Page:On The Spiritual Battle.pdf/26

 commands us to clothe ourselves in the armor of God so that we are able to stand against our enemy in the day of evil when such violence and distress will come, because the devil overcomes people through the lack of long-suffering in distresses. The devil works grievous things against us, knowing that we are cowardly and impatient and that he will easily overpower us when he finds us in grave difficulties without the armor of God. A fearful, corrupt, and ungrounded person does not have any power to overcome violence unless he has spiritual strength to bear violent things humbly and patiently. The apostle is concerned here that Christians have God’s armor so that they do not lose their salvation in the day of distresses when they are inadequate to stand up against evil and overcome it with their own goodness.

Sometimes a day is called particularly evil when abominations and many heresies are multiplied. In such an evil day the armor of God is always necessary so that people are able to stand, overcoming heresies with faith and wickedness with a good life. When these heretics wax impressively with the approval of this world, the devil makes bright light out of them like at noon so that many carelessly follow them because of that light, unafraid of anything. And that is the heresy of the popes, loftily lifted up with the praises of God and great offices. But who is such a hero who would have the armor of God’s wisdom and faith so that he defies those heresies in that evil day? That day of evil comes precisely because many go blind from the flash of the devil’s light and do not gain their sight again right up to their deaths.

Another day is evil when this world glitters with praise, honor, fortune, peace, and riches so that it makes a pleasant impression on everyone who dwells on the earth. That day satiates many of them with its benefits and brilliance. A person does not easily resist and defy what goes on so grandly and ubiquitously.

Fleshly pleasures are also the day of evil when they charmingly lay hold of the heart. Who stands in that day and has the armor of God so that he frees himself from the enemy? Those pleasures blind the understanding so that a person dreams as if he saw something that is not perilous.

The day is evil when the heart becomes puffed up because of good in the face of evil, experiencing the good things given by God’s grace, overflowing in boasting because of it, and looking at itself evilly because of God’s gift. Such a person keeps glancing back in the mirror, is pleased with himself for the adornment of God’s gift, and fails to notice his filth and sin, fixing his eyes on God’s gift. Who will stand in that evil day and who has the armor of God and great humility so that he does not rob God, boasting in His gift?

The day is also evil when evil interpretations are seen in scripture through Satan’s brilliance and it seems the day of truth would have dawned. Death and destruction dominate then in everything because we do not have the armor of God. That is why we are put to death today by those injuries, forsaken and naked without God’s armor.

That is why the apostle urges and says, "Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand perfectly in the evil day. ” Therefore, he commands us to put on the armor of God so that, standing, we are able to stand perfectly in everything because we cannot stand perfectly according to God unless we resist and wage the battle against the devil’s hatred. Some are defeated in this battle because they do not have strength