How to Use the Sword of the Spirit, Part Two...

Chapter Twenty-six:

Gurnall continues in his warnings to us, and tells us of an area where we will face even stronger challenges, and these will be against those who he refers to as heretics and seducers.  He cautions us that these people are to be feared even more than persecutors!   Gurnall said, "It is far worse to have our souls damned by God than to have our bodies killed by man. If the martyrs had dreaded death more than heresy they could never have walked willing into persecutors' flames."

He then gives us a strong warning about the necessity of using our own, well-practiced sword, and not relying upon another to defend us when he says, "The sword of the Spirit in another's hand will not defend you. If you are to lift it up in victory against this dangerous enemy (heretics and seducers) you must first give yourself completely to the leading of the Spirit in God's Word. The outward expression of Scripture is only the shell, and the meaning is the pearl which you (emphasis added) must search for until you find it...we must listen to what the Spirit says in the Word as we hear or read it, for the one who has an ear for the Spirit will not have an ear for the seducer."

Gurnall goes on to tell us six ways to help make sure we are not taken in by the seducer or heretic:

First, to remember that the only way we will know the true mind of God, in His Word, is to be sure that the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. But we must first be sure that we approach this with a clean heart and a pure motive.  "The wicked have the Word of God but only the holy have 'the mind of Christ' (First Corinthians 2:16)", says Gurnall.  Paul was persuaded that we need to have a transformed mind, one that is no longer conformed to the ways of this world, if we are to receive the truths that the Holy Spirit wants to share with us. David begged for understanding of the Word when he made his desire for holiness, "Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart." (Psalm 119:33-34).

Second, we need to make sure we don't use our own reasoning power and apply it to how we measure the truths found in Scripture.  It is too easy to be talked into a heresy or adopt a distorted teaching from the Word of God if we aren't extremely careful of who teaches us or if we are using our own worldly reasoning about a subject.  God's Word reveals more to us than is above reason, and often is something that only faith can reveal.  We, who insist on remaining prideful, or follow people who are, will often find ourselves unable to understand the true meaning of what is found in the Scriptures as it takes a humble heart to see the truth. Gurnall believed that "This was the Sadducees' rationale for denying the resurrection of the dead, as it seemed impossible to their reasoning that our bodies, after becoming dust, should stand up in life again. And because their intellect laughed at this truth the Savior indicted them with a serious charge: 'Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God' (Matthew 22:29)". Pride is very often behind those who are heretics and seducers of weak spirits.

Third, we must not read the Bible in order to confirm our already-held beliefs, or validate erroneous beliefs we are being taught,  but we must read it to become informed. We cannot hold to our own beliefs and try to make Scripture agree with them. We cannot look at the truths God reveals to us and ignore them or God will give us up to a foolish heart. Gurnall reminds us that "foolish men are desperately trapped in their own hearts by being ensnared in the errors which their own minds weave." 

Fourth, we need to pray to God to unlock the mysteries found in the Scriptures. We should be careful about what men tell us about God's Word and be in prayer so that we recognize error when we hear it. Scripture reminds us that it is the Holy Spirit that will guide us in all truth (John 16:13). We must pray that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth, rather than being lazy and allowing ourselves to be taught by those who have selfish or deceitful motives.

Fifth, in order to protect ourselves we must be able to compare Scripture with Scripture. "False doctrines, like false witnesses, do not agree among themselves. We might name them 'Legion', for they are many. But truth is whole, and one Scripture harmonizes sweetly with another, Thus, although God used many different men to pen His sacred Word, He made sure they all had but one mouth: 'As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began' (Luke 1:70). The best way, therefore, to know the mind of God in a particular text is to compare it to another text. The stonecutter uses a diamond to cut another diamond.", says Gurnall.

Sixth, if necessary we must seek out an authority within the Church whom we trust for wisdom and insight. This is one of the areas where Gurnall tells us that we have to do it using much prayer and discernment as there are many even within the Church that are heretics or seducers, wolves in sheep's clothing. However, it is also one of Satan's best strategies, to send away the shepherd so he can snare the sheep. We must not allow our hearts to become so untrusting of men of God that we follow after strangers who corrupt us with unsound doctrines that appeal to our flesh.  Gurnall tells us that if we really want to be protected from error, we must use the sword of the Word which is in our hands, a sword that must be kept sharpened and at the ready. 

In Second Corinthians 11:13 we are told to not be shocked to find false teachers masquerading as apostles of Christ. In First Timothy 4:1 we read, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times  some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons."  Spiritual deception is not something that many believers have been taught to discern, nor the need to be cautious in what they expose themselves to, and to that end the enemy has, and will, fool many with seemingly supernatural experiences.  Many Christians are too eager to accept anything that appears supernatural as being something from God, something divine, and so it is accepted without any second thought, even though it could very well be a counterfeit and not from God at all.  Counterfeit supernatural events have happened all throughout the history of the Church and yet Christians are still allowing themselves to be misled.

Paul warned Timothy how to stand in defense against seducers by telling him to shut himself up with the Scriptures (Second Timothy 3:14).  As I said in an earlier chapter, Gurnall tells us "We can load ourselves down with other arms by stumbling over many authors; but whoever has the sword the Spirit (God's Word) has all he needs to encounter the fiercest champion of error the devil can train up and command. Persons in error can no more stand before us holding this sword than a child with a wooden dagger could stand against a giant armed with deadly weapons. All error dreads the light of the Word and is more afraid of being examined by it than a thief dreads a strict judge. To expose the doctrines of heretics is to overcome them. When they come face to face with the Word they must hang their heads like Cain; they are put to shame. This is the only way to test suspicious teachings - if they can walk upon this fiery law unhurt and unreproved, they may safely pass for truths. Paul tells us that some 'will not endure sound doctrine' (Second Timothy 4:3). These want a doctrine which will suit their own preferences, and the Word will not do this."
 
In the two last chapters, Gurnall will tell us how to use the sword of the Word against the lusts that dwell within us and which Satan could use to bring us to our knees in defeat. He will also teach us what he learned about using the sword of the word against afflictions, trials and struggles.