The Christian in Complete Armor, by William Gurnall Introduction and Chapter One- a link

Mr. Gurnall so diligently has studied those great passages on the Christian’s warfare. The first thing that he tells us is the importance of seeing the Christian life in the light of the warfare that we are engaged in. Ephesians 6 is an every part of life necessity. Paul was in bonds when he wrote it and we, who live in these current days are sometimes lulled to sleep, not recognizing the severity of the Christians position and condition in the world. Paul could see the evil day, in his time. But, how are our days evil?

Why should we be thusly engaged{to use the old writers dialect}? Why should we be awake and putting on armor, when we live in such a progressive and opulent society?

In his introduction, Gurnall senses that argument. He defends the importance of the relevance of the passage, even in days that may not seem evil.

What war are we fighting? What spiritual principalities are at stake? What are the rewards of the diligence? What are the losses that we incur? All of these are questions that the Apostle in the scriptures takes on directly and our much studied, old Gurnall brings them more to relevance in the day in which he lived.

The part First, A Sweet and Powerful Encouragement to the War is entitled and truly draws us in to study these truths, which we often take for granted at a much more disciplined level.

I think that he may have had the old hymn in mind, when he was writing, “ How Sweet and Awful is the Place with Christ within the doors…” A sweet home seems an apt metaphor, but a sweet encouragement to war? Truly oxymoronic, at best.

The Treatise, William Gurnall