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of life, because He will no longer die; of sin, because if it prepared the sinless one to die, how will it not destroy those who are liable? Then, since He had spoken about His own life, so that no one might say, What then has what was said to do with us? He added: So you also, he says, reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God. He well said, "Reckon," since it is not yet possible to present what is said to sight. And what are we to reckon? he says. To be dead to sin, but alive to God, in Christ Jesus our Lord. For he who lives thus will lay hold of all virtue, having Jesus Himself as an ally; for this is what "in Christ" means. For if He raised us when we were dead, much more will He be able to hold us fast now that we are alive. Therefore let not sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its desires. He did not say, "Therefore let not the flesh live, nor let it be active," but, "Let not sin reign"; for He came not to destroy nature, but to correct the will. Then, showing that we are not held by wickedness through force and necessity, but willingly, He did not say, "Let it not tyrannize," which would imply necessity, but, "Let it not reign." For it is absurd for those who are being led to the kingdom of heaven to have sin as their queen, and for those called to reign with Christ, to choose to become captives of sin; just as if someone, having cast the diadem from his head, should wish to serve a possessed woman who is a beggar and clothed in rags. Then, since it is a hard thing to overcome sin, see how He showed it is also light, and He comforted the labor by saying, "In your mortal body." For this shows that the struggles are for a season, and are quickly brought to an end; and at the same time it reminds us of our former evils, and of the root of death; for from this, even from the beginning, it became mortal. But it is possible, even having a mortal body, not to sin. Do you see the abundance of the grace of Christ? For Adam, though not yet having a mortal body, fell; but you, having received one that is liable to death, will be able to be crowned. And how, he says, does sin reign? Not by its own power, but by your indolence. For this reason, having said, "Let it not reign," he also shows the manner of such a reign, adding and saying: That you should obey it in its desires. For it is not an honor to grant it all things with authority, but the utmost slavery and an increase of dishonor. For when it does what it wants, then it is deprived of all freedom; but when it is hindered, then it most preserves its own dignity. Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but as instruments of righteousness. 60.487 γʹ. The body, therefore, is neutral between vice and virtue, just as are weapons; for both kinds of works come from the one who uses them; just as if a soldier fighting for his country, and a robber arming himself against the inhabitants, were to equip themselves with the same weapons; for the blame is not on the armor, but on those who use it for evil. This indeed may also be said of the flesh, which becomes this or that according to the mind of the soul, not according to its own nature. For if you gaze curiously at another's beauty, the eye has become an instrument of unrighteousness, not from its own operation (for it is the eye's to see, not to see evilly), but from the wickedness of the thought that commanded it; but if you bridle it, it has become an instrument of righteousness. Thus it is also with the tongue, thus also with the hands and with all the rest. And he well called sin "unrighteousness"; for one who sins wrongs either himself or his neighbor, but rather himself before his neighbor. Having therefore drawn him away from wickedness, he leads him toward virtue, saying: But present yourselves to God, as being alive from the dead. See how he exhorts by the bare names, there mentioning sin, but here God. For having shown how great is the difference between the rulers, he has deprived the soldier of all excuse, who has forsaken God, and desired to be ranked under the kingdom of sin. And not only in this way, but also through the following he establishes this, saying, "As being alive from the dead." For through these he shows

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ζωῆς, ὅτι οὐκέτι ἀποθανεῖται· τῆς δὲ ἁμαρτίας, ὅτι εἰ τὸν ἀναμάρτητον αὕτη παρεσκεύαζεν ἀποθανεῖν, τοὺς ὑπευθύνους ὄντας πῶς οὐκ ἀπολεῖ; Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ περὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ ζωῆς διελέχθη, ἵνα μὴ λέγῃ τις, Τί οὖν πρὸς ἡμᾶς τὸ εἰρημένον; ἐπήγαγεν· Οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς λογίζεσθε ἑαυτοὺς, φησὶ, νεκροὺς μὲν εἶναι τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ζῶντας δὲ τῷ Θεῷ. Καλῶς εἶπε, Λογίζεσθε, ἐπειδὴ ὄψει παραστῆσαι τὸ λεγόμενον τέως οὐκ ἔστι. Καὶ τί λογιζόμεθα, φησί; Νεκροὺς μὲν εἶναι τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ζῶντας δὲ τῷ Θεῷ, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν· ὁ γὰρ οὕτω ζῶν πάσης ἐπιλήψεται ἀρετῆς, αὐτὸν ἔχων σύμμαχον τὸν Ἰησοῦν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, Ἐν Χριστῷ. Εἰ γὰρ νεκροὺς ὄντας ἀνέστησε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ζῶντας κατασχεῖν δυνήσεται. Μὴ οὖν βασιλευέτω ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ὑμῶν σώματι, εἰς τὸ ὑπακούειν αὐτῇ ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτοῦ. Οὐκ εἶπε, Μὴ οὖν ζήτω ἡ σὰρξ, μηδὲ ἐνεργείτω, ἀλλ' Ἡ ἁμαρτία μὴ βασιλευέτω· οὐ γὰρ τὴν φύσιν ἦλθεν ἀνελεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν διορθῶσαι. Εἶτα δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐ βίᾳ καὶ ἀνάγκῃ κατεχόμεθα ὑπὸ τῆς πονηρίας, ἀλλ' ἑκόντες, οὐκ εἶπε, Μὴ τυραννείτω, ὅπερ ἀνάγκης ἦν, ἀλλὰ, Μὴ βασιλευέτω. Καὶ γὰρ ἄτοπον εἰς βασιλείαν ἀγομένους τῶν οὐρανῶν, βασιλίδα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἔχειν, καὶ καλουμένους συμβασιλεῦσαι τῷ Χριστῷ, αἱρεῖσθαι γενέσθαι τῆς ἁμαρτίας αἰχμαλώτους· ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τὸ διάδημα ῥίψας ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς, δαιμονώσῃ γυναικὶ καὶ προσαιτούσῃ καὶ ῥάκια περιβεβλημένῃ δουλεύειν ἐθέλοι. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ βαρὺ τὸ περιγενέσθαι ἁμαρτίας, ὅρα πῶς καὶ κοῦφον ἔδειξε, καὶ τὸν πόνον παρεμυθήσατο εἰπὼν, Ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ὑμῶν σώματι. Τοῦτο γὰρ δείκνυσι προσκαίρους ὄντας τοὺς ἀγῶνας, καὶ ταχέως καταλυομένους· ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ τῶν προτέρων ἡμᾶς ἀναμιμνήσκει κακῶν, καὶ τῆς τοῦ θανάτου ῥίζης· ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ καὶ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν θνητὸν γέγονεν. Ἀλλ' ἔξεστι καὶ θνητὸν ἔχοντα σῶμα, μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν. Εἶδες τὴν περιουσίαν τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριτος; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ἀδὰμ οὐδέπω θνητὸνἔχων, ὤλισθε· σὺ δὲ καὶ θανάτου λαβὼν ὑπεύθυνον ὂν, στεφανωθῆναι δυνήσῃ. Καὶ πῶς βασιλεύει, φησὶν, ἡ ἁμαρτία; Οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκείας δυνάμεως, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς σῆς ῥᾳθυμίας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἰπὼν, Μὴ βασιλευέτω, καὶ τὸν τρόπον δείκνυσι τῆς τοιαύτης βασιλείας, ἐπάγων καὶ λέγων· Εἰς τὸ ὑπακούειν αὐτῇ ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτοῦ. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι τιμὴ τὸ μετ' ἐξουσίας αὐτῷ πάντα χαρίζεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐσχάτη δουλεία καὶ ἀτιμίας ἐπίτασις. Ὅταν γὰρ ἃ βούλεται πράττῃ, τότε ἐλευθερίας ἐστέρηται πάσης· ὅταν δὲ κωλύηται, τότε μάλιστα τὴν οἰκείαν ἀξίαν διατηρεῖ. Μηδὲ παριστάνετε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν ὅπλα ἀδικίας τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ἀλλ' ὅπλα δικαιοσύνης. 60.487 γʹ. Οὐκοῦν μέσον τὸ σῶμα κακίας καὶ ἀρετῆς, καθάπερ οὖν καὶ τὰ ὅπλα· ἑκάτερα δὲ τὰ ἔργα παρὰ τὸν χρώμενον γίνεται· ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ καὶ στρατιώτης ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος ἀγωνιζόμενος, καὶ λῃστὴς κατὰ τῶν ἐνοικούντων ὁπλιζόμενος, τοῖς αὐτοῖς φράττοιντο ὅπλοις· οὐ γὰρ τῆς παντευχίας τὸ ἔγκλημα, ἀλλὰ τῶν εἰς τὸ κακὸν χρωμένων. Ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς σαρκὸς ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο γινομένης παρὰ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς γνώμην, οὐ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ περιεργάσῃ κάλλος ἀλλότριον, ὅπλον ἀδικίας γέγονεν ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς, οὐ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἐνέργειαν (ὀφθαλμοῦ γὰρ τὸ ὁρᾷν, οὐ τὸ κακῶς ὁρᾷν), ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν τοῦ κελεύσαντος λογισμοῦ πονηρίαν· ἂν δὲ χαλινώσῃς αὐτὸν, δικαιοσύνης γέγονεν ὅπλον. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ γλώττης, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ χειρῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων. Καλῶς δὲ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἀδικίαν ἐκάλεσεν· ἢ γὰρ ἑαυτόν τις, ἢ τὸν πλησίον ἁμαρτάνων ἀδικεῖ, μᾶλλον δὲ ἑαυτὸν πρὸ τοῦ πλησίον. Ἀπαγαγὼν τοίνυν τῆς πονηρίας, ἄγει πρὸς τὴν ἀρετὴν, λέγων· Ἀλλὰ παραστήσατε ἑαυτοὺς τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς ἐκ νεκρῶν ζῶντας. Ὅρα πῶς ἀπὸ τῶν ὀνομάτων γυμνῶν προτρέπει, ἐκεῖ μὲν ἁμαρτίαν εἰπὼν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸν Θεόν. ∆είξας γὰρ ὅσον τὸ μέσον τῶν βασιλευόντων, πάσης συγγνώμης τὸν στρατιώτην ἐξέβαλε, τὸν ἀφέντα μὲν τὸν Θεὸν, ἐπιθυμήσαντα δὲ ὑπὸ τὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας τάττεσθαι βασιλείαν. Οὐ ταύτῃ δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς τοῦτο κατασκευάζει λέγων, Ὡς ἐκ νεκρῶν ζῶντας. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τούτων δείκνυσι