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in the flesh." But when someone mortifies the flesh and destroys its works, he is not in the flesh. Therefore it is said: "those of Jesus Christ have crucified the flesh with its desires" and have it mortified, no longer active. The one who is being crucified has his hands prevented from acting and his feet from going wherever he wishes. Those who were crucified with Christ, therefore, crucified the flesh with its desires, rendered it dead, so as henceforth to carry about in their flesh the dying of Jesus; "we always carry about the dying of Jesus." "The Lord is the protector of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers drew near to me to eat my flesh," since they did not find the food they desired, "they grew weak and fell." But consider what is connected. 100 2 those who afflict me and my enemies, they themselves grew weak and fell. They had come to drag me down into weakness, to treat me maliciously. But the suffering they wanted to inflict on me happened to them; for if they had found "flesh," they would have devoured me and dragged me down into weakness and sickness. But since they did not find "flesh," "they themselves grew weak and fell," being subjected to famine. "Those who afflict me and my enemies, they themselves grew weak and fell." The one who afflicts is not always an enemy; the good man also afflicts. For many enemies, wishing to surround with afflictions and malice those against whom they are hostile, are not able to do this if God does not permit it. And many also afflict without being enemies. At any rate, parents afflict children when disciplining them, and masters their slaves, and surely they do not do this as enemies. It can be said, at any rate, that both orders, that of the afflicters and that of the enemies, grew weak and fell. But this is possible: the afflicters themselves are also enemies; for they do not afflict for admonition and discipline. They are not such as those of whom it is said: "He who brings forth wisdom from his lips strikes a foolish man with a rod," and: "What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod or in love"? These who afflict are not enemies. But there is a time when the enemy also afflicts; but not by necessity. Since: what "mortification"? -this is not to live according to evil activities. The one who carries about the mortification of Jesus is not licentious; he is dead to licentiousness, he is dead to deifying his own belly, he has his members inactive with regard to fleshly desires; he does not allow it to be autonomous; for it has blameworthy desires. For it has been said: "Let not sin reign in your mortal body, to obey its desires." 3 If an army should encamp against me, my heart will not be afraid. Furthermore, how it is not afraid nor fears he explains by saying: "whom shall I fear?" and: "of whom shall I be afraid?" since the word "whom" seems to be an exaggeration. Even if a whole army of evil men and powers encamps against me, my heart is not afraid; even if they kill the body, the heart remains unshaken, my mind is not cast down. If a whole army with great generals should come against me, I have a fearless heart, my mind is not afraid. That the multitude of armies is called by this name: when Jacob was returning from Mesopotamia and was about to meet Esau, he saw an encampment of angels; for how could there not be an encampment around him who was about to go to an overpowering and hating enemy? And Elisha likewise; an encampment of Syria was arrayed against Elisha. A divine encampment was around him, not according to the history, but according to the spiritual. The soul is led by the mind, it is driven by it. And if someone wishes to take it as the will, it is possible. 101 the name of the spirit of the heart sometimes signifies the will. But here one must understand it as the mind. 3If war should rise up against me, in this I hope. More than an army if it should rise up against me, in my heart I hope, in the one that is not afraid, in the one

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σαρκί". ὅταν δέ τις νεκρώσῃ τὴν σάρκα καὶ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῆς καθαιρῇ, οὔκ ἐστιν ἐν σαρκί. διὸ λέγεται· "οἱ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐσταύρωσαν τὴν σάρκα σὺν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις" καὶ νενεκρωμένην αὐτὴν ἔχουσιν, οὐκέτι ἐνεργοῦσαν. ὁ σταυρούμενος κωλυομένας ἔχει τὰς χεῖρας πρὸς τὸ πράττειν καὶ τοὺς πόδας ὅποι βούλεται πορεύεσθαι. οἱ σταυρωθέντες οὖν σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐσταύρωσαν τὴν σάρκα σὺν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτῆς, νεκρὰν αὐτὴν ἀπέφηναν, ὡς τὴν Ἰησοῦ λοιπὸν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ ἑαυτῶν περιφέρειν νέκρωσιν· "πάντοτε τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ περιφέρομεν". "κύριος ὑπερασπιστὴς τῆς ζωῆς μου· ἀπὸ τίνος δειλιάσω; ἐν τῷ ἐνγίζειν ἐπ' ἐμὲ κακοῦντας τοῦ φαγεῖν τὰς σάρκας μου", ἐπεὶ οὐχ εὗρον ἣν ἐπόθουν τροφήν, "ἠσθένησαν καὶ ἔπεσαν". θεώρει δὲ τί συνημμένον ἐστίν. 100 2 οἱ θλίβοντές με καὶ οἱ ἐχθροί μου αὐτοὶ ἠσθένησαν καὶ ἔπεσαν. ἐληλύθασιν ἐμὲ κατασπάσαι εἰς ἀσθένειαν, διαθεῖναί με κακωτικῶς. αὐτοῖς δὲ τὸ πάθος ἐνγέγονεν ὃ ἐμοὶ ἐνποιῆσαι ἠβούλοντο· εἰ γὰρ ἦσαν εὑρόντες "σάρκας", κατήσθιόν με καὶ εἰς ἀσθένειαν καὶ νόσον με κατέσπων. ἐπειδὴ δὲ "σάρκας" οὐχ εὗρον, "αὐτοὶ ἠσθένησαν καὶ ἔπεσαν" λιμῷ ὑποβληθέντες. "οἱ θλίβοντές με καὶ οἱ ἐχθροί μου αὐτοὶ ἠσθένησαν καὶ ἔπεσαν". οὐ πάντως ὁ θλίβων ἐχθρός ἐστιν· καὶ ὁ ἀγαθὸς θλίβει. πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐχθροὶ θλίψεσιν βουλόμενοι καὶ κακώσει περιβαλεῖν ἐκείνους καθ' ὧν ἐχθρεύουσιν, οὐχ οἷοί τέ εἰσιν τοῦτο ποιῆσαι θεοῦ μὴ συνχωροῦντος. πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ θλίβουσιν οὐκ ἐχθροὶ ὄντες. θλίβουσιν γοῦν γονεῖς παιδεύοντες τέκνα καὶ δεσπόται δούλους, καὶ οὐ δήπου ἐχθροὶ ὄντες τοῦτο ποιοῦσιν. δύναται γοῦν λέγειν ὅτι ἀμφότερα τὰ τάγματα τό τε τῶν θλιβόντων καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἠσθένησαν καὶ ἔπεσαν. δυνατὸν δὲ τοῦτο· αὐτοὶ οἱ θλίβοντες καὶ ἐχθροί εἰσιν· οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ νουθεσίᾳ καὶ παιδεύσει θλίβουσιν. οὐ τοῖοί εἰσιν περὶ ὧν λέγεται· "ὃς προφέρει ἐκ χειλέων σοφίαν, ῥάβδῳ τύπτει ἄνδρα ἀκάρδιον", καί· "τί θέλετε; ἐν ῥάβδῳ ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἢ ἐν ἀγάπῃ"; οὗτοι οἱ θλίβοντες οὔκ εἰσιν ἐχθροί. ἔστιν δὲ ὅτε ὁ ἐχθρὸς καὶ θλίβει· οὐκ ἐξ ἀνάγκης δέ. ἐπερ · ποίαν "νέκρωσιν"; -τοῦτο τὸ μὴ ζῆν κατὰ τὰς ἐνεργείας τὰς φαύλας. ὁ τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ περιφέρων οὐκ ἀκολασταίνει· νενέκρωται πρὸς ἀκολασίαν, νενέκρωται πρὸς τὸ θεοποιεῖν τὴν κοιλίαν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀνενέργητα ἔχει τὰ μέλη περὶ τὰς σαρκικὰς ἐπιθυμίας· οὐκ ἐᾷ αὐτὸ αὐτόνομον εἶναι· ἔχει γὰρ ἐπιθυμίας ψεκτάς. εἴρηται γοῦν· "μὴ βασιλευέτω ὑμῶν ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ὑμῶν σώματι πρὸς τὸ ὑπακούειν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτοῦ". 3 ἐὰν παρατάξηται ἐπ' ἐμὲ παρεμβολή, οὐ φοβηθήσεται ἡ καρδία. λοιπὸν τὸ πῶς οὐ φοβεῖται οὐδὲ δειλιᾷ ἐξηγεῖται εἰπών· "τίνα φοβηθήσομαι"; καί· "ἀπὸ τίνος δειλιάσω"; ἐπεὶ δόκει ἡ λέξις ὑπερβάλλειν "τίνα". κἂν ὅλη παρεμβολὴ πονηρῶν ἀν θρώπων τε καὶ δυνάμεων παρατάξεται ἐπ' ἐμέ, οὐ φοβεῖταί μου ἡ καρδία· κἂν ἀποκτείνωσιν τὸ σῶμα, ἀκλόνητος μένει ἡ καρδία, ἡ νόησίς μου οὐ βάλλεται. ἐὰν ὅλον στρατόπεδον σὺν στρατηγοῖς μεγάλοις ἐπέλθῃ ἐπ' ἐμέ, τὴν καρδίαν ἔχω ἄφοβον, οὐ φοβεῖταί μου ἡ νόησις. ὅτι δὲ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν στρατευμάτων τούτῳ τῷ ὀνόματι καλεῖται· ὁ Ἰακὼβ ὅτε ἀπὸ τῆς Μεσοποταμίας ἐπέστρεφεν καὶ ἤμελλεν συντυγχάνειν τῷ Ἠσαῦ, εἶδεν παρεμβολὴν ἀγγέλων· πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἤμελλεν παρεμβολὴ ἔσεσθαι περὶ τὸν μέλλοντα πρὸς πολέμιον ὑπερβάλλοντα καὶ μισοῦντα ἔρχεσθαι; καὶ ὁ Ἐλισαῖος ὁμοίως· παρεμβολὴ παρετάξατο ἐπὶ τὸν Ἐλισαῖον τῆς Συρίας. γέγονεν παρεμβολὴ θεία περὶ αὐτόν, οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ πνευματικόν. ἄγεται ἡ ψυχὴ ὑπὸ τοῦ νοῦ, ἡνιοχεῖται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τὴν γνώμην τις θέλῃ λαβεῖν, δυνατόν. σημαίνει τὸ 101 ὄνομα τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς καρδίας ποτὲ τὴν γνώμην. τὸν νοῦν δὲ λημπτέον ἐνταῦθα. 3ἐὰν ἐπαναστῇ ἐπ' ἐμὲ πόλεμος, ἐν ταύτῃ ἐγὼ ἐλπίζω. πλέον παρεμβολῆς ἐὰν ἐπαναστῇ ἐπ' ἐμέ, ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου ἐγὼ ἐλπίζω τῇ μὴ φοβουμένῃ, τῇ