Forefeast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God; The Holy Martyr Sozon the Shepherd.
Ephesians 6:10-17; John 15:17-16:2.
Read Ephesians 6:10-17
In today’s reading, St. Paul exhorts us to, “put on the whole armor of God”. St. Jerome explains that is nothing more than, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” which is the goal of our Christian lives:
“From what we read of the Lord our Savior throughout the Scriptures, it is manifestly clear that the whole armor of Christ is the Savior himself. It is he whom we are asked to “put on.” It is one and the same thing to say “Put on the whole armor of God” and “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Our belt is truth and our breastplate is righteousness. The Savior is also called both “truth” and “righteousness.” So no one can doubt that he himself is that very belt and breastplate. On this principle he is also to be understood as the “preparation of the gospel of peace.” He himself is the “shield of faith” and the “helmet of salvation.” He is the “sword of the Spirit,” because he is the Word of God, living and efficacious, the utterance of which is stronger than any helmet and sharp on both sides. (St. Jerome, Commentary on Ephesians 3.6.11).
To put on Christ, we must first put off the old man, as St. Paul teaches: “Put off the old man which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:22-24)
Why? Because the old man belongs to a former way of life, one that is futile (cf. 1.Pet 1:18), and subject to the wiles and temptations of the evil one. Not that those who are in Christ are not subject to temptation, but rather for Christians, the temptations and struggles which are placed before us become a means of purification, and a means of progressing further along the path of theosis. The military imagery in today’s reading indicates that we should expect this struggle, but also that we should be secure in the victory already wrought by Christ.
This is a sure path for us, because we see that Christ has already walked it by becoming in all respects are we are, though without sin (cf Heb. 4:15). Further we are given the example of the saints and especially the Most Holy Theotokos, who show us in the concrete what it looks like to conquer with Christ!