The Christian in Complete Armour Quotes

“Prayer is a great heart-easer; it breathes out those distempered passions which, being bound up in others, break out when God at any time crosseth them in their wills.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“A pilot without his chart, a scholar without his book, and a soldier without his sword, are alike ridiculous. But, above all these, it is absurd for one to think of being a Christian, without knowledge of the word of God and some skill to use this weapon. - William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour

“Above all sins, guard against bold or arrogant ones. You are not beyond the danger of such. If caught in the web of presumptuous sin, call quickly to God for help. If you hesitate, you only give Satan time to entangle you more tightly. But if you cry out to God in true repentance, He will come at once to rescue you. The sooner you yield to the Spirit, the less damage is done to your soul.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare

“Many lose heaven because they are ashamed to go in a fool's coat thither.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare

“It is true, Christian, the debt thou owest to God must be paid in good and lawful money, but for thy comfort, here Christ is thy paymaster. Send”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“The more public thy place, Christian, and the more eminent thy service for God, the more thou must look that the devil will have some more dangerous design or other against thee; and therefore, if every private soldier needs armour against Satan’s bullets of temptation, then the commanders and officers who stand in the front of battle much more.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour (annotated) professional text version

“They say stars have greatest influences when they are in conjunction with the sun; then sure the graces of a saint should never work more powerfully than in prayer, for then he is in the nearest conjunction and communion with God. That”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“Faith hath an incarnating virtue, as they say of some strengthening meat; it feeds upon the promise, and that ‘is perfect, converting’—or rather restoring —‘the soul,’ Ps. 19:7. Though”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“Christ is a prince that loves to see his people thrive and grow rich under his government. This”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“one affirmative from God's mouth for thy pardoned state, carries more weight, though of old date, than a thousand negatives from Satan's. David's”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“Both God and man, between whom Christ comes to negotiate, call for holiness—God’s glory and man’s happiness; neither of which can be attained except holiness be restored to man.  Not God’s glory, who, as he is glorious in the holiness of his own nature and works, so is he glorified by the holiness of his people’s hearts and lives.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour - The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“When afflicted, love can allow thee to groan, but not to grumble.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour - The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“Jehoshaphat cried when in the throng of his enemies, and the Lord helped him; much more mayest thou promise thyself his succor in thy soul combats.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour - The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“Meditate of Christ’s coming to judgment. Surely thou wilt not easily sleep while this trumpet, that shall call all mankind to judgment, shall sound in thy ear.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“Gospel peace comforts the soul, and that strongly, when it hath no other comfort to mingle with it.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“The news which the gospel hath in its mouth to tell us poor sinners is good. It speaks promises, and they are significations of some good intended by God for poor sinners.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“Till he be merciful to pardon our sins through Christ, he cannot bless or look kindly on us sinners.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“Confession of the mouth without faith in the heart is gross hypocrisy.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“If ever you would have a blessed issue of this evil day, so as to stand in judgement before the great God, rest not till thou hast got into a covenant-relation with Christ.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“What have we Bibles for, ministers and preaching for, if we mean not to furnish ourselves by them with armour for the evil day? In”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“We are to choose affliction rather than sin, yea, the greatest affliction before the least sin. Moses”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“The providences of God to his saints here, while on this low bottom of earth, are mixed and parti-coloured, as was signified by the ‘speckled’ horses, Zech. 1:8, in”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“apply thyself to the use of those means which God hath appointed for the strengthening grace. If”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“It is more honour to take one soul alive out of the devil's clutches, than to leave many slain upon the field. Erasmus”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“Christian, hath not God secretly instructed thee by his Spirit from the Word, how to read the shorthand of his providence? Dost”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“O ye saints, when reproached and persecuted, look farther than man, spend not your wrath upon him.  Alas! they are but instruments in the devil's hand.  Save your displeasure for Satan, who is thy chief enemy.  These may be won to Christ’s side, and so become thy friends at last. ”
― Gurnall, William, The Christian in Complete Armour

“Jerusalem above is a city whose builder and maker is God." Every grace, yea, every degree of grace, is a stone in that building, the topstone whereof is laid in glory, where saints shall more plainly see, how God was not only Founder to begin, but Benefactor also to finish the same. The glory of the work shall not be crumbled and piece-mealed out, some to God and some to the creature, but all entirely paid in to God, and he acknowledged all in all.”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour - The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare

“The Christian hath an unregenerate part, that is discounted at this new change in the heart, and disdains as much to come under the sweet government of Christ's sceptre, as the Sodomites that Lot should judge them.  What, this fellow, a stranger, control us!”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour

“Indeed all the saints are taught the same lesson, to renounce their own strength, and rely on the power of”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour

“Because thy stock of grace in hand is small, thou questionest thy persevering.  ‘Can these weak legs,’ thinkest thou, ‘bring me to my journey’s end; these few pence in my purse’—little grace in my heart—‘bear my charges all the way to heaven, through so many expenses of trials and temptations?’  Truly no, if thou wert to receive no more than thou hast at present.  The bread thou hast in the cupboard will not maintain thee all thy life.  But, soul, thou hast a covenant will help thee to more when that grows low.  Hath not God taught thee to pray for thy ‘daily bread?’ and dost thou not find that the blessing of God in thy calling, diligently followed, supplies thee from day to day?  And hast thou not the same bond to sue for thy spiritual ‘daily bread?’ hast thou not a Father in heaven that knows what thou needest for thy soul as well as body?”
― William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour - The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare