Book: The Christian in Complete Armour, Volume 2

Overview
William Gurnall's Volume 2 of The Christian in Complete Armour continues the extended pastoral exposition of Ephesians 6, written in the mid-17th century as a guide to the daily life of faith under trial. The book treats the believer's spiritual condition as a life-and-death engagement, offering minute analysis of the Christian's equipment, the character of the enemy, and the disciplines by which grace is cultivated and preserved. Gurnall writes with a pastoral urgency that blends theological precision, practical counsel, and pointed exhortation.
Volume 2 builds on the theological scaffolding and pastoral tone established earlier, moving from doctrinal foundations into the applied mechanics of spiritual warfare. The aim is not merely to inform but to shape habits, strengthen courage, and secure perseverance so that readers may "stand" amid pressures that threaten faith and holiness.

The Exposition of Ephesians 6
Gurnall takes each element of the apostle's metaphorical "armour" and unfolds its meaning for the Christian life, treating truth, righteousness, readiness with the gospel, faith, salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and prayer as both defensive and offensive resources. He reads the text sermon by sermon, expanding single scriptural phrases into extended reflections that connect doctrine to conduct. Each piece of the armour becomes a lens through which inward struggles, temptations, and spiritual growth are examined.
The exposition is both theological and deeply practical. Gurnall explains how doctrinal truths must be embodied as habits and virtues; he insists that knowledge without mortification and practice leaves the believer exposed. In doing so he moves seamlessly between exegesis, moral instruction, and counseling.

The Nature and Tactics of the Enemy
A sustained and careful part of Volume 2 is devoted to identifying and describing the "enemies" that oppose the Christian: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Gurnall sketches their strategies with realist attention to subtleties, how sin flatters, how temptations are tailored to weakness, how discouragement and false peace betray the soul. He warns against underestimating adversaries who do not always appear as grossly malevolent but often work through deceit, falsehood, and besetting sin.
Gurnall's portraits of temptation are forensic and pastoral at once. He catalogues subtle devices and situational vulnerabilities, offering readers the means to recognize patterns of attack and the practical steps to resist, recover, and reorient toward holiness.

Means of Grace and Spiritual Exercises
Central to Gurnall's counsel are the ordinary means of grace, Scripture reading and meditation, prayer, sacramental engagement, confession, fasting, and mutual accountability, which he treats as the instruments by which the armour is worn and made effective. He insists that spiritual strength is acquired through disciplined practice: faithful use of the Word as the sword, active faith as the shield, and steady prayer as the channel of God's sustaining power.
Gurnall pays special attention to the interplay of mortification and vivification: putting sin to death through repentance and obedience and affirmatively cultivating virtues through repeated, blessed acts. He gives concrete directions for how to pray, how to resist particular temptations, and how to maintain watchfulness in seasons of weariness.

Pastoral Tone and Practical Counsel
The pastoral voice is direct, compassionate, and often urgent. Gurnall combines gentle rebuke with encouragement, realistic diagnostics with hopeful remedy. He addresses readers as those living under siege, not merely theorizing about conflict but learning to act with courage, prudence, and humility. Stories, analogies, and case-like reflections abound to make doctrine tangible and memorable.
Rather than promising quick fixes, Gurnall cultivates long obedience and steady perseverance. He exhorts patience in growth, continual self-examination, and reliance on Christ as both the one who equips and the one who sustains.

Legacy and Relevance
Volume 2 helped secure Gurnall's reputation as a master of pastoral theology and a clear voice in Puritan spiritual literature. Its detailed treatments of temptation, the nature of spiritual enemies, and the mechanics of grace have continued to be read by those seeking robust, practical counsel for Christian living. The book's enduring value lies in its insistence that doctrine must be lived out in disciplined, concrete practices that enable believers to stand firm in faith and grow in holiness.