John Chrysostom, On 1 Thessalonians

How shall I believe you that you will despise blows? Say, do you bear those who insult you nobly, and bless them? This you do not do, but you disobey. What has no danger, you do not do; and will you bear blows, tell me, where the pain and suffering is great? Do you not know that in peace it is necessary to practice the things of war? do you not see these soldiers, who, even when no war is troubling them, but there is deep peace, having polished their weapons, and with the instructors who teach them tactics, going out into level and spacious fields every day, so to speak, practice the things of war with great precision? Who among the spiritual soldiers has done this? Not even one. For this reason in wars we become slack and clumsy, and easily captured by all. And how great is the sloth not to consider the present to be a time of war, when Paul cries out: But all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted? and when Christ says: In the world you will have tribulation? And again when the blessed Paul cries out with a clear voice and says: Our struggle is not against flesh and blood? and again: Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth? And none of them said then, Why do you arm us, when there is no war? why do you give us trouble in vain? you equip the soldiers with breastplates, when it is possible to rest and be quiet? But if anyone had said these things, he would have answered: Yes indeed, even if there were no war, it would be necessary to be concerned with the things of war. For he who in peace takes thought for the things of battle, will be fearsome in the time of battle; but he who is inexperienced in the things of war, will be all the more troubled even in peace. Why so? Because he will weep for what he has, and because, not being able to fight for them, he will be pained. For the possessions of the coward and the inexperienced and the clumsy in battle belong to all the brave and those who know how to fight; so for this reason first I arm you. And then, all the time of our life is also a time of war. How and in what way? The devil is always standing by. Listen to what he says about him. He prowls around roaring like a lion, wishing to snatch away. Myriad bodily passions attack us, which it is necessary to go through, so that we may not deceive ourselves in vain. For what, tell me, does not make war on us? not wealth, beauty, luxury, power, 62.412 authority, envy, glory, arrogance? For not only does our own glory make war by preventing us from falling into humility, but also that of others by leading us into envy and malice. And what of the opposites, poverty, dishonor, being despised, being rejected, having no strength? But these things are within us; and those from men, wickednesses, plots, deceits, slanders, myriad circumstances; likewise also those from the demons, principalities, powers, the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, the spiritual forces of wickedness. We are different when rejoicing, different when grieving; both are a deviation. But health, but weakness. From what source will one not sin? Do you wish that I should tell you, starting from Adam, right from the beginning? What captured the first-formed man? Pleasure and food and a love of rule. What about the one after him, his son? Malice and envy. What about those in the time of Noah? Pleasures of the body, and the evils born from these. What about his son? Insolence and license. What about the Sodomites? Insolence and licentiousness and fullness of bread. But often poverty also does this; for this reason a certain wise man said: Give me neither riches nor poverty. Or rather, it is not riches, nor poverty, but the will that is unable to use either of these. Know, he says, that you walk in the midst of snares. εʹ. Wonderfully did the blessed Paul say: For this we are appointed; he did not say simply, that we are tempted, but, For this we are appointed, which is to say, for this we were born. This is our work, this is our life, and you seek rest? Does not the public executioner stand over the side

πῶς σοι πιστεύσω ὅτι πληγῶν καταφρονήσεις; Εἰπὲ, φέρετε τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας γενναίως, καὶ εὐλογεῖτε αὐτούς; Τοῦτο οὐ ποιεῖς, ἀλλὰ παρακούεις. Ὃ κίνδυνον οὐκ ἔχει, οὐ ποιεῖς, καὶ πληγὰς οἴσεις, εἰπέ μοι, ἔνθα πολὺ τὸ τῆς ὀδύνης καὶ τῆς ἀλγηδόνος; Οὐκ ἴστε ὅτι ἐν εἰρήνῃ τὰ τοῦ πολέμου γυμνάζεσθαι χρή; οὐχ ὁρᾶτε τοὺς στρατιώτας τούτους, οἳ, καὶ μηδενὸς ἐνοχλοῦντος πολέμου, ἀλλ' εἰρήνης οὔσης βαθείας, τὰ ὅπλα ἀποσμηξάμενοι, καὶ μετὰ τῶν διδασκάλων τῶν τὰ τακτικὰ διδασκόντων αὐτοὺς, εἰς ὕπτια πεδία καὶ εὐρύχωρα καθ' ἑκάστην, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἡμέραν ἐξιόντες, τὰ τοῦ πολέμου γυμνάζονται μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀκριβείας; Τίς τοῦτο εἰργάσατο τῶν πνευματικῶν στρατιωτῶν; Οὐδὲ εἷς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις χαῦνοι καὶ βάναυσοι, καὶ πᾶσιν εὐάλωτοι γινόμεθα. Πόσης δὲ νωθείας τὸ μὴ ἡγεῖσθαι πολέμου καιρὸν εἶναι τὸν παρόντα, τοῦ Παύλου βοῶντος· Πάντες δὲ οἱ θέλοντες εὐσεβῶς ζῇν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διωχθήσονται; καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ θλῖψιν ἕξετε; Καὶ πάλιν τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ βοῶντος καὶ λέγοντος· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα; καὶ πάλιν· Στῆτε οὖν περιζωσάμενοι τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ; Καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐκείνων εἶπε τότε, Τί ὁπλίζεις ἡμᾶς, πολέμου οὐκ ὄντος; τί μάτην ἡμῖν πράγματα παρέχεις; θωρακίζεις τοὺς στρατιώτας, ἐξὸν ἀναπαύεσθαι καὶ ἡσυχάζειν; Ἀλλ' εἴπερ τις εἶπε ταῦτα, ἀνθυπήνεγκεν ἄν· Μάλιστα μὲν οὖν, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἦν πόλεμος, ἔδει τὰ τοῦ πολέμου μεριμνᾷν. Ὁ γὰρ ἐν εἰρήνῃ τῶν τῆς μάχης φροντίζων, φοβερὸς ἔσται ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς μάχης· ὁ δὲ ἄπειρος τῶν πολεμικῶν, μᾶλλον θορυβηθήσεται καὶ ἐν εἰρήνῃ. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι δακρύσεται ὑπὲρ ὧν ἔχει, καὶ ὅτι μὴ δυνάμενος ὑπερμαχεῖν αὐτῶν, ὀδυνηθήσεται. Τοῦ γὰρ δειλοῦ καὶ ἀπείρου καὶ πρὸς τὰς μάχας βαναύσου τὰ κτήματα πάντων ἐστὶ τῶν ἀνδρείων καὶ πολεμεῖν εἰδότων· ὥστε διὰ τοῦτο πρῶτον ὑμᾶς ὁπλίζω. Ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ πολέμου καιρὸς πᾶς ὁ τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν ἐστὶ χρόνος. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Ὁ διάβολος ἐφέστηκεν ἀεί. Ἄκουσον τί περὶ αὐτοῦ φησι. Περιέρχεται ὠρυόμενος ὡς λέων, ἁρπάσαι θέλων. Σωματικὰ πάθη μυρία ἐπιτίθεται ἡμῖν, ἅπερ ἀναγκαῖον διελθεῖν, ἵνα μὴ μάτην ἑαυτοὺς ἀπατῶμεν. Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, ἡμῖν οὐ πολεμεῖ; οὐ πλοῦτος, κάλλος, τρυφὴ, δυναστεία, 62.412 ἐξουσία, βασκανία, δόξα, ἀπόνοια; Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἡ ἡμετέρα δόξα πολεμεῖ κωλύουσα πρὸς ταπεινοφροσύνην καταπίπτειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ἑτέρων εἰς φθόνον ἡμᾶς καὶ βασκανίαν ἐξάγουσα. Τί δὲ τὰ ἐναντία, πενία, ἀτιμία, τὸ καταφρονεῖσθαι, τὸ ἀπεῤῥῖφθαι, τὸ μηδεμίαν ἔχειν ἰσχύν; Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν ἡμῖν· τὰ δὲ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων, πονηρίαι, ἐπιβουλαὶ, δόλοι, συκοφαντίαι, περιστάσεις μυρίαι· ὁμοίως καὶ τὰ παρὰ τῶν δαιμόνων, ἀρχαὶ, ἐξουσίαι, κοσμοκράτορες τοῦ σκότους τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας. Ἄλλοι ἐσμὲν χαίροντες, ἄλλοι ἀλγοῦντες· ἀμφότερα παρεκτροπή. Ἀλλ' ὑγεία, ἀλλ' ἀσθένεια. Πόθεν οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεταί τις; Βούλεσθε καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ ἀρξάμενος ὑμῖν εἴπω εὐθέως ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς; Τί τὸν πρωτόπλαστον εἷλεν; Ἡδονὴ καὶ βρώματα καὶ φιλαρχίας ἔρως. Τί τὸν μετ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἐκείνου; Βασκανία καὶ φθόνος. Τί τοὺς ἐπὶ Νῶε; Σωμάτων ἡδοναὶ, καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τούτων τικτόμενα κακά. Τί τὸν υἱὸν τὸν τούτου; Ὕβρις καὶ ἄδεια. Τί τοὺς Σοδομίτας; Ὕβρις καὶ ἀσέλγεια καὶ πλησμονὴ ἄρτων. Πολλάκις δὲ καὶ πενία τοῦτο ποιεῖ· διὰ τοῦτο σοφός τις ἔλεγε· Πλοῦτον δὲ καὶ πενίαν μή μοι δῷς. Μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ πλοῦτος, οὐδὲ πενία, ἀλλ' ἡ μὴ δυναμένη τούτοις ἑκατέροις προαίρεσις χρήσασθαι. Ἐπίγνωθι, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐν μέσῳ παγίδων διαβαίνεις. εʹ. Θαυμαστῶς εἶπεν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· Εἰς τοῦτο κείμεθα· οὐκ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, ὅτι πειραζόμεθα, ἀλλ' Εἰς τοῦτο κείμεθα, ἀντὶ τοῦ, εἰς τοῦτο ἐγενήθημεν. Τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον ἡμῶν, οὗτος ὁ βίος, καὶ σὺ ἄνεσιν ζητεῖς; Οὐκ ἐφέστηκεν ὁ δήμιος τὴν πλευρὰν