WHEN the believer has been disciplined under the cross, and has learned to bear it with patience, the Captain of his salvation has other exercises for him. He has chosen him to he a soldier, and he intends to teach him to endure hardness. His life in Christ is one continued battle, not only against flesh and blood, but also against principalities and powers of earth and hell: he cannot discover their stratagems, nor overcome their assaults, but by being strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. His warfare is therefore to be carried on entirely by faith. The principles before laid down must be brought into use. What the Spirit of God had discovered to him of his salvation in Jesus is to be tried in every battle; and if it be maintained, it will be improved. If he hold fast the confidence of his faith, he will behave like a good soldier. If he always take up arms in absolute dependence on the divine General, to give him courage, to order him how to attack his enemies, to bestow strength upon him daily to resist them, then victory will be certain. Yea, he will be invincible while he stands strong in the Lord, mad in the power of his might, he will meditate upon the principles which he had been taught of God, and will find peace in his own conscience, and joy in his heart, by bringing them into daily experience. His believing views of the warfare to which he is called will be such as these–
I am, through sovereign grace, called to fight under the banner of Jesus. He has not left me to fight as uncertainly, but he has conquered all mine enemies for me, and he has undertaken to conquer them all in me. It is true, I am weak; but my Redeemer is strong: the Lord of hosts is his name. He has saved me from my sins, from the shame and pain of them, from the wicked one, and the wicked world, from the curse of the law, and from the wrath of God. He has given me a divine righteousness for my justification, and in it I am accepted before the throne; he has put it upon me for ornament and clef once–it is a garment of salvation–which cannot be lost upon earth, and which will shine with never-fading beauty in heaven. The Father is perfectly reconciled, and loves me with a love that passes knowledge. I believe it. God is on my side: I need not fear what any enemy can do unto me. He has taken me into his protection. By his all-wise counsel I am guided; by his almighty arm I am defended. 2Vly battles are the Lord's. Indeed mine enemies are many, and they are too cunning and too mighty for me. But why do they now fight against me? Is it not because God is my friend? They hate me because he loves me. While I lived in friendship with them, and was at war with God, they were always trying to make me happy: but ever since I fled to Jesus for refuge, and sought redemption in his blood, they have taken up arms against me; and they have raged more furiously since I was enabled to believe in him. But I have no reason to fear their opposition. With them is an arm of flesh, but with me is the Lord my God to help me, and to fight my battles. I may therefore go to my daily warfare in faith, regarding the commands, waiting for the fulfilling of the promises of my God, and relying upon the provision which he has made for my present and for mine eternal victory.
Are thy meditations, O my soul, like these upon the Christian warfare? Examine thyself. If' thou art at peace with God, thou must expect war. It is unavoidable. If it be in thy heart to please him who hath chosen thee to be a soldier, then all the powers of wickedness will in arms. Night and day, with never-ceasing rage, they will pursue thee. Deep-laid plans will be formed and fierce assaults will be made against thy true happiness. They will be attempting, so long as thou art the world, by some cunning or force, to draw thee from thy God. Thy life, from henceforth, is to be one continued battle. Thy victory depends every moment upon holding fast thy confidence in God: and therefore thou must bring the principles of the doctrine of Christ into exercise. Thou hast seen how necessary they are for every step of thy walk, and thou wilt find them equally necessary for every part of thy warfare.
This is a leading truth–thine enemies are God's enemies. Once thou didst join with them, and wast on their side fighting against God, but he has saved thee from the guilt of thy rebellion. In free love he chose thee in his Son, and in sovereign mercy gave him for thee. The Son rejoiced to do his Father's will for thy salvation: he did it in his life: he suffered it in his death. The ever-glorious work is finished. And it has been given thee on the behalf of Christ to believe. The Lord the Spirit has satisfied thy conscience, and has comforted thy heart with the knowledge of this perfect salvation. The Father is thy Father in Jesus–thine by his own free gift–thine by his own unchangeable purpose–and now thine by thy free choice, he has made thee willing in the day of his power to take him for thy God. He is perfectly reconciled unto thee in his Son: and should not this perfectly reconcile thee to him? His love to thee is wonderful in all its properties, in its rise and origin, and in its free and fur communication of every covenant blessing.
And does not the belief of this engage thy heart in love to God? Dost thou not love him for his love to thee, and is it not thy daily prayer that thy love may abound yet more and more? Has not the sense of this peace and love been improved in thy daily walk with him? Hast thou not find the truth, and enjoyed the comfort of these graces in thine experience? O fear not then, since God is on thy side–fear not, O my soul, to go to war with any enemy who would rob thee of the peace of God in thy conscience, or of the love of God in the heart. This is the design of all those who fight against thee. They want to shake thy confidence in God, and so to draw thee from him. They knew they cannot succeed while thou standest strong in the Lord, trusting to his being thy reconciled God and loving Father. O keep this trust in him, as the apple of thine eye–bind it continually to thy heart in love–and fight for it as for thy precious life. Be assured no enemies can prevail against thee, until they have first overcome thy faith: because while thou makest God thy refuge and strength, his almighty arm will be thy defence. "Be not afraid," says he, "I am with thee, and I will keep thee by my power, through faith, unto salvation."
In this warfare, it is the chief business of the believer to have respect to the orders given him. He is entirely to depend on the Captain of his salvation. What has he said, O my soul, to encourage thee to go to battle without fear? Mind his description–it is the good fight of faith in which thou art engaged. By faith thou art to attack thy foes: by faith alone thou canst conquer them: and faith must have his
COMMANDS, or else it can have no lawful warrant to fight, and no just ground to expect victory. Indeed, if he had spoken nothing, there could have been no faith: for his word comes first–it is spoken–it is heard–and then faith comes by hearing. Look well then to his word. Study it carefully. If thou obey it aright, thou art absolutely safe in the hottest battle, and thy victory is as certain as if the crown was already upon thy head. These are his standing orders: "Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not afraid, for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded; they shall be as nothing, and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought: for the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, ear not, I wilt help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel: I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel."
Are these indeed the words of God? Does he command poor worms, weak and defenceless, to go to war without fear? Does he encourage them to look up to his arm, promising to be on their side? Yes–the Lord of hosts fights for them. All their enemies are his, and therefore they may safely trust and not be afraid. 0 my soul, read carefully, read again and again, mark and inwardly digest every word of this divine command; and in obedience to it expect his help. Face thine enemies, whoever they be, with holy boldness: for God is with thee. He has undertaken to fight thy battles. Look at; this scripture. Canst thou meditate on it, and yet be afraid? Of whom, or of what? O vile unbelieving fear! Beg of God to save thee from it. Honour the Captain of thy salvation. Trust him. Doubt not but thou art as safe, obeying his orders and expecting his help, as almighty power can make thee. Observe the courage of one of thy fellow-soldiers. Observe his victory: "When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies be turned back: this I know, for God is on my side. In God will I praise his word; in the Lord will I praise his word; in God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid what man can do unto me." The enemies of David came to swallow him up, but he encouraged himself in the Lord his God. He attended to his orders. He considered the word which was spoken to him, he depended upon it, and had reason to praise God for his faithfulness: for God fulfilled it unto him. There was in it a
PROMISE, as well as a command–do this–and I will be with thee. The promise is always made good to them who keep the command in faith. The one is our divine warrant to fight; the other is our encouragement to fight in certain hopes of victory. Attend, O my soul, to the promise, and fear not the accomplishment of it: "In righteousness shall thou be established: thou shall be far from oppression, for thou shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee, shall fall for thy sake. Behold I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; mid I have created the waster to destroy. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, mid every tongue that shall rise in judgment against thee thou shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." Thou art here forewarned of thine enemies: they shall gather against thee. But the Lord is not with them. He is thy defender and mighty deliverer, and he will bring all opposition to nought for thy sake. However numerous their hosts may be, yet they shall fall. Whatever weapons of war they may form, yet none of them shall prosper. This is the certain heritage of all believers. Their righteousness and their strength is of me, saith the Lord–I will fight their battles, and I wilt never leave them nor forsake them: I will make them daily conquerors; and behold the days come saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised them, I will make them more than conquerors.
Is this, O my soul, the infallible word of promise? Has the Lord of hosts undertaken to stand by his people? Has he engaged to lead them out to war by his wisdom, to defend them in battle by his power, and to give them eternal victory to the praise of his own grace? O what motives are these to strengthen thy earl and thy hands. What. hast thou reason to fear since the Almighty is on thy side! The battle is his. If hosts of enemies oppose, yet, following his orders, and trusting to his strength, thy victory is infallibly sure: for then thou wilt fight against them strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, and thou wilt be invincible
IN THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD. This armour is the provision which God has made for the safety of his soldiers. He puts it on them, and he keeps it on them. It is a whole armour, a complete defence from head to toe. In great mercy, their God who provided it has revealed to them the use of every part. In the sixth of the Ephesians, the apostle has described it at large, tie supposes them to be acquainted with the Christian doe-trines, and to have walked in the comfort of them, and he calls upon them to bring them into practice in their daily warfare. "It only remains, 1ny brethren," says he, "that ye be strong in the Lord,"–for no strength less than his can keep you–" and in the might of what he is able to do,"–by faith relying upon his promise and trusting to his power–"putting on the whole armour of God,"–that being strengthened mightily by the Spirit in the inner man, ye may he preserved dependent upon the Lord, and enabled to engage in his strength, and to conquer to his glory. Unless you thus rely upon his word trod arm, you will not be able to stand against the wiles of the devil: for we wrestle not only against flesh and blood, but also against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places: therefore take unto you, the whole armour of God, that ye may be enabled to withstand in the evil day, against the combined legions of earth and hell, and after ye have done all, to stand conquerors in the field of battle, when your enemies are driven out of' it. Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth. This is the first grace in use–SAVING KNOWLEDGE, which the Holy Spirit teaches. He guides believers into all truth necessary for their salvation. As the military girdle went round the loins, and bound all the armour together, so the knowledge of the truth, as it is in Jesus, binds together all the graces. It is of the essence of every one of them–it is light in the understanding to discover what they are, that they may be received into the heart in love, and that in obeying the truth, their influence may operate upon the life and conversation. When a man is thus taught of God, then he sees his need of the breast-plate of righteousness, and he puts it on; namely, the
IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS of the God-man. The breast-plate was armour for the vital parts–so is the righteousness of Christ–it is a perfect protection from every stroke of every enemy. He that wears it upon his heart, believing in the life and death of Immanuel, has armour proof against all weapons. If the strength of his adversaries could be collected into one arm, which was to strike one mighty blow, his breast-plate would ward it off. The armour of God could not be hurt. The soldier with it on cannot perish, but shall have everlasting life. Therefore, covered with tiffs invincible breastplate, he may face the stoutest foes, and attack them without fear. He may march on undaunted, "having his feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."
PEACE WIT GOD, through Jesus Christ, is another grace of the Spirit, which mightily strengthens the inner man. Whoever sees the truth of the gospel, and believes it, will discover God to be at peace with him, perfectly reconciled to him in Jesus, and who, out of his fatherly love, will over-rule alt things for his good. In the sense of this he may go on with holy boldness, as the soldier did with his greaves on. When his feet and legs were armed with them, he was not afraid of thorns or briers, of rough roads or sharp spikes. In like manner, the peace which the gospel brings carries the Christian soldier fearless through difficulties. He will march on conquering, if he keeps on his greaves. If he maintain peace with God through Jesus Christ, he will not be stopped by war, or trouble, or temptation. But he must remember, that to every piece of armour faith is essentially necessary–the girdle is good for nothing without the belief of the truth–the breast-plate is no defence without faith in the righteousness of God our Saviour–the greaves arc no more than if the feet. were covered with a bit of thin gauze, unless faith be mixed with the gospel: "Therefore TO ALL THESE take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." What excellent things are here spoken of
FAITH, as a grace of the Holy Spirit! When they used to fight with bows and arrows, the soldier could hold up his shield and keep himself safe: so the Christian soldier, if the fiery darts of Satan fly thick about him, by faith will quench them all. He has much combustible within him, and one spark would set him in a flame, if he had not his shield: but, armed with it, and opposing it to the arrows of the wicked one, he may life up his head with joy: "for he has the helmet of salvation" upon it. The grace here meant is
HOPE and it is fitly compared to a helmet, which was armour for the head, and a defence for all the senses which are seated in the head. It is called the helmet of
SALVATION, because it ALWAYS SAVES. It never can be destroyed. None of the senses of the spiritual man can perish in tiffs warfare, and therefore it is a hope that maketh not ashamed. Hope, with its helmet on, fears no blows. It can truly say, I am commanded to be strong and of good courage, not to be afraid or dismayed; for the Lord my God is with me whithersoever I go. Trusting to this command, hope is in wars and rightings full of glory and immortality. The Lord's orders to march forward are the ground of hope; and this supplies him with a weapon which none of his enemies can withstand, even the sword of the Spirit, "which is the
WORD OF GOD." The Scripture is called a sword (an offensive weapon–and it is the only one which the Christian soldier has–all the rest being for his defence) because it is mighty through the Spirit working by it to cut off all opposers. Our Lord, in combat with the old serpent, defeated him with this sword. And the noble army of his followers, now crowned in glory, overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony–they held fast their confidence in the word, and with it, as with a two-edged sword, they slew the old dragon, and gained eternal victory over him. Fight against him, O my soul, with the same weapon. Keep the sword in thy hand. Thou wilt stand in need of it every moment against that subtle foe. The word is the means of overcoming the devil, and it is mighty, through God, When heard and read in faith, and inwardly digested by prayer. The best soldier in the Lord's army is best acquainted with the necessity of prayer: he not only believes what God says of his armour, but he also depends upon him for the daily experience of it: and, therefore, when he has put his armour on, in the
PRAYER OF FAITH, he calls upon the Captain of his salvation for orders, courage, strength, victory, and everything needful: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance." O my God, teach me thus to pray. I would depend on thee, and express my dependence without ceasing; for I am sensible that without thee I can do nothing. Although thou hast chosen me to be a soldier, yet I have neither counsel nor strength for war. My foolish heart loves ease: it would have the crown, but it would be excused striving lawfully for it. I find nothing in myself that disposes me to endure the hardship of the Christian warfare. My whole trust, therefore, is in thee, Jesus, my Lord and my God. Thou hast called me to the battle, thou must fit me for it, keep me in it, and make me conqueror. All is of thee. The whole armour of God which I have received, the saving knowledge, the righteousness and the peace, that precious faith and glorious hope, that sure word wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust–these are the gifts of thy grace: and on thee, my Jesus, I entirely depend for the right use of them. Thou must still cover my head in the day of battle. Mine eyes are lifted up to thee, my hopes centre in thee, from whom alone cometh all my salvation. O Lord of hosts, keep me in this simple dependence upon thy word and arm, that I may exercise thy graces in fighting thy battles; and if thou art pleased to give me daily victory, I may be willing to return thee all glory. O faithful promise-keeping God, stand by me, and enable mo to hold out till I finish my course with joy, and, my warfare being ended, I may bless thee for evermore for that peace which passeth all understanding. 0 grant me this for thy mercies' sake. Amen.
If this be thy dependence, if thou art standing in the Lord's strength, and trusting entirely to his armour, then consider, O my soul, thy safety in every battle. If thou go to war, calling upon thy God to be with time and to give thee victory, then victory is certain. Thou canst not be conquered, if thou fight in faith, relying upon the orders of thy General, expecting his promised help, and waiting for it in prayer, trusting to the armour which he has put upon thee. Is this then thy defence? Dost; thou pray always–begin the good fight–carry it on–and end it with the prayer of faith? Blessed be his holy name, since this is, in some measure, thy case, go on in his strength, and fear not to fight his battles who hath chosen thee to be a soldier. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thy heart. The more bold thou art in thy faith, the stronger shall thou be in thy warfare: for whatever thou hast courage to do at his command, thou shall perform in his strength. And why should a doubt arise? Hast thou forgotten that the great decisive battle has been fought and won? Immanuel stood up the great champion for his people. The almighty warrior entered the lists with their enemies, and he conquered all their hosts. He triumphed over Satan and the world, over sin and death; and he led captivity captive. Remember, he calls upon thee to share in his victory, by faith to partake with him of the spoils, and to keep the vanquished enemies daily under thy feet. He has made them his footstool, and he will make them thine.
This is thy warfare. And what hast thou to fear in it? What hurt can a dead man do thee? If he has gun charged in his hand, he cannot fire it: he is not able to stir a finger, No more able is any adversary to destroy thee. Whilst thou art trusting to the complete victory of Jesus, thou wilt daily share with him in it. And the more simple thy trust is in him, the greater conquest will he give thee, because he will then receive from thee greater glory. How should this consideration inspire thee with courage–it is for his glory that thou shouldst conquer. Thy God commands thee to fight on his side, promises to assist thee, has provided invincible armour, and has, in his own person, engaged and defeated every enemy against whom thou art to fight; and therefore he requires thee, in obedience to his orders, depending upon his promises and armour, to bring him glory, by conquering in his strength.
O my soul, hast thou not a zeal to promote the honour of thy Saviour? Is not his fame and renown very near .thy heart? Dost thou not think it a privilege to be any ways instrumental in exalting his great name? Yes, Lord, thou hast made me willing to glorify thee. Thou art my lawful king, and I desire to honour thee by following thine orders, fighting thy battles, and relying entirely upon thy promises. I would not question thy faithfulness to them, nor tsar any enemy against whom thou hast commanded me to fight: I would not doubt of thy strength to carry me through the battle, or to give me the promised victory.
In this faith I conduct my warfare, and I would have all my success to bring fresh glory to thee. I know that the courage which I have in the field of battle is not from nature, but from grace, It arises from the belief that I am armed with the whole armour of God, and that the enemies against whom I fight are his as well as mine; his–whom he conquered for me, and is now conquering in me, and all to his own praise. From hence, Lord, arises my sure and certain hope of victory. I ground it on thy word: I fight in faith: I trust to thy complete victory, and now I am sharing in it. My daily victories are only the fruit and effect of thine. O my almighty Jesus, give me grace to ascribe all the glory to thee; it is thy due. Make me willing to give it thee for the victories obtained for me, and in me. O keep me by thine almighty power, through faith, till I have fought the good fight, and won the prize. Grant me this, blessed king of saints, to thine eternal honour and glory. Amen.