Homilies on Ephesians 24

'Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; above all, taking up the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Evil One; and receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.'

'Having girded,' he says, 'your loins with truth.'

What then is this? It has been said by us in the discourse before this one, that we must be so lightly equipped as to have nothing to hinder us from running.

'And having put on,' he says, 'the breastplate of righteousness.'

Just as the breastplate cannot be pierced, so also is righteousness.

And by righteousness here he means the universal and virtuous life.

Such a man no one will ever be able to cast down; but though many wound him, none cleaves him through—not even the devil himself.

As one might say, having taken righteous deeds to one's own heart.

Concerning these things Christ says:

'Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.'

He who has taken this to his heart is as strong as a breastplate.

Such a man will never be provoked to anger.

'And having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.'

This has been stated somewhat obscurely.

What then does it mean? He has fitted us with beautiful greaves—the preparation of the Gospel.

Or this at least he means: that we should be ready for the Gospel, and to this end make use of our feet, and prepare its way beforehand, and make ready in advance.

Or, if not this, then that they themselves should be ready for their departure.

The preparation of the Gospel, then, is nothing else but a most excellent life.

Which is what the Prophet said: 'Your ear has attended to the preparation of their heart,' that is, their readiness.

'Of the Gospel,' he says, 'of peace.'

For since he had made mention of war and battle, he shows that we must wage the battle against the demons.

For the Gospel is a Gospel of peace.

That war puts an end to another war—the war against God.

If we war against the devil, we are at peace with God.

Fear not, therefore, beloved: it is a Gospel.

'Above all, taking up the shield of faith.'

By faith here he does not mean knowledge—for then he would not have set it down after the others—but the grace through which the signs are wrought.

And with good reason does he call faith a shield.

For just as the shield is thrown before the whole body, being as it were a wall, so too is faith.

'Wherewith,' he says, 'you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Evil One.'

For nothing is able to cut through this shield.

For hear Christ saying to His disciples:

'If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove.'

And how shall we come to have this faith? When we set those other things aright.

And by the darts of the Evil One he means both temptations and unseemly desires.

And well did he add, 'the fiery ones.'

For such are the desires.

But if faith gave commands to demons, much more also to the passions of the soul.

'Receive,' he says, 'the helmet of salvation.'

That is, of your salvation.

For he fences them round about, as leading them forth to war.

'And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.'

He means either the Spirit itself, or the spiritual sword.

For by this all things are cut, by this all things are severed, and by this we cut off the head of the dragon.

'By means of all prayer and supplication,' he says, 'praying at every season in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, and for me, that utterance may be given unto me in the opening of my mouth, with boldness to make known the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in a chain; that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.'

Just as the word of God prevails over all things, so also does he who possesses the spiritual gift.

'For the word of God is living,' he says, 'and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword.'

But mark the discernment of this blessed man.

He armed them with all security.

Then he teaches how one ought to call upon the King, that He may stretch forth His hand.

'By means of all prayer,' he says, 'and supplication, praying at every season in the Spirit.'

For it is possible not to pray in the Spirit, when one babbles vain repetitions.

'And thereunto,' he says, 'watching'—that is, being sober.

For such must he be who is armed, who stands beside the King—wakeful and sober.

'In all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, and for me, that utterance may be given unto me in the opening of my mouth.'

What say you, O blessed Paul? Have you need of the disciples? And well did he say, 'In the opening of my mouth.'

He did not, then, rehearse beforehand the things he was to say, but even as Christ had said:

'When they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what you shall speak.'

For it shall be given to you in that hour what you shall speak.

Thus he did all things by faith, all things by grace.

'That I may make known with boldness,' he says, 'the mystery of the Gospel.'

That is, that I may make my defence, as I ought.

'You are bound with a chain, and do you still stand in need of others?' 'Yes,' he says;

for Peter too was bound with a chain, yet nonetheless earnest prayer was made on his behalf.

'For which I am an ambassador in chains, that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.'

That is, that I may make my answer with boldness, with courage, and with much understanding.

'But that you also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things.'

Since he had made mention of his bonds, he leaves it also to Tychicus to discourse of something from himself.

For whatever pertained to doctrine and exhortation, these things he set forth by the Epistle;

but whatever was of simple report, these he entrusted to the one who carried the Epistle.

'That you may know the things concerning us,' that is, 'That you may learn.'

This showed both his own love toward them, and theirs toward him.

'Whom I have sent to you,' he says, 'for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts.'

He says this not without design, but having first said, 'Having put on and girded about you,' which is a token of ever drawing near and unceasingly.

For hear the Prophet saying:

'Let it be unto him as the garment which he wraps about him, and as the girdle with which he is continually girded.'

And the Prophet says also that God has clothed Himself with a breastplate of righteousness, teaching us thereby that we must have these things always, and not for a brief season only.

'For the righteous,' he says, 'is bold as a lion.'

For he who is thus armed with the breastplate cannot fear the battle-line, but leaps into the midst of the enemy.

And Isaiah says, 'Beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace.'

Who would not run, who would not minister unto such a work, to preach peace as glad tidings, even the peace of God toward men, a peace in which men have wrought nothing, but God has accomplished the whole? And what is the preparation of the Gospel? Let us hear John saying:

'Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.'

But these things that one spoke on account of baptism;

and since after baptism there is need also of another preparation, this one points to that preparation, and says:

'In the preparation of the Gospel of peace';

hinting thereby that we must do nothing unworthy of the peace.

For since the feet are for the most part a symbol of one's manner of life, therefore he continually admonishes and says, 'See that you walk circumspectly,' speaking concerning one's life.

Let us therefore live as citizens worthy of the Gospel, and display a pure life and pure deeds throughout the whole of our life.

Peace has been preached as glad tidings; give to these tidings a ready road;

for if you again become enemies, there is no longer any preparation of peace.

Be ready; do not defer your coming to peace.

Just as you became ready for peace and for faith, so also continue therein.

The shield is faith, which first receives the assaults of the adversaries, and keeps the armour unwounded.

If then the faith be right and the life be right, the armour remains unwounded.

He discourses much concerning faith in other places also, and especially when writing to the Hebrews, and concerning hope.

'Believe,' he says, 'in the good things to come, and none of these darts shall wound you.'

For in dangers, in toils, by putting forward hope and faith, you will keep those things unwounded.

He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He becomes a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Faith is a shield sheltering those who believe without over-curious questioning;

but if there be sophistries and reasonings and scrutinies, it is no longer a shield, but rather it entangles our feet.

Let faith be such as to cover over and overshadow the whole.

Let it not therefore be short, so as to leave the feet or any other part bare, but let the shield be well-proportioned.

For many are the reasonings that burn the soul, many the perplexities, many the straits; but faith truly gives rest to them all.

The devil sends in many things, setting our soul on fire, and leading it into doubt, as when some say:

'Is there indeed a resurrection? Is there a judgement? Is there a recompense?' But if you have the shield of faith, you will quench in it the darts of the devil.

Has some strange desire come upon you? Has a fire of wicked reasonings been kindled within? Put forward the faith of the good things to come, and it will not even appear, but will perish.

Hear Paul saying:

'For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.'

Do you see how many darts the righteous quenched of old? Or does it not seem to you a fiery dart, that the patriarch should be consumed with the inward fire while offering up his son? And other righteous men too quenched all his darts.

Whether then reasonings war against us, let us put forward this; whether strange desires, let us use this; whether toils and afflictions, upon this let us find rest;

of all the weapons this is the safeguard;

if we have not this, those others also will quickly be wounded.

'Above all,' he says, 'taking the shield of faith.'

What is 'Above all'? Both in the truth, and in the righteousness, and in the preparation of the Gospel.

That is, all these things have need of this.

'And take the helmet of salvation,' that is, henceforth you shall be able through this to be in safety, and to escape every peril.

For just as the helmet, covering the head carefully on every side, does not allow it to suffer any harm, but keeps it safe;

so also faith becomes in the stead of a shield, and in the stead of a helmet of salvation.

If we quench his darts, we shall speedily receive also the saving reasonings, which do not allow our ruling faculty to suffer anything.

For if these contrary reasonings be quenched, speedily those that are not such, but which save us and make us of good hope, shall be born within us, and like a helmet upon the head, shall rest upon our ruling faculty.

And not this only, but we shall also receive the sword of the Spirit, so that no longer merely to guard ourselves against the things sent against us, but also to smite the devil himself.

For a soul that has not despaired of itself, nor received the fiery darts, shall stand with much readiness against the Enemy, and shall rend his breastplate with this sword, whereby Paul also rent and led captive his devices;

it shall cut off and behead the dragon.

By 'the word of God' he means here either the command, or the injunction;

which the apostles too spoke everywhere in the name of Jesus Christ when they wrought miracles.

Only let us also in all things keep the commands of God;

for if we do them, by these we shall destroy and slay the dragon, the crooked serpent.

And consider, I pray you, the wisdom of Paul here.

For since he had said, 'You will be able to quench the fiery darts of the devil,' lest the devil should puff them up with pride, he shows that above all things we stand in need of God for this.

For what does he say? 'Through all prayer and supplication.'

These things shall come to pass, and by praying you will accomplish the whole.

But never, when you draw near, make request for yourself alone; and thus you will have God propitious to you.

'Through all prayer and supplication,' he says, 'praying at every season in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.'

Do not prescribe to me set times of the day.

'Praying without ceasing,' he says.

Have you not heard of that widow, how by her importunity she prevailed? Have you not heard of that friend, who at midnight by his persistence shamed the other into yielding? Have you not heard concerning the Syrophoenician woman, how by the constancy of her entreaty she called forth the Master's aid? All these prevailed by their perseverance.

'Praying,' he says, 'at every season in the Spirit.'

That is to say, Let us seek the things that pertain to God, nothing worldly, nothing of this present life.

There is need, then, not only of praying without ceasing, but also of doing so while watching.

'And watching,' he says, 'thereunto.'

Whether he here means all-night vigils, or the wakefulness of the soul, I accept both.

You see how that Canaanite woman kept watch, for even when the Lord answered her not, but even shook her off and called her a dog, she said, 'Yes, Lord, for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table';

and she did not desist until she obtained her request. And how did that widow cry out and persevere so long, until she was able to shame the judge who neither feared God nor regarded man? And how did the friend persist, staying on at an unseasonable hour of the night, until by his importunity he prevailed to rouse the other and shamed him by his perseverance? This is what it is to watch.

Would you learn what it is to have wakefulness of soul? Go to Hannah; listen to her very words;

or rather, listen first to what preceded her words.

'They all rose up,' it says, 'from the table,' and she straightway turned not to sleep, nor to rest.

Whence it seems to me that even while she sat at table she was light of body, and not weighed down with any food;

for otherwise she would not have shed so many tears.

For if we, who are fasting and without food, scarcely pray in such a manner—or rather never pray in such a manner—much more would she not have prayed thus after a meal, unless even at the table she had been like those who take no food.

Let us men be ashamed before this woman; let us who beg for a kingdom, and do it yawning, be ashamed before her who entreated for a child, and did it with tears.

'And she stood,' it says, 'before the Lord,' and what does she say? 'Adonai, Lord, Eloi Sabaoth.'

This, being interpreted, is 'Lord, the God of hosts.'

Her tears ran on before her tongue;

by these she hoped to bend God to her will.

Where there are tears, there is assuredly also affliction;

where there is affliction, there is also great wisdom and attentiveness.

'If Thou wilt indeed hearken and hear,' she says, 'the prayer of Thy handmaid, and wilt give me a son, I will give him as a gift to the Lord all the days of his life.'

She did not say, for a year only or for two, as we do;

neither did she say, If Thou wilt give me a child, I will give money;

but, 'I will give back the whole gift entire, the firstborn, the son of my vow.'

This woman was a daughter of Abraham.

He, when asked, gave;

but she gives even before the asking.

But observe here too her reverence.

'Her voice,' it says, 'was not heard, but her lips moved.'

Thus does he who desires to accomplish his end draw near to God—not in a slack manner, nor yawning, nor loosely, nor scratching himself, nor listlessly.

For could not God have given even without prayer?

Did He not know the woman's desire even before her asking? But had He given before the asking, the woman's earnestness would not have been made manifest, her virtue would not have been made plain, she would not have gained so great a reward.

So then the delay is not the fruit of envy nor of grudging, but of loving care.

When therefore you hear the Scripture saying that 'He had shut up her womb,' and that 'her rival provoked her,' understand that He wished to display the wisdom of the woman.

She had her husband in subjection to her;

'Am I not better to you than ten sons?' And 'her rival,' it says, 'provoked her';

that is, she reproached her, she exulted over her;

and yet she never avenged herself upon her, nor prayed against her, nor said,

'Since my rival reproaches me, avenge me.'

That other had children, but this woman had her husband's love as a counterpoise.

With this, at any rate, he even comforted her, saying,

'Am I not better to you than ten sons?' But again let us behold the woman's wisdom.

'And Eli counted her,' it says, 'as one drunken.'

But behold what she says to him too:

'Count not thy handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my meditation have I been wasting away until now.'

This is truly the mark of a contrite heart: when we are not embittered against those who insult us, when we are not indignant, when we make defense.

Nothing so makes the heart wise as affliction;

nothing is so sweet a thing as godly sorrow.

'Out of the abundance of my meditation,' she says, 'have I been wasting away until now.'

Hearken, all you who are barren; hearken, all you who long for children; hearken, both men and women;

for indeed men too have oftentimes contributed to this.

For hear the Scripture saying:

'And Isaac entreated the Lord for Rebekah his wife, because she was barren.'

For prayer can do great things.

'In all perseverance,' he says, 'and supplication for all the saints, and for me,' setting himself last.

What are you doing, O blessed Paul, in setting yourself last? 'Yes,' he says, 'that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in a chain.'

Where are you an ambassador? 'To men,' he says.

Oh, the loving-kindness of God!

He sent ambassadors from heaven on their behalf, for peace, and men laid hold of them and bound them, and did not so much as respect the common law—that an ambassador never suffers any harm.

'Yet nonetheless I am an ambassador in a chain.'

The chain lies upon me, muzzling my boldness; but your prayer opens my mouth, that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak;

that is, That I may speak all that I was sent to say.

'But that you also may know my affairs, and what I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make all things known to you.'

If he is faithful, he will speak no falsehood, but will report everything truthfully.

'Whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstances, and that he may comfort your hearts.'

That it may not be permitted, he says, to those who wish, to strike terror into you;

for it was likely that they were amid grievous trials;

for the phrase 'He shall comfort your hearts' hints at this.

That he may not permit you, he says, to fall down.

'Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.'

He prays for them peace and love together with faith;

for he wishes them not merely to hold the word of love, and so to mingle themselves with those of another faith.

He means either this, or that: that they should also have faith, so as to be confident even concerning things to come.

The peace is toward God, and so also is the love.

For if there be peace, there will also be love;

and if love, there will also be peace.

For there is no benefit in love apart from faith;

or rather, love could not even come to be in any other way.

'And grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption.'

Here he made a distinction, setting peace by itself, and grace by itself.

What does 'in incorruption' mean? Either in decorousness, or on behalf of things incorruptible;

that is, not in wealth, nor in glory, but in those incorruptible things.

Just as we speak of the virgin being corrupted, so also of the soul.

'Lest by any means your thoughts should be corrupted;'

and again elsewhere, 'In your teaching, incorruption,' he says.

For what, tell me, is the corruption of the body? Is it not the dissolution of the whole, and of its very composition? This happens also to the soul, when sin has entered in.

For the beauty of the soul is temperance and righteousness;

the health of the soul is courage and prudence.

For the shameful man is ill-favored, and so is the covetous man, and he who gives himself over to wicked deeds, and the coward, being unmanly and weak, is in poor condition.

And that sins work corruption is plain from this;

for indeed they make men both shameful and weak, and prepare them to grow faint.

For we say that the virgin is corrupted, and in a strict sense on this account, not because the body alone is corrupted, but because of the transgression;

for what takes place is a union;

but if this union were the corruption, then marriage too would be corruption.

So that it is not the union that is corruption, but the sin;

what could the corruption of a house be, but its dissolution? And everywhere corruption is a certain change for the worse, taking place toward another condition and the disappearance of the former state.

For hear the Scripture saying:

'All flesh had corrupted its way;'

and again, 'In corruption unendurable;'

and again, 'Men corrupted in mind.'

Corruptible is our body, but incorruptible is the soul.

Let us not, then, corrupt this also;

the former sin wrought this;

but the sin after the laver is able to corrupt the soul also, and to make it an easy prey to the undying worm;

for it would not have laid hold, had it not found the soul corruptible.

A worm does not touch adamant;

and even if it should touch it, it accomplishes nothing.

For that which is being corrupted is full of foul odor.

For hear the Prophet saying:

'My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.'

But this corruption shall put on incorruption, while that other shall no longer do so;

for where there is incorruption, corruption is not.

So that it is a corruption that is incorruptible, having no end, a death that is deathless.

Which is just what would have come to pass, had the body remained immortal.

Thus, if we depart hence having corruption, we shall possess our corruption incorruptible and unending.

For to be burned and to be devoured perpetually by the worm is an incorruptible corruption;

such as was also the case with the blessed Job;

he was being corrupted, and yet did not perish, and this though much time had gone by;

but he ever melted the clods of earth, scraping away the discharge.

Something of this kind will the soul then suffer, with the worms encircling it and gnawing through it, not for two years, nor for three, nor for ten, nor for a hundred, nor for ten thousand, but for ages without end;

'For their worm shall not die,' he says.

Let us then be afraid, I entreat you; let us dread the words, that we may not fall into the deeds.

Covetousness is corruption, a corruption more grievous than all others, leading to idolatry.

Let us flee the corruption, let us choose the incorruption.

Have you defrauded someone? The things gotten by fraud pass into corruption, but the covetousness remains, becoming a corruption that is the ground of incorruption;

the enjoyment passes away, but the sin remains incorruptible.

It is a dreadful evil not to have stripped off everything in the present life;

it is a great calamity to depart hence carrying burdens of sins.

'For in Hades, who shall confess to You?' he says. There is a tribunal there; there is no longer time for repentance.

How much did the rich man then bewail!

How much did those say who had not fed Christ!

yet nonetheless they were led away into the eternal fire.

How many things will those who have worked iniquity say in that day: 'Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons!'

And yet, they were not acknowledged.

All these things indeed come to pass in that day;

yet there is no profit in them, unless they take place now.

Let us therefore be afraid, lest at some time we too should say in that day:

'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and did not feed You?' Let us feed Him now, not for one day, nor for a second, nor for a third;

for it says, 'Let not mercy and faithfulness forsake you.'

He did not say, 'Do it once,' nor 'a second time';

since the virgins too had oil, but it was not sufficient.

So then we have need of much oil, and we must be like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God.

Let us therefore consider how great a burden of sins each one of us bears, and let us make our acts of loving-kindness a counterweight to them, or rather far more abundant, so that not only may our sins be blotted out, but that our righteous deeds may also be reckoned to us for righteousness.

For unless our good works be so many as both to strip off our accusations and, out of what remains over, to be reckoned to us for righteousness, no one will deliver us from punishment;

from which may it be granted to us all to be delivered, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, and so forth.