Puritan: William Gurnall
Source: The Christian in Complete Armour
Originally Delivered: ~1655-62, Lavenham, Suffolk, England
The Lord’s Day: November 08, 2026
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”
Ephesians 6:10
“The Christian of all men needs courage and resolution. Indeed, there is nothing he does as a Christian, or can do, but is an act of valor. A cowardly spirit is beneath the lowest duty of a Christian. It requires more prowess and greatness of spirit to obey God faithfully, than to command an army of men; to be a Christian than a captain.
Indeed, there is no duty in a Christian’s whole course of walking with God, or acting for God but is lined with many difficulties, which shoot like enemies through the hedges at him, while he is marching towards heaven: so that he is put to dispute every inch of ground as he goes. They are only a few noble-spirited souls, who dare take heaven by force, that are fit for this calling. For further proof of this point, see some few pieces of service that every Christian engages in.
First – The Christian is to proclaim and prosecute an irreconcilable war against his bosom sins; those sins which have lain nearest his heart, must now be trampled under his feet. Now what courage and resolution does this require? You think Abraham was tried when called to take his ‘son, his son Isaac, his only son whom he loved,’ (Gen. 22:2) and offer him up with his own hands, and no other; yet what was that to this? Soul, take you lust, your only lust, which is the child of your dearest lust, your Isaac, the sin which has caused most joy and laughter, from which you have promised yourself the greatest return of pleasure or profit; lay hands on it and offer it up: pour out the blood of it; run the sacrificing knife of mortification into the very heart of it; and all this now, before you have one embrace more from it. Truly this is a hard chapter, flesh and blood cannot bear this saying; our lust will not lie so patiently on the altar, as Isaac, or as a ‘Lamb that is brought to the slaughter which was dumb,’ but will roar and shriek; yea, even shake and rend the heart with its hideous outcries.
Second – The Christian is to walk singularly, not after the world’s guise (Rom. 7:2). We are commanded not to be conformed to this world, that is, not to accommodate ourselves to the corrupt customs of the world. No, the Christian must stand fixed to his principles and not change his habit; but freely show what countryman he is by his holy constancy in the truth.
Third – The Christian must keep on his way to heaven amid all the scandals that are cast upon the ways of God by apostasy and foul falls of false professors. We have need of a holy resolution to bear up against such discouragement, and not to faint; as Joshua, who lived to see the whole camp of Israel, a very few excepted, revolting, and in their hearts turning back to Egypt, and yet with an undaunted spirit maintained his integrity, yea, resolved though not a man beside would bear him company, yet he would serve the Lord.
Fourth – The Christian must trust in a withdrawing God (Isa. 1:10). Let him that walks in darkness, and sees no light, trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. This requires a holy boldness of faith indeed, to venture into God’s presence, as Esther into Ahasuerus’ when no smile is to be seen on his face, no golden scepter of the promise perceived by the soul, as held forth to embolden it to come near, then to press in with this noble resolution, ‘If I perish, I perish,’ (Est. 4:16). Nay, more, to trust not only in a withdrawing but a ‘killing God,’ (Job 8:15), not when His love is hidden, but when His wrath breaks forth. Yet such a masculine spirit we find in that poor woman of Canaan, who takes up the bullets Christ shot at her, and with a humble boldness of faith sends them back again in her prayer.
Fifth – The believer is to persevere in his Christian course to the end of his life: his work and his life must go off the stage together. This adds weight to every other difficulty of the Christian’s calling. We have known many who have gone into the field and liked the work of a soldier for a battle or two, but soon have had enough, and come running home again, but few can bear it as a constant trade. O, this persevering is a hard work! This taking up the cross daily, this praying always, this watching night and day, and never laying aside our clothes and armor, I mean indulging ourselves to remit and unbend in our holy waiting on God, and walking with God. This sends many sorrowful away from Christ, yet this is the saint’s duty, to make religion his every-day work, without any vacation from one end of the year to the other.
Perhaps some drooping souls find their hearts fail them, while they see their enemies so strong, and they so weak; so numerous, and they so few; so well appointed, and they so naked and unarmed; so skillful and expert at arms, but they so green and raw soldiers. Let not these or any other thoughts dismay you; but with undaunted courage march on, and be strong in the Lord, on Whose performance lies the stress of the battle, and not on your skill or strength.