THE NATURE OF THE WAR IS SET OUT BY THIS WORD 'WRESTLING'

The nature of the War is set out by this word Wrestling.

‘For we wrestle,’ Eph. 6:12.

The nature of the War is set out by this word Wrestling‘For we wrestle,’ Eph. 6:12.

  The Christian's state in this life [is] set out by this word wrestling.  The wrestling or conflicting state of a Christian in this life is rendered observable here by a threefold circumstance.  First, The sharpness of the combat.  Second, The universality of the combat.  Third,the permanency of the combat.

           First.  The sharpness of the combat.  The kind of combat which the Christian's state is here set out by, is the phrase translated ‘we wrestle’, which though it be used sometimes for a wrestling of sport and recreation, yet [is used] here to set out the sharp­ness of the Christian's encounter.  There are two things in wrestling that render it a sharper combat than others.

           First.  It is a single combat.  Wrestling is not properly fighting against a multitude, but when one enemy singles out another, and enters the list with him, each exerting their whole force and strength against one another; as David and Goliath, when the whole armies stood as it were in a ring to behold the bloody issue of that duel.  Now this is more fierce than to fight in an army, where though the battle be sharp and long, the soldier is not always engaged, but falls off when he has discharged, and takes breath a while; yea, possibly may escape without hurt or stroke, because there the enemy's aim is not at this or that man, but at the whole heap.  In wrestling [how­ever] one cannot escape so; he being the partic­ular object of the enemy's fury, must needs be shaken and tried to purpose.  Indeed the word ‘wrestling’ signifies such a strife as makes the body shake again.  Satan hath not only a general malice against the army of saints, but a spite against thee John, thee Joan; he will single thee out for his enemy.  We find Jacob when alone, a man wrestled with him.  As God de­lights to have private communion with his single saints, so the devil [delights] to try it hand to hand with the Christian when he gets him alone.  As we lose much comfort when we do not apply the promise and providence of God to our particular persons and conditions—God loves me,pardons me, takes care of me.  The water at the town-conduit doth me no good, if I want a pipe to empty it into my cistern; so it ob­structs our care and watchfulness, when we conceive of Satan's wrath and fury as bent in general against the saints, and not against me in particular.  O how careful would a soul be in duty, if, as going to church or closet, he had such a serious meditation as this: Now Satan is at my heels to hinder me in my work, if my God help me not!

           Second.  It is a close combat.  Armies fight at some distance.  Wrestlers grapple hand to hand.  An arrow shot from afar may be seen and shunned, but when the enemy hath hold of one there is no decli­ning, but either he must resist manfully, or fall shamefully at his enemy's foot.  Satan comes close up, and gets within the Christian, takes his hold of his very flesh and corrupt nature, and by this shakes him.

           Second.  The universality of the combat.  ‘We wrestle’ comprehends all.  On purpose you may per­ceive the apostle changeth the pronoun ye in the for­mer verse, into we in this, that he may include himself as well as them; as if he had said, The quarrel is with every saint.  Satan neither fears to assault the minister, nor despiseth to wrestle with the meanest saint in the congregation.  Great and small, minister and people, all must wrestle; not one part of Christ’s army in the field, and the other at ease in their quarters, where no enemy comes.  Here are enemies enough to engage all at once.

           Third. The permanency or duration of this combat; and that lies in the tense we wrestle.  Not, our wrestling was at first conversion, but now over, and we passed the pikes; not, we shall wrestle when sickness comes, and death comes; but our wrestling is; the enemy is ever in sight of us, yea, in fight with us.  There is an evil of every day's temptation, which, like Paul's bonds, abides us wherever we be come.  So that these particulars summed up will amount to this point.