John Chrysostom, On Priesthood

the need, not only for the safety of our own people, but also for the wars from without. For if one had the sword of the spirit and a shield of faith so great as to be able to work wonders and through signs to shut the mouths of the shameless, he would have no need of aid from reason; or rather, not even then is its nature useless, but even exceedingly necessary. For the blessed Paul also employed it, although he was everywhere admired for his signs. And another from that chorus exhorts us to be diligent in this power, saying: "Be ready to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." And all of them together at that time entrusted the care of the widows to those around Stephen for no other reason than that they themselves might devote themselves to the ministry of the word. However, we shall not seek it in a similar way, having the strength that comes from signs; but if not even a trace of that power is left, while many and continuous enemies stand against us from all sides, it is then necessary for us to be fortified by this, both that we may not be struck by the enemies’ arrows and that we may strike them. Therefore, we must make a great effort that the word of Christ may dwell in us richly; for our preparation is not for one kind of battle, but this war is varied and composed of different enemies; for they do not all use the same weapons, nor have they practiced attacking us in one way.

4.4 4. That one must be prepared for all the battles, both of Greeks and of Jews and of heretics And it is necessary for the one who is going to undertake the battle against all to know the arts of all, and to be at the same time an archer and a slinger and a commander of a company and a captain and a soldier and a general and an infantryman and a cavalryman and a marine and a besieger of walls. For in military wars, whatever task each man receives, with this he defends himself against the attackers; but here this is not so, but unless he who is going to conquer knows all the forms of the art, the devil knows how, even through one part, should it happen to be neglected, to bring in his own pirates and plunder the sheep; but not when he perceives the shepherd coming with all knowledge, and well understanding his plots. Therefore one must be well fortified on all sides; for a city, as long as it happens to be surrounded on all sides, laughs at those besieging it, remaining in great safety; but if someone should break through the wall for just the measure of a small gate, there is no longer any benefit to it from the circuit wall, although all the rest stands secure. So it is also with the city of God; whenever the shepherd's shrewdness and intelligence surround it on all sides instead of a wall, all the enemy's devices end in shame and ridicule, and those dwelling within remain unharmed; but whenever someone is able to destroy it in part, even if he does not tear down the whole, through that part, so to speak, he ruins all the rest. For what happens when he contends well against the Greeks, but the Jews plunder him? Or when he prevails over both of these, but the Manichaeans carry him off? Or when, after overcoming these as well, those who introduce fate slaughter the sheep within? And why should I list all the devil’s heresies, which if the shepherd does not know how to refute them all well, the wolf could, even through one, devour most of the sheep? And in the case of soldiers, one must always expect both victory and defeat to come from those who are standing and fighting. But here it is very much the opposite; for often the battle against others has caused those who did not join the fight at all, nor labored at all, but were quiet and sitting down, to be victorious; and he who does not have much experience in these things, being run through by his own sword, becomes ridiculous to both friends and enemies. For instance—

ἡ χρεία, οὐ πρὸς τὴν τῶν οἰκείων ἀσφάλειαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἔξωθεν πολέμους. Εἰ μὲν γάρ τις ἔχοι τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος καὶ θυρεὸν πίστεως τοσοῦτον ὡς δύνασθαι θαυματουργεῖν καὶ διὰ τῶν τεραστίων τὰ τῶν ἀναισχύντων ἐμφράττειν στόματα, οὐδὲν ἂν δέοιτο τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου βοηθείας, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τότε ἄχρηστος ἡ τούτου φύσις, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν ἀναγκαία. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος αὐτὸν μετεχείρισε, καίτοι γε ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων πανταχοῦ θαυμαζόμενος. Καὶ ἕτερός τις τῶν ἀπ' ἐκείνου τοῦ χοροῦ παραινεῖ ταύτης ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῆς δυνάμεως, λέγων· «Ἕτοιμοι πρὸς ἀπολογίαν παντὶ τῷ αἰτοῦντι ὑμᾶς λόγον περὶ τῆς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐλπίδος.» Καὶ πάντες δὲ ὁμοῦ τότε δι' οὐδὲν ἕτερον τοῖς περὶ Στέφανον τὴν τῶν χηρῶν ἐπέτρεψαν οἰκονομίαν ἀλλ' ἢ ἵνα αὐτοὶ τῇ τοῦ λόγου σχολάζωσι διακονίᾳ. Πλὴν οὐ παραπλησίως αὐτὸν ἐπιζητήσομεν, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων ἔχοντες ἰσχύν, εἰ δὲ τῆς μὲν δυνάμεως ἐκείνης οὐδὲ ἴχνος ὑπολέλειπται, πολλοὶ δὲ πανταχόθεν ἐφεστήκασιν οἱ πολέμιοι καὶ συνεχεῖς, τούτῳ λοιπὸν ἡμᾶς ἀνάγκη φράττεσθαι καὶ ἵνα μὴ βαλλώμεθα τοῖς τῶν ἐχθρῶν βέλεσι καὶ ἵνα βάλλωμεν ἐκείνους. ∆ιὸ πολλὴν χρὴ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν σπουδὴν ὥστε τὸν λόγον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν ἐνοικεῖν πλουσίως· οὐ γὰρ πρὸς ἓν εἶδος ἡμῖν μάχης ἡ παρασκευή, ἀλλὰ ποικίλος οὗτος ὁ πόλεμος καὶ ἐκ διαφόρων συγκροτούμενος τῶν ἐχθρῶν· οὔτε γὰρ ὅπλοις ἅπαντες χρῶνται τοῖς αὐτοῖς, οὔτε ἑνὶ προσβάλλειν ἡμῖν μεμελετήκασι τρόπῳ.

4.4 δʹ. Ὅτι πρὸς τὰς ἁπάντων μάχας καὶ Ἑλλήνων καὶ Ἰουδαίων καὶ αἱρετικῶν παρεσκευάσθαι χρή Καὶ δεῖ τὸν μέλλοντα τὴν πρὸς πάντας ἀναδέχεσθαι μάχην τὰς ἁπάντων εἰδέναι τέχνας καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν τοξότην τε εἶναι καὶ σφενδονιστὴν καὶ ταξίαρχον καὶ λοχαγὸν καὶ στρατιώτην καὶ στρατηγὸν καὶ πεζὸν καὶ ἱππέα καὶ ναυμάχην καὶ τειχομάχην. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν στρατιωτικῶν πολέμων, οἷον ἕκαστος ἂν ἔργον ἀπολάβῃ, τούτῳ τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἀμύνεται· ἐνταῦθα δὲ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλὰ ἂν μὴ πάσας ἐπιστάμενος ᾖ τῆς τέχνης τὰς ἰδέας ὁ μέλλων νικᾶν, οἶδεν ὁ διάβολος καὶ δι' ἑνὸς μέρους, ὅταν ἠμελημένον τύχῃ, τοὺς πειρατὰς εἰσαγαγὼν τοὺς αὑτοῦ, διαρπάσαι τὰ πρόβατα· ἀλλ' οὐχ, ὅταν διὰ πάσης ἥκοντα τῆς ἐπιστήμης τὸν ποιμένα αἴσθηται, καὶ τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς αὐτοῦ καλῶς ἐπιστάμενον. ∆ιὸ χρὴ καλῶς ἐξ ὅλων φράττεσθαι τῶν μερῶν· καὶ γὰρ πόλις, ἕως μὲν ἂν πανταχόθεν περιβεβλημένη τυγχάνῃ, καταγελᾷ, τῶν πολιορκούντων αὐτὴν ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ μένουσα πολλῇ· ἐὰν δέ τις πυλίδος μόνον μέτρον διακόψῃ τὸ τεῖχος, οὐδὲν αὐτῇ λοιπὸν ὄφελος τοῦ περιβόλου γίνεται, καίτοι γε τοῦ λοιποῦ παντὸς ἀσφαλῶς ἑστηκότος. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ πόλις· ὅταν μὲν αὐτὴν πανταχόθεν ἀντὶ τείχους ἡ τοῦ ποιμένος ἀγχίνοιά τε καὶ σύνεσις περιβάλλῃ, πάντα εἰς αἰσχύνην καὶ γέλωτα τοῖς ἐχθροῖς τὰ μηχανήματα τελευτᾷ καὶ μένουσιν οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἔνδον ἀσινεῖς, ὅταν δέ τις αὐτὴν ἐκ μέρους καταλῦσαι δυνηθῇ, κἂν μὴ πᾶσαν καταβάλῃ, διὰ τοῦ μέρους ἅπαν, ὡς εἰπεῖν, λυμαίνεται τὸ λοιπόν. Τί γάρ, ὅταν πρὸς Ἕλληνας μὲν ἀγωνίζηται καλῶς, συλῶσι δὲ αὐτὸν Ἰουδαῖοι; ἢ τούτων μὲν ἀμφοτέρων κρατῇ, ἁρπάζωσι δὲ Μανιχαῖοι; ἢ μετὰ τὸ περιγενέσθαι καὶ τούτων, οἱ τὴν εἱμαρμένην εἰσάγοντες ἔνδον τὰ πρόβατα κατασφάττωσι; καὶ τί δεῖ πάσας καταλέγειν τοῦ διαβόλου τὰς αἱρέσεις ἃς ἂν μὴ πάσας ἀποκρούεσθαι καλῶς ὁ ποιμὴν εἰδῇ, δύναιτ' ἂν καὶ διὰ μιᾶς τὰ πλείονα τῶν προβάτων καταφαγεῖν ὁ λύκος; Καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν στρατιωτῶν, ἀπὸ τῶν ἑστώτων καὶ μαχομένων καὶ τὴν νίκην ἔσεσθαι καὶ τὴν ἧτταν προσδοκᾶν ἀεὶ χρή. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ πολὺ τοὐναντίον· πολλάκις γὰρ ἡ πρὸς ἑτέρους μάχη τοὺς οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν συμβαλόντας, οὐδὲ πονέσαντας ὅλως ἡσυχάζοντας καὶ καθημένους νικῆσαι πεποίηκε· καὶ τῷ οἰκείῳ ξίφει περιπαρεὶς ὁ μὴ πολλὴν περὶ ταῦτα τὴν ἐμπειρίαν ἔχων, καὶ τοῖς φίλοις καὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις καταγέλαστος γίνεται. Οἷον-