HOMILY XXII.] HOMILIES ON EPHESIANS. 161 scribing in detail the power of the enemy does not create cowardice and fear, but it shakes off indolence. "That ye may be able," he saith, " to withstand in the evil day." And he further gives them encouragement too from the time ; the time, he seems to say, is short ; J so that ye must needs stand ; faint not when the slaughter is achieved. MORAL. If then it is a warfare, if such are the forces arrayed against us, if " the principali ties " are incorporeal, if they are " rulers of the world," if they are " the spiritual hosts of wicked ness," how, tell me, canst thou live in self-indul gence ? How canst thou be dissolute ? How if we are unarmed, shall we be able to overcome ? These words let every one repeat to himself every day, whenever he is under the influence of anger, or of lust, whenever he is aiming, and all to no profit, after this languid life. Let him hearken to the blessed Paul, saying to him, " Our wres tling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers." A harder warfare this than that which is matter of sense, a fiercer conflict. Think how long time this enemy is wrestling, for what it is that he is fighting, and be more guarded than ever. "Nay," a man will say, "but as he is the devil, he x>ught to have been removed out of the way, and then all had been saved." 2 These are the pretenses to which some of your indolent ones in self-defense give utterance. When thou oughtest to be thankful, O man, that, if thou hast a mind, thou hast the victory over such a foe, thou art on the contrary even discontented, and givest utterance to the words of some slug gish and sleepy soldier. Thou knowest the points of attack,3 if thou choosest. Reconnoiter on all sides, fortify thyself. Not against the devil alone is the conflict, but also against his powers. How then, you may say, are we to wrestle with the darkness? By becoming light. How with the " spiritual hosts of wickedness " ? By becoming good. For wickedness is contrary to good, and light drives away darkness. But if we ourselves too be darkness, we shall inevita bly be taken captive. How then shall we over come them ? If, what they are by nature, that we become by choice, free from flesh and blood, thus shall we vanquish them. For since it was probable that the disciples would have many persecutors, "imagine not," he would say, "that it is they who war with you. They that really war with you, are the spirits that work in them. Against them is our conflict." Two things he provides for by these considerations ; he renders 1 i.e. " but a day. " 2 [This entire sentence and the preceding one, though attested by three MSS. and read by Savile, are wanting in the text of Field, who has, in their stead, NGy ovv i]A0e, 4>-r\<r\v, ipoi n-aAaia-ai," Now then," says some one, " he has come to wrestle with me," which seems to leave the sense incomplete, and does not suit the following sentence. See note on page 82. G. A.] 3 Aa<is. them in themselves more courageous and he lets loose their wrath against those who war against them. And wherefore is our conflict against these ? Since we have also an invincible" ally, the grace of the Spirit. We have been taught an art, such as shall enable us to wrestle not against men, but against spirits. Nay, if we have a mind, neither shall we wrestle at all ; for it is because we choose it, that there is a strug gle, since so great is the power of Him that clwelleth in us, as that He said, " Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy." (Luke x. 19.) All power hath He given us, both of wrestling and of not wrestling. It is because we are slothful, that we have to wrestle with them ; for that Paul wrestled not, hear what he saith himself, " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" (Rom. viii. 35.) And again hear his words, " God shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." (Rom. xvi. 20.) For he had him under his subjection ; whence also he said, I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." (Acts xvi. 18.) And this is not the language of one wrestling ; for he that wrestles has not yet conquered, and he that has conquered no longer wrestles ; he has subdued, has taken his captive. And so Peter again wrestled not with the devil, but he did that which was better than wrestling. In the case of the faithful, the obedient, the catechumens, they prevailed over him to vast advantage and over his powers. Hence too was it that the blessed Paul said, " For we are not ignorant of his de vices " (2 Cor. ii. 1 1), which was the way more over in which he especially overcame him ; and again hear his words, "And no marvel if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness." (2 Cor. xi. 14, 15.) So well knew he every part of the conflict, and nothing escaped him. Again, " For the mystery of law lessness," saith he, "doth already work." (2 Thess. ii. 7.) But against us is the struggle ; for hearken again to him, saying, "I am persuaded, that neither angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of Christ." (Rom. viii. 38.) He saith not simply, "from Christ," but, " from the love of Christ."* For many there are who are united forsooth to Christ, and who yet love Him not. Not only, saith he, shalt thou not persuade me to deny Him, but, not even to love Him less. And if the powers above had not strength to do this, who else should move him? Not, [This text in Rom. has, " from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." G. A.]