Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Do not fear this witchcraft, for no sorcery can touch the treasure that is laid up for you in heaven. The blessings that matter are not the ones any enemy can snatch away, a contrite heart, peace with God, righteousness, and the inheritance of the saints. If you cling to these, you are beyond all harm. The evil one may rage, but he cannot snatch a soul that rests in Christ. When you pray, do not simply ask that the adversary be stopped; ask that your own mind be set on the Spirit, where there is life and peace. For to be carnally minded, fretting over earthly losses, dreading the tricks of a man, is death. But to be spiritually minded is to stand unshaken, knowing that nothing can separate you from the love of God.
Consider what you call blessings. If they are the stuff of this world, then let them go; they were never truly yours. The Lord Himself said, “In the world you have tribulation.” Why then be surprised when the enemy strikes? Instead, treat this as the battlefield it is. You are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness. So put on the whole armor of God. Let prayer be your shield, fasting your sword, and a humble, watchful spirit your breastplate. Do not waste your days in dread or in cursing the one who wrongs you. That only wounds your own soul. To hate him is to punish yourself. Instead, by bearing this trial with meekness, you gain deliverance from sins, you grow in patience, and you find a peace that no spell can touch.
You say he keeps returning. Yes, the battle is long, but the Commander is already victorious. Christ stands beside you, unconquerable, and He has armed you for the fight. Do not let your mind wander into superstition, attributing to a mere man the power to steal what God has given. No, only your own unrepented sin or worldliness can rob you of grace. Search your heart. Is there envy? Vainglory? Love of ease? These are the doors through which the tempter enters. Cut out the root, and the fruit withers. Grieve over these things now, in reflection and repentance, and you will not need to grieve in the judgment. Then the spells of your enemy will seem as nothing, mere shadows fleeing before the dawn of Christ. I will pray earnestly for you, that you may be counted worthy to stand fast and inherit the kingdom.
Consider what you call blessings. If they are the stuff of this world, then let them go; they were never truly yours. The Lord Himself said, “In the world you have tribulation.” Why then be surprised when the enemy strikes? Instead, treat this as the battlefield it is. You are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness. So put on the whole armor of God. Let prayer be your shield, fasting your sword, and a humble, watchful spirit your breastplate. Do not waste your days in dread or in cursing the one who wrongs you. That only wounds your own soul. To hate him is to punish yourself. Instead, by bearing this trial with meekness, you gain deliverance from sins, you grow in patience, and you find a peace that no spell can touch.
You say he keeps returning. Yes, the battle is long, but the Commander is already victorious. Christ stands beside you, unconquerable, and He has armed you for the fight. Do not let your mind wander into superstition, attributing to a mere man the power to steal what God has given. No, only your own unrepented sin or worldliness can rob you of grace. Search your heart. Is there envy? Vainglory? Love of ease? These are the doors through which the tempter enters. Cut out the root, and the fruit withers. Grieve over these things now, in reflection and repentance, and you will not need to grieve in the judgment. Then the spells of your enemy will seem as nothing, mere shadows fleeing before the dawn of Christ. I will pray earnestly for you, that you may be counted worthy to stand fast and inherit the kingdom.
