A Meditation Upon Spiritual Warfare by William Spurstowe (1666) Who   can   either   think   or   read   what   a   slaughter   was made     by     one     angel     in     the     numerous     army     of Sennacherib,    who    in    a    night    destroyed    a    hundred fourscore   and   five   thousand   men,   without   reflecting upon   the   vast   disparity   that   is   between   the   strength and   power   which   is   in   angelic   versus   human   beings? Great   things   are   recorded   in   sacred   history   to   be   done by   some   of   Israel’s   judges,   and   David’s   worthies,   which would   be   looked   upon   as   impossibilities,   if   the   Spirit   of God    were    not    the    voucher    of    the    truth    of    them. Shamgar   slew   six   hundred   Philistines   with   an   ox   goad (see   Judges   3:31);   Samson   with   the   jawbone   of   an   ass laid   heaps   upon   heaps   (see   Judges   15:15);   and   Adino the    Tachmonite    lifted    up    his    spear    against    eight hundred,   whom   he   slew   at   one   time   (see   II   Samuel 23:8).   But   if   these,   and   the   like   remarkable   conquests which   others   also   are   famed   for   and   have   their   names enrolled   in   the   list   of   worthies,   were   as   several   parcels brought   into   one   total,   how   far   short   would   the   foot   of the   account   be,   in   comparison   to   the   number   which   fell by the sword of one angel! Well   then,   may   the   scripture   give   to   them   the   names of    mighty    ones,    of    principalities     and     powers ,    such    as excel   in   strength.   How   quickly   would   a   legion    of   such Elohims     turn    the    whole    world    into    a    charnel-house, filled    with    the    skulls    and    bones    of    its    inhabitants, when    a    single    angel    can    in    a    small    space    of    time change   so   many   living   persons   into   dead   carcasses! How   soon   could   they   cloy   and   surfeit   the   grave   itself, which   is   as   insatiable   as   any   of   those   four   things,   that say, It is not enough!   Does    not    all    this    therefore    greatly    heighten    the wonder    of    the    spiritual    warfare,    in    which    a    frail Christian,   who   has   not   put   off   the   infirmities   of   the flesh,    does    yet    go    forth    to    fight    and    war    with    the combined    hosts    and    powers    of    darkness?    If    young David   was   looked   upon   as   an   unequal   match   by   Saul, and   all   Israel,   to   combat   with   Goliath,   the   vastness   of whose   stature,   and   warlike   arms   had   struck   a   terror into   the   whole   camp,   how   strange   must   it   be   deemed that   one,   who   to   the   outward   view,   is   as   any   other man,   should   conflict   not   with   flesh   and   blood,   but   with spiritual   wickednesses,   which   are   for   number   many, and   for   power   great?   What   is   one   weak   lamb   to   resist the    lions    of    the    forest,    or    one    harmless    dove    to encounter   with   the   birds   of   prey? As   impotent   as   either of    these,    may    the    strongest    of    men    seem    to    deliver themselves,   or   to   offend   any   of   their   spiritual   enemies when they assault them. But   yet   the   resolved   Christian,   who   is   called   to   a   holy warfare   by   God,   he   does   such   noble   exploits   against sin   and   Satan,   as   cause   both   a   shout   and   wonder   in heaven.   Angels    are    affected    to    behold    what    a    great fight   of   afflictions   he   endures;   what   repulses   he   gives to   the   reiterated   assaults   of   enraged   fiends;   and   when at   any   time   worsted,   how   he   rallies   again,   recovers   his ground,   and   comes   off   both   with   victory    and   triumph , putting     to     flight     whole     armies     of     those      infernal Anakims .   It   is   worth   our   inquiry   and   knowledge   then, to     understand     wherein     this     great     strength     of     a Christian   lies,   which   is   not   a   natural ,   but   a   mystical    and sacramental    strength,   like   Samson’s .   But   it   lies   not   in   his hair ,   but   in   his   head    and   in   his   armor ,   which   for   the efficiency    of   it,   as   well   as   for   the   excellency    of   it,   is   called the armor of God. First ,   the   head    of   every   believer   is   Christ,   who   derives an   influence   of   life   and   power   worthy   of   himself.   “I can   do   all   things”    (said   Paul)    “through   Christ   that strengtheneth   me”    (Phil.   4:13).   There   is   a   continued flux    of    virtue    that    goes    from    him,    which    to    every Christian   communicates   a   kind   of   omnipotence.   He, who    without    Christ    can    do    nothing,    can    in    him    do everything.   What   a   catalog   of   forces   does   the   apostle muster    up    in    the    eighth    chapter    of    Romans,    from which    he    supposes    an    opposition    may    come!    Life, death,   angels,   principalities,   powers,   things   present,   things to   come,   height,   depth!    And   that   he   may   leave   out   none, adds,   nor   any   creature :   and   yet   pronounces   of   them, that    in    all    these,    “We    are    more    than    conquerors,” which,    as    Chrysostom    interprets    it,    is    to    overcome them   with   ease,   without   pains,   and   without   sweat.   O then    that    Christians    did    but    understand    their    own strength,   that   they   war   in   the   power   of   his   might,   who spoiled   principalities,   and   powers,   and   made   a   show of    them    openly,    leading    them    as    so    many    pinioned captives    after    the    chariot    of    his    cross,    whereon    he showed   many   signal   testimonies   of   a   glorious   victory, in   saving   a   thief   without   means;   in   rending   the   vail   of the   Temple   from   the   top   to   the   bottom;   in   shaking   the earth,   cleaving   the   rocks   asunder,   opening   the   graves, and    causing    many    bodies    of    saints    to    arise.    How greatly    would    these    thoughts    keep    us    from    being weary   and   faint   in   our   spiritual   war,   and   make   our hands   steady   like   the   hands   of   Moses,   until   the   going down of the sun of our life. Secondly ,   a   Christian’s   strength   lies   in   his   armor ,   which when   rightly   put   on,   is   able   to   preserve   him,   that   the evil   one   touch   him   not:   There   is   no   standing   in   the battle   without   it,   and   there   is   no   fear   of   perishing   in   it. When   did   ever   Satan   bruise   or   wound   the   head   of   him, that    had    the    helmet    of    salvation     for    his    covering?    Or endanger   the   vitals   of   him,   who   had   put   on   the   breast- plate   of   righteousness ,   and   had    his   loins   girt   about   with truth?    Or   what   way   of   sufferings   could   not   he   walk   in, whose   feet   are   shod   with   the   preparation   of   the   gospel   of peace?    Methinks   when   I   consider   that   God,   who   best knows   the   utmost   both   of   Satan’s   power   and   policies, is   the   maker   of   the   armor.   It   is   a   voice   becoming   every soldier   of   Christ,   to   say,   “Of   whom   should   I   be   afraid?” If   he   calls   us   to   fight,   and   furnishes   us   with   arms   that are   unable   to   defend   us,   or   to   offend   our   enemies,   he would   suffer   in   his   glory,   as   well   as   we   in   our   comfort; he   would   then   have   his   champions    to   be   Satan’s   captives , and    the    banner     which    they    spread    in    this    name,    to become   hell’s   trophy . And   can   he,   do   you   think,   endure at   once   to   see   the   destruction   of   his   people,   and   the dishonor of his name? Whosoever    therefore    you    are,    who    is    clad    in    this armor    of    proof,    let    me    say    to    you    as    the    Lord    to Gideon,   “Go   in   this   thy   might,”    and   fight   the   battles of   Jehovah.   Take   unto   you   that   sword   of   the   Spirit,    that will    kill    lusts,    and    make    the    devils    to    flee:    It    has wrought   wonders   in   all   ages,   and   its   edge   is   still   as sharp   as   ever   it   was.   “By   the   word   of   thy   lips”    (said David)    “I    have    kept    me    from    the    paths    of    the destroyer”    (Ps.   17:4).   “It   is   written,”   said   our   Savior, when   he   foiled   his   and   our   adversary,   and   put   him   to flight   after   his   repeated   assaults   (see   Matt.   4).   And   in that    great    battle    that    we    read    was    fought    between Michael   and   his   angels,   and   the   dragon   and   his   angels, he   and   his   host   were   overcome   by   “the   blood   of   the Lamb,   and   the   word   of   their   testimony”    (Rev.   12:11). Let   every   man   then   have   his   sword   upon   his   thigh, because   of   fear   in   the   night:   put   not   off   your   armor    till you   put   on   your   robes .   It   is   made   to   be   worn,   not   to   be laid   up,   nor   yet   to   be   laid   down,   because   our   warfare and   our   lives   are   both   finished   together.   Till   then   there is   not   a   truce ,   much   less   a   peace    to   be   expected?   Sooner may    we    contract    a    league    with    poisons,    that    when taken   down   they   shall   not   kill;   or   with   fiery   serpents and   cockatrices,   that   they   bite   not,   than   obtain   the   least respite   in   this   war,   in   which   the   malice   of   cursed   devils is   as   unquenchable   as   the   fire   of   hell,   to   which   they   are doomed. Lord,   therefore   do   thou,   who   are   the   prince    of   life,   the captain   of   salvation    to   all   thy   people,   who   has   finished thine   own   warfare,   and   beholds   theirs,   enable   me   to wrestle,   that   I   may   neither   faint    nor   fall ,   but   prevail unto   victory;   show   forth   they   wonders   in   me,   whose strength   is   perfected   in   weakness,   that   I   may   overcome the    wicked    one.   And    though    the    conflict    should    be long    and    bitter,    yet    make    me    to    know,    that    the sweetness    of   the   reward   will   abundantly   recompense the   trouble   of   the   resistance ;   and   the   joy   of   the   triumph , the bloodiness  of the war. This article is taken from:  Spurstowe, William.  The Spiritual Chymist: or, Six Decads of Divine Meditations on Several Subjects. London: Philip Chetwind, 1666.  A PDF file of this book can be downloaded, free of charge, at http://www.ClassicChristianLibrary.com