsus from the euill one. Matth. 6.13. and 13.38. Ioh. 8.44.So Matth. 13.38. The tares are the children of the wicked one, as alſo Ioh. 8.44.
CHAP. XIIII. Of the helmet of ſaluation.
THe fift peece of our Chriſtian armour is the helmet of ſaluation, which is ſo called by a metonymie of the effect, becauſe it bringeth ſaluation to them that weare it,Eſa. 59.17. Rom. 8.24. 1. Theſſ. 5.8. for we are ſaued by hope, as it is Rom. 8.24. which we are to vnderſtand by the helmet of ſaluation, as appeareth 1. Theſſ. 5.8. where he exhorteth vsus to put on the hope of ſaluation for an helmet.Hope, the helmet of ſaluation. As therefore ſouldiers when they goe into the field put on their helmet, that thereby they may defend their head, which is their chiefe part, from the cruell blowes of the enemie; ſo we being to fight the ſpirituall battaile, muſt put on hope both of victorie, and the glorious crowne belonging thereunto, and ſo ſhall wee neuer turne our backes when wee are aſſaulted, ſeeing by the Lords aſſiſtance we doe aſſuredly hope for victorie, and through his merciemercy and the merits of Chriſt do expect after our combat is finiſhed, the garland of euerlaſting happines, promiſed to all that ouercome. For though Sathan aſſault vsus on the one ſide, by offering vntounto vsus the riches, honours and pleaſures of the world, that thereby he may intice vsus to ſinne, and ſo yeeld our ſelues his captiues, he ſhall not preuaile againſt vsus, if we be armed with this helmet of ſaluation: for as no man in his right wits would ſell his certaine intereſt vntounto a goodly inheritance for a bright ſhining counter; ſo much leſſe will any man, who is not ſtarke mad, ſell his aſſured hope of the eternall kingdom of glorie, by yeelding himſelfe the ſlaue of ſinne and Sathan, to purchaſe for the preſent the worlds counterfaite ſhining excellencies, which are in truth but mutable, or at leaſt momentanie vanities. And though he aſſault vsus on the other ſide with afflictions,Act. 28.20. croſſes and perſecutions as he did Paul, yet wee will with him, for the hope of Iſrael, be content to bee bound in the chaines of miſerie and affliction. For the heauieſt croſſe will ſeeme tolerable, yea an eaſie yoke and a light burthen,2 Cor. 4.17. to thoſe who doe expect and hope for a farre moſt excellent and an eternall waight of glorie; neither can the ſtraight way and the narrow gate diſcourage thoſe, that in the end of their iourney aſſuredly expect a palace of pleaſure and neuer fading felicitie. But on the other ſide, if we doe not put on this helmet, wee ſhall not dare to lift vp our heads in the day of battaile: for as thoſe who are encouraged with hope of victorie and the ſpoyle enſuing, doe fight valiantly; ſo thoſe who are quite forſaken of hope, doe forſake alſo the field, and caſting downe their armour and weapons, doe either runne away, or cowardly yeeld vntounto the enemie.