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<p>Here is a general exhortation to constancy in our Christian course, and to encourage in our Christian warfare. Isa. not our life a warfare? It is so; for we struggle with the common calamities of human life. Isa. not our religion much more a warfare? It is so; for we struggle with the opposition of the powers of darkness, and with many enemies who would keep us from God and heaven. We have enemies to fight against, a captain to fight for, a banner to fight under, and certain rules of war by which we are to govern ourselves. “<i>Finally, my brethren</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Eph.6.10" href="/passage/?search=Eph.6.10">Eph. 6:10</a>), it yet remains that you apply yourselves to your work and duty as Christian soldiers.” Now it is requisite that a soldier be both stout-hearted and well armed. If Christians be soldiers of Jesus Christ,</p>
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<p class="tab-1">I. They must see that they be stout-hearted. This is prescribed here: <i>Be strong in the Lord</i>, etc. Those who have so many battles to fight, and who, in their way to heaven, must dispute every pass, with dint of sword, have need of a great deal of courage. <i>Be strong therefore</i>, strong for service, strong for suffering, strong for fighting. Let a soldier be ever so well armed without, if he have not within a good heart, his armour will stand him in little stead. Note, spiritual strength and courage are very necessary for our spiritual warfare. Be strong in the Lord, either in his cause and for his sake or rather in his strength. We have no sufficient strength of our own. Our natural courage is as perfect cowardice, and our natural strength as perfect weakness; but all our sufficiency is of God. In his strength we must go forth and go on. By the actings of faith, we must fetch in grace and help from heaven to enable us to do that which of ourselves we cannot do, in our Christian work and warfare. We should stir up ourselves to resist temptations in a reliance upon God’s all-sufficiency and the omnipotence of his might.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">II. They must be well armed: “<i>Put on the whole armour of God</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Eph.6.11" href="/passage/?search=Eph.6.11">Eph. 6:11</a>), make use of all the proper defensitives and weapons for repelling the temptations and stratagems of Satan—get and exercise all the Christian graces, the whole armour, that no part be naked and exposed to the enemy.” Observe, Those who would approve themselves to have true grace must aim at all grace, the whole armour. It is called the armour of God, because he both prepares and bestows it. We have no armour of our own that will be armour of proof in a trying time. Nothing will stand us in stead but the armour of God. This armour is prepared for us, but we must put it on; that is, we must pray for grace, we must use the grace given us, and draw it out into act and exercise as there is occasion. The reason assigned why the Christian should be completely armed is <i>that he may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil</i>—that he may be able to hold out, and to overcome, notwithstanding all the devil’s assaults, both of force and fraud, all the deceits he puts upon us, all the snares he lays for us, and all his machinations against us. This the apostle enlarges upon here, and shows,</p>
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<p class="tab-1">1. What our danger is, and what need we have to put on this whole armour, considering what sort of enemies we have to deal with—the devil and all the powers of darkness: <i>For we wrestle not against flesh and blood</i>, etc., <a class="bibleref" title="Eph.6.12" href="/passage/?search=Eph.6.12">Eph. 6:12</a>. The combat for which we are to be prepared is not against ordinary human enemies, not barely against men compounded of <i>flesh and blood</i>, nor against our own corrupt natures singly considered, but against the several ranks of devils, who have a government which they exercise in this world. (1.) We have to do with a subtle enemy, an enemy who uses wiles and stratagems, as <a class="bibleref" title="Eph.6.11" href="/passage/?search=Eph.6.11">Eph. 6:11</a>. He has a thousand ways of beguiling unstable souls: hence he is called a serpent for subtlety, an old serpent, experienced in the art and trade of tempting. (2.) He is a powerful enemy: <i>Principalities</i>, and <i>powers</i>, and <i>rulers</i>. They are numerous, they are vigorous; and rule in those heathen nations which are yet in darkness. The dark parts of the world are the seat of Satan’s empire. Yea, they are usurping princes over all men who are yet in a state of sin and ignorance. Satan’s is a kingdom of darkness; whereas Christ’s is a kingdom of light. (3.) They are spiritual enemies: <i>Spiritual wickedness in high places</i>, or wicked spirits, as some translate it. The devil is a spirit, a wicked spirit; and our danger is the greater from our enemies because they are unseen, and assault us ere we are aware of them. The devils are wicked spirits, and they chiefly annoy the saints with, and provoke them to, spiritual wickednesses, pride, envy, malice, etc. These enemies are said to be <i>in high places</i>, or in heavenly places, so the word is, taking heaven (as one says) for the whole <i>expansum</i>, or spreading out of the air between the earth and the stars, the air being the place from which the devils assault us. Or the meaning may be, “<i>We wrestle</i> about heavenly places or heavenly things;” so some of the ancients interpret it. Our enemies strive to prevent our ascent to heaven, to deprive us of heavenly blessings and to obstruct our communion with heaven. They assault us in the things that belong to our souls, and labour to deface the heavenly image in our hearts; and therefore we have need to be upon our guard against them. We have need of faith in our Christian warfare, because we have spiritual enemies to grapple with, as well as of faith in our Christian work, because we have spiritual strength to fetch in. Thus you see your danger.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">2. What our duty is: to take and put on the whole armour of God, and then to stand our ground, and withstand our enemies.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">(1.) We must <i>withstand</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Eph.6.13" href="/passage/?search=Eph.6.13">Eph. 6:13</a>. We must not yield to the devil’s allurements and assaults, but oppose them. Satan is said <i>to stand up against us</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="1Chr.21.1" href="/passage/?search=1Chr.21.1">1 Chron. 21:1</a>. If he stand up against us, we must stand against him; set up, and keep up, an interest in opposition to the devil. Satan is the wicked one, and his kingdom is the kingdom of sin: to stand against Satan is to strive against sin. <i>That you may be able to withstand in the evil day</i>, in the day of temptation, or of any sore affliction.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">(2.) We must stand our ground: <i>And, having done all, to stand</i>. We must resolve, by God’s grace, not to yield to Satan. Resist him, and he will flee. If we distrust our cause, or our leader, or our armour, we give him advantage. Our present business is to withstand the assaults of the devil, and to stand it out; and then, having done all that is incumbent on the good soldiers of Jesus Christ, our warfare will be accomplished, and we shall be finally victorious.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">(3.) We must stand armed; and this is here most enlarged upon. Here is a Christian in complete armour: and the armour is divine: <i>Armour of God, armour of light</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Rom.13.12" href="/passage/?search=Rom.13.12">Rom. 13:12</a>. <i>Armour of righteousness</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="2Cor.6.7" href="/passage/?search=2Cor.6.7">2 Cor. 6:7</a>. The apostle specifies the particulars of this armour, both offensive and defensive. The military girdle or belt, the breast-plate, the greaves (or soldier’s shoes), the shield, the helmet, and the sword. It is observable that, among them all, there is none for the back; if we turn our back upon the enemy, we lie exposed. [1.] Truth or sincerity is our girdle, <a class="bibleref" title="Eph.6.14" href="/passage/?search=Eph.6.14">Eph. 6:14</a>. It was prophesied of Christ (<a class="bibleref" title="Isa.11.5" href="/passage/?search=Isa.11.5">Isa. 11:5</a>) that <i>righteousness should be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins</i>. That which Christ was girded with all Christians must be girded with. God desires truth, that is, sincerity, in the inward parts. This is the strength of our loins; and it girds on all other pieces of our armour, and therefore is first mentioned. I know no religion without sincerity. Some understand it of the doctrine of the truths of the gospel: they should cleave to us as the girdle does to the loins, <a class="bibleref" title="Jer.13.11" href="/passage/?search=Jer.13.11">Jer. 13:11</a>. This will restrain from libertinism and licentiousness, as a girdle restrains and keeps in the body. This is the Christian soldier’s belt: ungirded with this, he is unblessed. [2.] Righteousness must be our breast-plate. The breast-plate secures the vitals, shelters the heart. The righteousness of Christ imputed to us is our breast-plate against the arrows of divine wrath. The righteousness of Christ implanted in us is our breast-plate to fortify the heart against the attacks which Satan makes against us. The apostle explains this in <a class="bibleref" title="1Thess.5.8" href="/passage/?search=1Thess.5.8">1 Thess. 5:8</a>; <i>Putting on the breast-plate of faith and love</i>. Faith and love include all Christian graces; for by faith we are united to Christ and by love to our brethren. These will infer a diligent observance of our duty to God, and a righteous deportment towards men, in all the offices of justice, truth, and charity. [3.] Resolution must be as the greaves to our legs: <i>And their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Eph.6.15" href="/passage/?search=Eph.6.15">Eph. 6:15</a>. Shoes, or greaves of brass, or the like, were formerly part of the military armour (<a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.17.6" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.17.6">1 Sam. 17:6</a>): the use of them was to defend the feet against the gall-traps, and sharp sticks, which were wont to be laid privily in the way, to obstruct the marching of the enemy, those who fell upon them being unfit to march. <i>The preparation of the gospel of peace</i> signifies a prepared and resolved frame of heart, to adhere to the gospel and abide by it, which will enable us to walk with a steady pace in the way of religion, notwithstanding the difficulties and dangers that may be in it. It is styled <i>the gospel of peace</i> because it brings all sorts of peace, peace with God, with ourselves, and with one another. It may also be meant of that which prepares for the entertainment of the gospel, namely, repentance. With this our feet must be shod: for by living a life of repentance we are armed against temptations to sin, and the designs of our great enemy. Dr. Whitby thinks this may be the sense of the words: “That you may be ready for the combat, be shod with the gospel of peace, endeavour after that peaceable and quiet mind which the gospel calls for. Be not easily provoked, nor prone to quarrel: but show all gentleness and all long-suffering to all men, and this will certainly preserve you fr
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