Lecture 3 — Spiritual warfare

^6:10^ Finally, brethren, be strengthened in the Lord and in the power of his virtue. [n. 352]

^6:11^ Put on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. [n. 353]

^6:12^ For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. [n. 354]

351. The Apostle has previously written down many general and particular instructions aimed at destroying the old man of sin and encouraging the newness of grace. Now he speaks of the power by which we must carry out these precepts, for we must trust in divine assistance.

Concerning this he does two things:

first, he sets down the advice;

second, he explains it in detail, at for our wrestling is not against.

The first has two sections:

first, he shows what interior reality we ought to trust in;

second, then he shows what exterior reality we must trust in, at put on the armor.

352. The inner reality we should have confidence in is the divine help, thus he states finally, brethren, be strengthened. Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and the Lord shall be his confidence (Jer 17:7).

There are two reasons why anyone would trust in another person. One is that this person is charged with protecting him; and the other reason is that he is strong and prepared to defend him. These two are realized in God with respect to his creatures; for God is concerned with you: casting all your care upon him, for he has care of you (1 Pet 5:7). Moreover, he is powerful and prompt to grant assistance.

Therefore he asserts finally brethren, as if to say: now that I have advised you above concerning the fulfillment of the precepts, be strengthened, not in yourselves, but in the Lord who has care of you. It is good for me to adhere to my God, to put my hope in the Lord God (Ps 73:28). Say to the fainthearted, take courage, and fear not . . . God himself will come and will save you (Isa 35:4). The Lord is with me as a strong warrior: therefore they that persecute me shall fall and shall be weak (Jer 20:11).

And in the power: for he is mighty (Luke 1:49). Although in God virtue and power are identical, nonetheless, since virtue is the ultimate of power, and as it were the perfection of power, on this account he says in the power of his virtue, that is, in his virtuous power. I can do all things in him who strengthens me (Phil 4:13). O Lord, set me beside you; and let any man’s hand fight against me (Job 17:3).

353. Someone might say: if God is powerful and wills to protect us, we ought to be unconcerned. He replies that this is not so; indeed, everyone must do what he can since, if an unarmed man went into battle, no matter how much the king protected him he would still be in danger. Hence he says put on the armor of God, that is, the gifts and virtues. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light (Rom 13:12). Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience (Col 3:12). For the virtues protect man from vices.

An objection: the Lord is so powerful a king that no one can attack him.

I reply. This is true concerning violence; yet the devil does attack him, not in himself, but in his members through deceit and illusions. For many are the snares of the deceitful (Sir 11:31). Thus he adds that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. Be sober and watch; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet 5:8). He lies in wait in secret like a lion in his den (Ps 10:8).

354. At for our wrestling is not against, he then goes on to explain this warning in detail:

first, concerning the snares of the enemies;

second, what arms should be taken up, at **therefore take unto you **(Eph 6:13);

third, the confidence which must be had in Christ, at **by all prayer **(Eph 6:18).

355. He describes the snares because, when an enemy is near at hand, there is not much reason to be on one’s guard or fear him if he is weak, stupid and the like. But when he is strong, evil and shrewd, then he ought to be dreaded. These latter three are found in the devil.

First, he is not weak. For this reason he states that our wrestling is not against flesh and blood. By flesh and blood sins of the flesh are to be understood: flesh and blood cannot possess the kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50), nor can carnal men. Immediately I condescended not to flesh and blood (Gal 1:16), that is, to carnal men. Therefore he says our wrestling is not against flesh and blood.

But, this saying seems to be false no matter how it is understood since, for the flesh lusts against the spirit; and the spirit against the flesh (Gal 5:17). Many are they that persecute me and afflict me (Ps 119:157).

I reply in two ways. First, supply only so that we could say our wrestling is not only against flesh and blood without it also being against the devil. A second answer is that an action which is attributed to an instrument is principally of the agent. It is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy (Rom 9:16). He seems to say: when you will or do anything, it is not from yourself, but from another, namely God. Thus here, our wrestling is not against flesh and blood would be interpreted: when flesh and blood attack us, it is not of themselves principally but from a higher moving force, namely, from the devil.

356. Next, the devil’s power is described, for we fight **against principalities and powers . . . of this darkness. The prince of this world comes, and in me he does not have anything (John 14:30).

He is called the prince of the world, not by reason of creation, but because the worldly minded imitate him. And the world knew him not (John 1:10), that is, the worldly princes. Or, he is called the prince as though he had captured the primacy. Hence princes are, as it were, the first leaders in something. Princes went before joined with singers (Ps 68:25). You are a prince of God among us (Gen 23:6).

The exercise of justice pertains to power. Hence, insofar as some demons incite others to rebel against God, they are called principalities; insofar as they have the power to punish those who are subjected to them, they are called powers. But this is your hour and the power of darkness (Luke 22:53).

357. But since some angels fell from every one of the ranks, why does the Apostle only mention those two ranks, calling them demons?

I reply. There are three characteristics in the names of the ranks. For in some is implied a relation to God, in others power, in still others the service of God. In the names cherubim, seraphim and thrones, a turning toward God is connoted. The devils, on the other hand, are turned away from God, and hence these names do not apply to them. Again, certain names imply an ordination to the service of God, as the angels and archangels; these also are not applicable to the demons, unless one joins of Satan to the names. Third, since virtues and dominations also imply an ordering toward God’s worship these names cannot be applicable to the demons. Only those two, principalities and powers, are common to the good and bad angels.

Hence, they are powerful and great, possessing an immense army against which we must fight as against the rulers of the world of this darkness of sin. For you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord (Eph 5:8). Whatever is darksome is wholly of their rank and subject to them. As a Gloss comments: evil men are horses, and the demons the riders; hence, if we kill the riders, the horses will be ours. And the darkness did not comprehend it (John 1:5).

358. They are also cunning, for we must fight against the spirits of wickedness; this is an emphatic way of saying spiritual wickedness, by which is understood the fullness of evil.

He affirms the spirits of wickedness because the higher one’s nature is, the more terrible and pernicious it is when one turns to evil. Whence the Philosopher states that an evil man is worse than all the animals. Thus he says the spirits of wickedness since they are spiritual and most wicked.

He mentions in the high places for two possible reasons. Either to show the strength and advantage they possess to overcome us; we are on the earth, but they are on high in the dusky atmosphere so that they have the better position. And the fowls of the air devoured it (Luke 8:5). Or, he says in the high places because this struggle is for heaven, and this should urge us on to fight.