THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS - and the Spiritual Battle

Most of my days begin with a mug of decaf coffee (sometimes mixed with carob powder) and the Bible, where I check ‘postcards’ from heaven. : > } ).

Sometimes, after the Bible, I’ll pull out the classics, say, ‘George Mueller of Bristol’ by Arthur T. Pierson) 1899; or this one (both highly recommended) ‘The Chrisian in Complete Armour’, by William Gurnall.. 1677; Because the Lord sends me messages also, from the writings of the deeply spiritual men who blazed trails before us.

Today I reviewed a passage by Gurnall that is mind blowing in its application to right now; 350 years from his writing it.

Without any ado, let me share it with you from Gurnal’s ‘Dedication to his readers’..

“The subject of the Treatise is solemn - A war between the saint and satan, and that so bloody a one, that the cruelest which ever was fought by men, will be found but sport and child’s play to this. Alas, what is the killing of bodies to the destroying of souls? Tis a sad meditation indeed, to think how many thousands have been sent to the grave in a few late years among us by the sword of man; but far more astonishing to consider how many of those may be sent to hell by the sword of God’s wrath.

Tis a spiritual war you shall read of, and that not a history of what was fought many ages past, and is now over; but of what now is doing, the tragedy is at present acting, and that not the further end of the world, but what concerns thee and every one that reads it. The stage whereon this war is fought, is every man’s own soul.

Here is no neuter (neutral) in this war, the whole world is engaged in the quarrel, either for God against satan, or for satan against God. It was a great question some years past, ‘Who are you for?’ The not giving a good answer to which, hath cost many a life.

O my dear friends, think solemnly what answer you mean to give God and conscience, when they in a dying hour shall ask every one of you, Who art thou for? Tis an incomparable mercy, that you are yet where you may choose your side; it will not be ever so, maybe not a day to an end. If once in another world, you must then stand to your colours, yet you may run from the devil’s quarters, and be taken into Christ’s pay.

The drum beats in the Gospel for voulunteers. O, the Lord make you willing in the day of His power.

O neighbors, I am loth to leave you in the way where God’s bullets fly; but I must have a word with you, my Christian friends who have espoused Christ’s quarrel, and are in the field against satan. My heart is towards you, who have thus willingly offered yourselves among the Lord’s people, to his help against the mighty. He can destroy him without you, but he takes your love as kindly as if he could not.

God hath sent me, (As Jesse did David), with this little present to you, and the rest of my brethren that are in his camp. May it be but to the strengthening of your hearts and hands in fighting the Lord’s battles, and I shall bless God that put it into my heart to thus visit you.

Harden yourselves against the scandals, which the cowardice and treachery of false brethren hath given you. He is the right soldier that is not discouraged by those that run from, or that are slain in the battle; but still presseth on to victory, though he goes to it over the backs of others that are killed upon the place.

In a word, disentangle your hearts what you can from the love of, and distracting cares for this present world. ‘No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may plaase him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’ 2 Tim.ii.4

Get but once your hearts mortified to the world, and care rolled upon God, for name, estate, and relations here, and then you are fit to march wherever Christ may lead you. The want of this hath made many run home to save their own private stake there, when they should have been in the field for Christ.

And now, my Christian friends, march on, not in the confidence of your armour, but in the power of his might, who hath promised shortly to subdue satan under your feet.

O hold on dear friends, in your Christian warfare, let none take the crown from you.

W.Gurnall