Vers. 13-17.-TM wAole annour oj God. L CmusTIANS NEED TO BE ARMED • ..\.ldershot csnnot dispense with Woolwich. The army must be equipped before it can r:J.e the field. 'l'he knight must don his coat of mail and draw his sword if he is to make any use of his martial skill and prowess. So the Church must be prepared for the great oonflict with unbelief, worldliness, and immorality. The individual Christian must be armed to meet temptation and to win a triumph. Many a sanguine young Christian soldier has fallen shamefully through rushing rashly into the fray without <lue preparation. II. THE REQUISITE ARMOUB MUST BE DIVINE. "Annour of God.n l. Provided by God. We cannot forge our own armour. Our own resolutious, like home-made weapons, will be sure to betray some weakness and clumsiness. 'l'he Christian armour consists of God-given graces. The pilgrim had his armour given him at the house "Beautiful." 2. God-like. A steel breastplate is no protection against a poison-cup. The character of our defences must be spiritual and holy, like the character of God, in order that we may be able to withstand great spiritual foes. IIL IT IS l>""ECESSARY TO SECURE A COMPLETE SUIT OF ABMOUB. "The whole armour." We are assailable in every part of our nature. It is w;eless to be only half-armed, for the subtle tempter is sure to aim his dart at the most vulnerable spot. We are all inclined to make much of favourite graces and to fortify ourselves against certain selected sins. "'here we think onn;elves most secure we are likely to be most open to attack. It wili not be sufficient t.o be sound on all points but one. Achilles was said to be n.ilnerable only on the heeL But that was enough. His one weak place was fatal to him. God knows both the variety of foes we harn to face and the ditforent suscepti- bilities of our own constitution, and has provided complete armour accordingly. IV. THE ClmisnAN ABllOUB IS VA.B.Ious IN x:nm. l. Defensive. (1) We have first to be braced and girded by a firm grasp of the eternal verities of the faith. Looseness uf conviction is a fatal source of weakness. Truth being the girdle we are not to embrace it, but it is to encircle us, i.e. we not to be satisfied with holding the truth, we mw;t let the truth hold w;_ (2) Our heart must be protected by righteousness. An evil conscience, with sin unrepented, unforgiven, and unamended, is fatal to future firmness. (3) We mu6t be active in spreadiug the gospel of peace. (4) Where we have not sufficient resisting power in our own persons let us trust the defending grace of God. Then if the breastplate of righteousness is thin, the shield of faiih held before it may still protect us. (5) Salvation in part secured, in whole promised, will help us to hold our head erect in calm confidence. 2. Offensive. We have not only to stand the shock of the enemy's blows; we have to return them. 'l'ho necessary weapons are supplied from the Divine armoury. (1) The Word of God. This is the sword of the Spirit, because G?<1's Spiri~ in.qJ?ired it an~ now gives _it ed~e and pene_trating JJ"Jwer. Christ used this sword m hlS temptation. Wo resist evil by dwellmg on Divine truth.a. (2) Prayer. In the garden Christ prayecl and l'eter slept; iD the house of Caiaphas Christ was faithful and Peter fell.-W. F. A.
Vera. 18--20.-Trru prayer. The arming and fighting referred to in the previous Yel'Se6are to be accompanied with praying. Prayer is as necessary as action. The part of Moses on the mount was at least as important as that of Joshua on the plaiu, Gun.sider the character and object of true prayer. L THE CHARACTER OF TBUE PRA n:11. 1. Earneatneu. What a ring of vel1e1ncnt OH, VJ. 1-24,) 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 297