The Power of Salvation and the Battle of the Mind
For a man is often called an evil one and an enemy, the devil. But also one serving his purpose may be called an antichrist. Ps 139:5,6: The hand of a sinner, the sinful practice, prays to be guarded from by God acting as a watchman. And besides this, it is worthy that he also be rescued from men who intend to do wrong by their choice, since they have reasoned through deceptive words and thoughts to trip up the steps of those walking toward progress in greater things.
It is possible in these things to catch the sinner, the devil, and unjust men, or rather his evil angels, or those who work men toward iniquity of soul. For they possess a deceptive wisdom, which they do not bring forth openly but hide like a snare under their sophistical words. But also their complex ropes of wickedness, which are composed and entwined by their sophistical words, stretch out to catch the feet of those walking rightly, calculating through these ropes to trip the steps of those who unthinkingly follow a path that someone has worn down.
Obstacles and stumbling blocks are, if they are thoughts, being cast against those intending to walk well and according to virtue. But he who has known himself, that he is not self-sufficient to remain harmless before so many dangers, flees to God and requires power; therefore he also announces those surrounding him. Ps 139:7,8: He who is mastered by practice and thought will say practically to Him, 'My God, are you?' and it is worthy that he asks how his voice of petition might be heard, receiving it unto his own. For he truly says, 'O Lord of all, and You are my Lord, and I am your servant; therefore You are the power of my salvation.' For of the truly and attainable salvation of yours, man's power exists to have an impossible salvation if he has not become in you. And my salvation is the likeness according to the image and the likeness that has become yours, to partake of your holiness through which also salvation exists. And that very gospel is the power of God unto salvation, as it is written by the apostle regarding the one becoming in the gospel...
One possesses the power of salvation by living and acting according to the Gospel. The power of my salvation, O Lord, has overshadowed my head on a day of war, specifically my mental head. I am convinced, therefore, that nothing is difficult against the invisible enemies during the day, that is, during the temporal extension of this life. The testimony that the head is mental is found in 'The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the righteous' (Ps 112:3) and 'The eyes of the wise are in his head' (Ps 111:10).
The sinful devil takes those who perform sin, making them his instruments. It is not clear, however, if one is mastered by a certain shameful desire. For if someone is drawn from desire into practical sin, he immediately becomes the devil's instrument; but if, having looked at a woman with desire, one stops in thought to prevent the fulfillment of the desires, he will not become the intended sinner. Therefore, one prays to the Lord that from desire alone, without being drawn into the action of the desire, he may not be handed over to the sinner, nor proceed further being conquered by it, but rather always be prevented by the better thought from You. It is also said: since all good desire is present to me as a righteous man, let me not be such as to fall from such desire and be handed over to the sinner having acted sinfully.
‘Lest through many of my thoughts I may be able to sin, do not leave me, guarding me in the shelter of your wings and under your strong hand’ (Ps 139:23-24), so that no one may seize or lift himself up arrogantly against me as one caught by him. A fighter and a slanderer is one who is accustomed to speaking with a wagging tongue. For no one of such a kind is able to be directed in a good disposition, always turning away from the fighter; for they are lovers of sinning through rejoicing in battles, insults, and slanders. Therefore, it is not possible for such a person to be directed by virtue. And he who is always trivial in everything is called unrighteous. Perhaps he speaks of the hand that operates the corruption in those who frequently perform many evil deeds.
Greek
α νθρωπος γὰρ πονηρὸς καὶ ἐχθρὸς ὁ διάβολος πολλάκις ει ρηται. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ τῷ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ ὑπηρετούμενος ἀντίχριστος α ν ῥηθείη. 1221 Ps 139,5.6 Χεὶρ ἁμαρτωλοῦ ἡ ἁμαρτητικὴ πρᾶξις ἀφ' η ς φυλαχθῆναι θεοῦ φρουροῦντος ευ χεται. καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἀξιοῖ, ι να καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀδικεῖν αὐτὸν τῇ προαιρέσει βουλομένων ἀνθρώπων ῥυσθῇ, ἐπείπερ διελογίσαντο διὰ λόγων καὶ ἐνθυμημάτων ἀπατηλῶν ὑποσκελίσαι τὰ διαβήματα τῶν ἐν τῷ προκόπτειν διαβαινόντων ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττω. ∆υνατὸν ἐν τούτοις ἐκλαμβάνειν ἁμαρτωλὸν τὸν διάβολον, ἀνθρώπους δὲ ἀδίκους η τοι τοὺς πονηροὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ η εἰς ου ς ἐνεργεῖ ἀνθρώπους εἰς τὸ ψυχὰς ἀδικεῖν. ου τοι δ' α ν ει εν καὶ ὑπερήφανοι σοφίαν ε χοντες ἀπατηλήν, η ν οὐ προφανῶς προφέρουσιν ἀλλὰ κρύπτουσιν αὐτὴν ὡς παγίδα ὑπὸ τοὺς σοφιστικοὺς αὐτῶν λόγους. ἀλλὰ καὶ σχοινία η τοι τὰς πολυπλόκους αὐτῶν πονηρίας η τοὺς συντιθεμένους καὶ περιπλεκομένους ὑπ' αὐτῶν σοφιστικοὺς λόγους διατείνουσιν ἐπὶ τῷ συλλαβεῖν τοὺς πόδας τῶν ὀρθῶς βαδιζόντων, λογιζόμενοι διὰ τούτων τῶν σχοινίων ὑποσκελίσαι τὰ διαβήματα τῶν ἀπροοράτως ἐχόντων α τιθέασι καὶ ἐχόμενα η ς τις ε τριψεν ὁδοῦ. Προσκόμματα α καὶ σκάνδαλα ει πε λογισμοὶ δέ εἰσιν ου τοι ὑποβαλλόμενοι τοῖς καλῶς καὶ κατ' ἀρετὴν ὁδεύειν προαιρουμένοις. ἀλλ' ὁ γνοὺς ἑαυτὸν ο τι οὐκ αὐτάρκης ἐστὶ πρὸς τὸ ἀβλαβὴς ἀπὸ τῶν τοσούτων διαμεῖναι πρὸς θεὸν καταφεύγων δύναμιν ἀπαιτεῖ· διὸ καὶ ἀπαγγέλλει τὰ περιεστηκότα αὐτόν. 1222 Ps 139,7.8 ̔Ο οἰκειωθεὶς πράξει καὶ φρονήσει πρακτικῶς ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ Θεός μου ει σύ, καὶ ἀξιοῖ, ο πως ἐνωτίσηται τὴν φωνὴν τῆς δεήσεως αὐτοῦ δεχόμενος αὐτὴν εἰς τὰ ω τα αὐτοῦ. καὶ γὰρ ἀληθῶς φησιν Ω τοῦ παντὸς κύριε, κἀμοῦ κύριος ει δουλεύοντός σοι· ο θεν καὶ δύναμις τῆς σωτηρίας μου ει . τῆς γὰρ ἀληθῶς καὶ ἁπτομένης σωτηρίας τοῦ ε σω ἀνθρώπου δύναμις ὑπάρχεις τῷ ἀμήχανον σωτηρίας ε χειν μὴ γενόμενον ἐν σοί. σῴζεται δέ μοι ὁμοιότης κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοιότητα τὴν σὴν γεγενημένῳ τοῦ μετασχεῖν τῆς σῆς ἁγιότητος δι' η ν καὶ σωτηρίαν ε ξω. καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον δύναμις θεοῦ εἰς σωτηρίαν πρὸς τοῦ ἀποστόλου γράφεται τῷ τὸν ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ γενόμενον η δη τὴν δύναμιν τῆς σωτηρίας ε χειν, η ν σχοίη καὶ κατ' ἐνέργειαν εὐαγγελικῶς φρονῶν καὶ πολιτευόμενος. Τυγχάνων δὲ δύναμις τῆς σωτηρίας μου, ω δέσποτα, ἐπεσκίασας ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν μου ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πολέμου, ἐπὶ τὴν νοητὴν κεφαλήν μου. πείσομαι γοῦν οὐδὲν χαλεπὸν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀοράτως πολεμούντων ἐχθρῶν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, τουτέστιν ἐν τῇ παρεκτάσει τῇ χρονικῇ τοῦ βίου τούτου. μαρτυρία τοῦ νοητὴν ει ναι κεφαλὴν τὸ Εὐλογία κυρίου ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν δικαίου, καὶ Τοῦ σοφοῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἐν κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ. 1223 Ps 139,9a ̔Ο ἁμαρτωλὸς διάβολος παραλαμβάνει τοὺς ἀποτελοῦντας τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ποιεῖν τὸ κακὸν ὑποχειρίους αὐτοὺς ε χων. α δηλον δὲ εἰ καὶ τῶν ἐπιθυμίᾳ τινὶ τῶν αἰσχρῶν γεγενημένων κρατεῖ. εἰ γάρ τις ἐξελκυσθείη ἐκ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐπὶ πρακτικὴν ἁμαρτίαν, εὐθὺς ὑπ' αὐτῷ γίνεται· εἰ δ' ἐμβλέψας γυναικὶ πρὸς ἐπιθυμίαν ἐπισχοίη λογισμῷ τὴν ο ρεξιν ω στε μηδὲν ἐπιτελέσαι τῶν ὀρεκτῶν, οὐ γενήσεται πρὸς τὸν προκείμενον ἁμαρτωλόν. ευ χεται τοίνυν τῷ κυρίῳ ἀπὸ μόνης ἐπιθυμίας μὴ προσπαραλαβούσης τὴν πρᾶξιν τοῦ ὀρεκτοῦ μὴ παραδοθῆναι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ μηδὲ περαιτέρω χωρεῖν νικηθέντα ὑπ' αὐτῆς ἀλλ' ἀεὶ κωλύειν τῷ παρὰ σοῦ βελτίονι λογισμῷ. Λεκτέον δὲ καὶ ου τως· ἐπεὶ δικαίῳ τυγχάνοντί μοι πᾶσα ἀγαθὴ ἐπιθυμία πάρεστι, μὴ τοιοῦτος γενοίμην ὡς ἀπὸ τῆς τοιαύτης ἐπιθυμίας ἐκπεσεῖν καὶ παραδοθῆναι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ ἁμαρτητικῶς ἐνεργηκότα. 1224 Ps 139,9b Ινα μὴ κατ' 259 ἐμοῦ πολλὰ διαλογισάμενοι δυνηθῶσι, μὴ ἐγκαταλείψεις με φυλάττων με ἐν σκέπει τῶν πτερύγων σου καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν χεῖρα τὴν κραταιάν σου, ἀφ' η ς οὐδεὶς δύναται ἁρπάσαι η ἐπαρθῆναι ἀλαζονικῶς κατ' ἐμοῦ ὡς ἁλόντος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. 1225 Ps 139,12a Γλωσσώδη τὸν μάχιμον καὶ λοίδορον ε οικε λέγειν. οὐδεὶς γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων ο σον ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ γεώδει προαιρέσει κατευθυνθῆναι δύναται, ἀεὶ στρεβλούμενος ἐκ τοῦ μάχιμος ει ναι· φιλαμαρτημόνων γὰρ τῷ χαίρειν μάχαις καὶ υ βρεσι καὶ λοιδορίαις. διὸ καὶ τὸ κατευθύνεσθαι ὑπὸ ἀρετῆς οὐ δυνατὸν ε χειν τὸν τοιοῦτον. 1226 Ps 139,12b Αδικος δὲ λέγεται ὁ κατὰ πάντα φαῦλος. διαφθορὰν δὲ τάχα τὴν χειρίστην ε ξιν λέγει εἰς η ν θηρεύουσιν αἱ πολλαχῶς ἐπιτελούμεναι κακαὶ πράξεις. ο τι δὲ ἡ
About this text
Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.