How can we avoid fearing Satan?

The honor of the victorious is greater than the shame of the conquered . St. John Chrysostom says, “those who overcame are more valuable by far than those who are defeated, even if the latter be more, and the former less. ‘For better is one,’ he says “who does the will of God than ten thousand transgressors’ (Ecclus. 16:3).”⁶⁴⁴

The conquered suffer harm because of their own laziness, not because of Satan. St. John Chrysostom says, “if the antagonist were taken away he who overcomes is thereby injured. For if you let the adversary remain, the more lazy are injured, not on account of the more diligent, but by their own laziness; whereas if you take away the antagonist, the more diligent are betrayed on account of the lazy, and neither exhibit their own power, nor win crowns.”⁶⁴⁵

Humanity’s negligence endowed Satan with the name “deceiver.” St. John Chrysostom says, “I will state another solution of this question, in order that you may learn, that the Devil does not injure, but their own laziness everywhere overthrows those who do not take heed.”⁶⁴⁶

Should we reject the beautiful creation also? St. John Chrysostom says, “What shall we say about this beautiful and wondrous creation? Pray, is the creation too, wicked? and who is so corrupt, who so dull, and demented as to accuse the creation? what then shall we say about this? For it is not wicked, but is both beautiful and a token of the wisdom and power

641 St. John Chrysostom, A Treatise to Prove That No One Can Harm the Man Who Does Not Injure Himself 4 (NPNF I/9:273).

642 St. John Chrysostom, Ad. Pop . (PG 49:66, 67).

643 St. John Chrysostom, Three Homilies on the Power of Man to Resist the Devil 2.1 (NPNF I/9:187) amended.

644 St. John Chrysostom, Three Homilies on the Power of Man to Resist the Devil 2.1 (NPNF I/9:187) amended.

645 St. John Chrysostom, Three Homilies on the Power of Man to Resist the Devil 2.1 (NPNF I/9:187) amended.

646

St. John Chrysostom, Three Homilies on the Power of Man to Resist the Devil 2.2 (NPNF I/9:187) amended.

and lovingkindness of God. Hear at least how the prophet marvels at it, saying, ‘How magnified are Your works O Lord! in wisdom You have made them all’ (Ps. 104:24) … Hear too Paul saying, ‘For the invisible things of Him, since the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made’ (Rom. 1:20). For each of these of which he spoke declared that the creation leads us to the knowledge of God, because it causes us to know the Master fully. What then? If we see this beautiful and wondrous creation itself becoming a cause of impiety to many, shall we blame it? Not at all, but [we blame] those who were unable to use the medicine rightly. How then is this which leads us to the knowledge of God, a cause of impiety? ‘The wise’ he says ‘were darkened in their understandings, and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator’ (Rom. 1:21, 25) … What then? Shall we take away even the creation? tell me.”⁶⁴⁷

Should we reject our own bodies also? St. John Chrysostom says, “And why do I speak about the creation? Let us come to our own members. For even these we shall find to be a cause of destruction if we do not take heed, not because of their own nature, but because of our laziness. And look; an eye was given, in order that you may behold the creation and glorify the Master. But if you do not use the eye well, it becomes to you the minister of adultery. A tongue has been given, in order that you may speak well, in order that you may praise the Creator. But if you are not very careful, it becomes a cause of blasphemy to you. And hands were given you that you may stretch them forth unto prayer. But if you are not wary, you stretch them out unto covetousness. Feet were given in order that you may run unto good works, but if you are careless you will cause wicked works by means of them.”⁶⁴⁸

Even the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. St. John Chrysostom says, “assuredly what could be more conducive to salvation than the Cross? But this Cross has become an offence to the weak. ‘For the word of the Cross is to them that are perishing, foolishness: but to those which are being saved, it is the power of God’ (1 Cor. 1:18). And again, ‘we preach Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumbling-block and unto Gentiles foolishness’ (1 Cor. 1:23).”⁶⁴⁹

The apostles have become an aroma of death for many. St. John Chrysostom says, “But the Apostles became an aroma of death to many. He says at least ‘to one an aroma from death unto death: to the other an aroma from life unto life’ (2 Cor. 2:16). Do you see that the weak is hurt even by Paul, but the strong is not injured even by the Devil?”⁶⁵⁰

In Christ, many stumbled. St. John Chrysostom says, “Do you wish that we should exercise the argument in the case of Jesus Christ? What is equal to that salvation? what more

647 St. John Chrysostom, Three Homilies on the Power of Man to Resist the Devil 2.3 (NPNF I/9:188) amended.

648 St. John Chrysostom, Three Homilies on the Power of Man to Resist the Devil 2.3 (NPNF I/9:188) amended.

649 St. John Chrysostom, Three Homilies on the Power of Man to Resist the Devil 2.3 (NPNF I/9:188–189).

650 St. John Chrysostom, Three Homilies on the Power of Man to Resist the Devil 2.3 (NPNF I/9:189) amended.

profitable than that presence? But this very saving presence, so profitable, became an additional means of chastening to many. ‘For, for judgment’ he says ‘I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind’ (John 9:39). What do you say? The light became a cause of blindness? The light did not become a cause of blindness, but the weakness of the eyes of the soul was not able to see the light.”⁶⁵¹

We can benefit from the devil. St. John Chrysostom says, “And it is possible also to learn this from Paul: for writing about the fornicator he speaks thus “Deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved’ (1 Cor. 5:5). Behold even the Devil has become a cause of salvation, but not because of his own disposition, but because of the skill of the Apostle. For as the physicians taking serpents and cutting off their destructive members, prepare medicines for antidotes; so also did Paul … Fear not therefore the Devil, even if he be bodiless: for he has come in contact with him. And nothing is weaker than he who has come into such contact even though he be not invested with a body, as then nothing is stronger than he who has boldness even though he bear about a mortal body.”⁶⁵²