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The way of God is the one who said: "I am the way and the truth and the life." For through this way it is possible to come to the Father. The oracle of the Lord is fired, by its being guileless and pure, or by its being a fire that warms those who partake to consume the chaff of matter. He is a defender of all those who hope in him. Those who are aware of their inherent weakness, whenever they perceive that their assailants are stronger, having cast their hope upon God deem him worthy to be their champion, saying, "Fight against those who fight against me." And thus God with his own shield fights for them according to that which says, "His truth will encircle you with a shield." 135 Ps 17,32a For no one is truly and properly God except the Word of God, who is also called the only-begotten God because he alone is God as the Father is. For all others are made gods by the presence of the Word of God. For he called them gods, to whom the word of God came. But the Savior is God, not by partaking in divinity, but by being the maker of gods. 136 Ps 17,32b Having said that no one is properly God except the Lord, he says that there is no God like our God. For none of the gods by participation can be like the Lord Jesus Christ or our God as the Father of the only-begotten; For to us there is one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ. But if the two verses can also be said in parallel, you yourself will take note. 137 Ps 17,33-34 Here it is said, "Girding me with strength." But in Paul those who have put on the full armor of God are girded with truth, from which it is gathered that the truth is Christ, the power of God; for the Savior says: "I am the truth"; and Paul: "Christ the power of God." "And he set my way blameless," that is, he showed it to be. For "to set" here means "to show," just as also in "Whom he set as heir of all things." It is also fitting from this verse that the whole psalm be recited from the person of Christ. And he who says these things, having destroyed the serpent-like evils and the wicked powers that effected them, has the feet of the inner man (that is, the locomotive powers) equipped by God, so that he may be able to say, "Without iniquity I ran and directed my course"; and having completed the journey in the high places, he will hear from God, "But you, stand here with me." And standing in the high places one does not have from oneself but from God. 138 Ps 17,35a Just as other good things, so also we are taught by God how to fight against the opposing powers. For he trains the hands of the soul (I mean its active powers), so as to hold with knowledge the spiritual shield and the sword of the spirit and whatever other spiritual defenses, teaching also how one must use such things. But indeed the Savior, having become man, having fought on our behalf, taught us to wrestle down and fight against the opposing power; and in prayer he says, stretching out his hands: "I overcome my enemies." 139 Ps 17,35b Symbolically, he has set what are called arms as a bronze bow, through the bronze representing what is invulnerable or well-strung, and through the bow the release of arrows from our arms able to wound those arrayed against us. 140 Ps 17,36 In addition to all these things you have also given me the protection of salvation, having sent down your son to fight on my behalf with his own shield. But your instruction also, he says, has set me aright to the end, that is, the instructive teaching and the laborious training. And "to the end," that is, it has brought me to a perfect resurrection and standing. For "instruction" signifies the instructive, as in, "Take hold of my instruction, do not let it go," but also the laborious, through, "Do not make light of the Lord's instruction." And this your instruction, in both senses, has become for me a teacher of good things. 141 Ps 17,38 Having been assisted by God in countless ways, he took courage to pursue his enemies; and the end of the pursuit is their utter destruction. For neither toil nor fear stood in my way. 142 Ps 17,39a Sparing the

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ὁδὸς θεοῦ ὁ εἰπών· ̓Εγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή. διὰ ταύτης γὰρ τῆς ὁδοῦ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ἐλθεῖν εστιν. Τὸ λόγιον κυρίου πεπυρωμένον, τῷ αδολον καὶ καθαρὸν ειναι, η τῷ πῦρ ειναι θερμαῖνον τοὺς μετέχοντας ἀναλίσκειν τὴν τῆς υλης ἀχυρμίαν. Ὑπερασπιστής ἐστιν πάντων τῶν ἐλπιζόντων ἐπ' αὐτόν. Οἱ ἐπιγνώμονες τῆς προσούσης αὐτοῖς ἀσθενείας, οτ' αν ἰσχυροτέρους φωράσωσι τοὺς προσπολεμοῦντας, ἐπὶ θεὸν τὴν ἐλπίδα ῥίψαντες ὑπέρμαχον εχειν αὐτὸν ἀξιοῦσι, Πολέμησον, λέγοντες, τοὺς πολεμοῦντάς με. καὶ ουτως θεὸς τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἀσπίδι ὑπερμαχεῖ αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸ Οπλῳ κυκλώσει σε ἡ ἀλήθεια αὐτοῦ. 135 Ps 17,32a Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀληθῶς καὶ κυρίως θεὸς πλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου, ος καὶ μονογενὴς θεὸς ειρηται διὰ τὸ μόνος ειναι ὡς ὁ πατὴρ θεός. πάντες γὰρ οἱ αλλοι παρουσίᾳ θεοῦ λόγου θεοὶ κατασκευάζονται. ἐκείνους γὰρ θεοὺς ειπεν, πρὸς ους ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐγένετο. ὁ δέ γε σωτὴρ οὐ μετέχων θεότητος θεός ἐστιν, ποιητικὸς ων θεῶν. 136 Ps 17,32b Εἰπὼν μηδένα θεὸν κυρίως ειναι πλὴν τοῦ κυρίου λέγει μηδὲ θεὸν ειναί τινα ὡς τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν. οὐδεὶς γὰρ τῶν κατὰ μετοχὴν θεῶν ὡς ὁ κύριος ̓Ιησοῦς Χριστὸς ειναι δύναται η ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ὡς ὁ τοῦ μονογενοῦς πατήρ· ̔Ημῖν γὰρ εις θεὸς ὁ πατὴρ καὶ εις κύριος ̓Ιησοῦς ὁ Χριστός. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐκ παραλλήλου οἱ δύο στίχοι εἰρῆσθαι δύνανται, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιστήσεις. 137 Ps 17,33-34 ̓Ενταῦθα Περιζωννύων με δύναμιν λέγεται. παρὰ δὲ Παύλῳ τὴν ἀλήθειαν περιζώννυνται οἱ τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνδυσάμενοι, ἐξ ου συνάγεται τὴν ἀλήθειαν ειναι τὸν Χριστὸν τὴν θεοῦ δύναμιν· φησὶν γὰρ ὁ σωτήρ· ̓Εγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια· ὁ δὲ Παῦλος· Χριστὸς θεοῦ δύναμις. Καὶ εθετο αμωμον τὴν ὁδόν μου, τουτέστιν ἀπέδειξεν. τὸ γὰρ θεῖναι νῦν τὸ ἀποδεῖξαι σημαίνει, ωσπερ καὶ τὸ Ον εθηκεν κληρονόμον πάντων. Καλῶς δ' εχει καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου τοῦ στίχου ἐκ προσώπου Χριστοῦ τὸν ολον ψαλμὸν ἀπηγγέλθαι. ὁ ταῦτα δὲ λέγων, ἀναιρήσας τὰς ὀφιώδεις κακίας καὶ τὰς ἐνεργησάσας αὐτὰς πονηρὰς δυνάμεις, ὑπὸ θεοῦ τοὺς τοῦ εσω ἀνθρώπου πόδας (τουτέστιν τὰς πορευτικὰς δυνάμεις) κατηρτισμένους εχει, ινα δυνηθῇ εἰπεῖν Ανευ ἀνομίας εδραμον καὶ κατηύθυνα· καὶ πληρώσας τὴν πορείαν ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς ἀκούσεται πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ Σὺ δὲ αὐτὸς στῆθι μετ' ἐμοῦ. καὶ τὸ ἑστάναι δ' ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς οὐκ ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ τις ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ εχει. 138 Ps 17,35a Ωσπερ τὰ αλλα καλά, ουτω καὶ τὸ πολεμεῖν πρὸς τὰς ἀντικειμένας δυνάμεις πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ διδασκόμεθα. τὰς γὰρ χεῖρας τῆς ψυχῆς (λέγω δὴ τὰς δραστηρίους αὐτῆς δυνάμεις) τυποῖ, ωστ' ἐπιστημονικῶς κατέχειν τὴν νοητὴν ἀσπίδα καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος καὶ αλλα οσα πνευματικὰ ἀμυντήρια καὶ τὸ πῶς χρῆσθαι δεῖ τοῖς τοιούτοις παιδεύων. ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ὁ σωτήρ, ανθρωπος γενόμενος, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πολεμήσας ἐδίδαξεν ἡμᾶς καταπαλαίειν καὶ καταπολεμεῖν τὴν ἀντικειμένην δύναμιν· καὶ εἰς εὐχὴν δέ φησιν τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτείνων· Περιγίνομαι τῶν δυσμενῶν. 139 Ps 17,35b Συμβολικῶς βραχίονας ὀνομαζομένας χαλκοῦν εθετο τόξον, διὰ μὲν τοῦ χαλκοῦ τὸ ατρωτον η ευτονον παριστάς, διὰ δὲ τοῦ τόξου τὸ ἀπολύεσθαι βέλη ἀπὸ τῶν βραχιόνων τῶν ἡμετέρων τρῶσαι δυνάμενα τοὺς ἀντιτεταγμένους. 140 Ps 17,36 Πρὸς τούτοις απασιν καὶ ὑπερασπισμὸν σωτηρίας μοι δέδωκας, τὸν σὸν υἱὸν καταπέμψας τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἀσπίδι ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ μαχησόμενον. ̓Αλλὰ καὶ ἡ παιδεία σου, φησίν, ἀνώρθωσέν με εἰς τέλος, ητοι ἡ παιδευτικὴ διδασκαλία καὶ ἡ ἐπίπονος ἀγωγή. Εἰς τέλος δέ, τουτέστιν εἰς τελείαν ἀνάστασιν καὶ στάσιν με ηγαγεν. ἡ γὰρ παιδεία σημαίνει τὴν παιδευτικὴν ὡς ἐν τῷ ̓Επιλαβοῦ ἐμῆς παιδείας, μὴ ἀφῇς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἐπίπονον διὰ τοῦ Μὴ ὀλιγώρει παιδείας κυρίου. αυτη δὲ ἡ ἑκατέρως παιδεία σου διδάσκαλος τῶν καλῶν μοι γεγένηται. 141 Ps 17,38 ∆ιὰ μυρίων συνεργηθεὶς ὑπὸ θεοῦ θάρσος ἀνέλαβεν καταδιῶξαι τοὺς ἐχθρούς· τῆς δὲ καταδιώξεως τέλος ἡ ἐκείνων εἰς τέλος εκλειψις. οὐ γὰρ κόπος ουτε φόβος μοι ἐνεπόδισεν. 142 Ps 17,39a Φειδόμενος τῶν