Forefeast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God; Holy Martyr Sozon the Shepherd (304). Zhyrovytsi Icon of the Mother of God
Ephesians 6:10-17; John 15:17-16:2
Read Ephesians 6:10-17
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
The Christian life is one of continual spiritual warfare against the wiles of the devil. St. Paul tells us as much in this last chapter of the Letter to the Ephesians.
But what are the wiles of the devil? In his commentary on the Letter to the Ephesians, St. John Chrysostom explains:
“The enemy does not make war on us straightforwardly or openly but by his wiles. What are the devil’s wiles? They consist in trying to capture us by some shortcut and always by deceit…. The devil never openly lays temptation before us. He does not mention idolatry out loud. But by his stratagems he presents idolatrous choices to us, by persuasive words and by employing clever euphemisms.”
Brothers and sisters, guard yourselves against the wiles of the devil. Pray, fast, confess your sins, receive the Holy Eucharist, and always be ready to fight a spiritual battle against the devil.