Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 6 · Verse and explication 13
Vers. 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.
HE doth here first repeat the former exhortation with some small variation, as a conclusion following upon the former reason, while he commandeth them to take unto them this whole armour, and for the end formerly mentioned, even that they might be able to withstand and resist the enemy, as it were, face to face, foot to foot, hand to hand, and this chiefly in the evil day; whereby is meaned not only the whole time of our life, which is full of tentations, and therefore in that respect, evil, but also and chiefly some circumstantiat time wherein tentations were to abound, chiefly the time of death, not excluding, but rather probably including that time which was foretold by Paul himself, Acts 20. 29, 30. Next, he enlargeth this end, which was to be attained by their putting on, and making use of their armour, not only to their withstanding at the first onset, and during the time of the fight; but also to their standing after the victory, and after they have done all, or overcome all: where by standing, as it is distinguished from withstanding, presently mentioned, must be meaned the posture not of a souldier, but of a conquerour, who useth to stand when the conquered are thrown upon the ground, Psal. 20. 8. Hence Learn, 1. The dreadfull opposition which the Christian souldier must meet with in the way to heaven, should not discourage or make him heartless, but only incite him to shake off security and laziness, and to prepare himself for the day of battell: for, from what he hath said, ver. 12. of their terrible adversaries, he inferreth here, wherefore take unto you the whole armour. 2. As our serious fore-casting and thinking upon, together with our preparing our selves accordingly for, this christian conflict, is a necessary duty; So, such is our love to carnal ease and security, Prov. 6. 9. 10. that we are not easily excited to this duty; one alarm will not do it: for, therefore doth he give them a second, almost in the same words; wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God. 3. The graces of Gods Spirit, by which the soul is compleatly armed for this spirituall conflict, are not of our own making or procuring, but being made to our hand by God, we have them for the taking: for, he calleth them the whole armour of God, and biddeth the Ephesians only take them; take unto you the whole armour of God. 4. As this spiritual armour, or the saving graces of Gods Spirit, being once put on, may, though not altogether, 1 Joh. 3. 9. yet in a great part, be wrung or wyled from us by the power and sleight of Sathan, our dreadfull adversary, So we are not in that case to quit the field, and yeeld the cause: but by renewing our faith, repentance and former diligence in the use of meanes, Rev. 2. 5. to take them to us again. Neither are they ever so far lost, but they may be recovered, our great Generall being alwayes at hand to renew our strength, to make us mount up and not be weary, Isai. 40. 29—. 31. for, the word rendered, take unto you, signifieth to take again, or recover that which we have lost or let go. 5. As our spiritual adversaries in this Christian conflict are most fierce pursuers, when ever we give them ground; so we are not to expect any truce or quarter from them, but must stand to it, and fight it out, placing all our safety in a couragious resistance, avowed defyance, and none at all in base running, or cowardly ceding, or politick compliance: for, the Apostle will have all their thoughts taken up how to withstand, which implyeth a furious charge and fierce pursuit upon the part of enemies, and an avowed defyance with couragious resistance upon ours: that we may be able to withstand. 6. What ever be the terrour, and strength of our spiritual adversaries, and the weakness and inability of men, destitute of the saving graces of Gods Spirit, to resist the meanest of Sathans onsets, 2 Tim. 2.—26. yet of such excellent vertue is this whole armour of God, or those Christian graces wrought in us by the Spirit of God, that when the soul is once endued with them, and attaineth to the dexterous use and exercise of them, the weakest of saints, will be enabled to receive, without losing ground, the most furious of Sathans assaults: for, it is promised unto them all, even the meanest of them, if they will put on the whole armour of God, they shall be able to withstand. 7. As there are some evill dayes by reason of tentations and trouble, awaiting Christians, and some of those unavoidable by any, namely the day of death, Heb. 9. 27. So, we ought to be fore-arming and preparing for such dayes before they come, and with Christian courage resist those violent tentations arising from them when they come, as knowing we are chiefly then called and singled out to give proof of the reality of Gods grace in us, Eph. 5. 16. for, he forewarneth of an ill day approaching, and will have them to arme themselves before it come; Take to you the whole armour—and to withstand in the evil day. 8. There can no such evil day befall a Christian, but through help of this spirituall armour, and the kindly exercise of saving graces, he may ride out the storm, and arrive with safety at the wished harbour when it is over and gone, chiefly if trial and trouble find him ready armed, and at his duty: for, if they will take to them before-hand this armour of God, he promiseth they shall be able to withstand in the evil day. 9. It is a singular encouragement to the Christian souldier, that the time of his hottest conflict with afflictions, tentations, and the devil their leader, lasteth not long; it is but a day, an hour, Rev. 3. 10. a short season, 1 Pet. 1. 6. yea, but a moment, compared with eternity, 2 Cor. 4. 17. for, in order to their encouragement, he calleth the time of their feighting but a day; To withstand in the evil day. 10. The Christian souldier in this spirituall warfare, will meet with many assaults before he obtain a compleat victory, there must be variety of conflicts, exercises and tentations, so that usually his coming out of one, is but an enterance into another: the malice of the adversary is unsatiable, his hopes are never quite gone, but what he misseth at one time and one assault, he hopeth to acquire at another, Job 2. 4, 5. for, he saith they must first do all, or overcome all: which implyeth there are many things to be overcome before they stand as conquerours. 11. It is not enough that the Christian souldier doth once engage in this spirituall warfare, and carry himself, couragiously in withstanding some few of Satans assaults, and afterwards fall back, and lay down his armes; but he must of necessity endure to the end, and untill he receive the very last of Satans assaults and overcome them all, if so he expect to stand as conquerour after the feight: for, saith he, and having done or overcome, not only some few assaults, but all; To stand. 12. It is only this armour of God, those saving graces of His Spirit, and no common gifts or fair flourishes of temporaries and hypocrits, which will enable a Christian to feight all the battels that must be stricken before the compleat victory: for, only if they take this armour, he sheweth they shall do, or overcome all. 13. How many soever the Christian's conflicts be, yet if he take unto him, and use this armour aright, he shall come through all, and stand victorious after all. Christ our generall, in whose victory we have interest, hath overcome all, Joh. 16. 33. He is engaged in this battell, and feighteth with us, Philip. 4. 13. yea, and prayeth for us, Luke 22. 32. Besides, none can pluck the Believer out of His hand, because the Father and He is stronger than they, Joh. 10. 29. and consequently, the field cannot be lost, the feighting souldier must one day be a triumphing conquerour: for, upon their taking to them this armour, it is promised, that having done all, they shall stand, to wit, as conquerours.