Sermon 335J
Sermon 335/J
ON THE BIRTHDAY OF THE MARTYRS
Conquering within the sweetness of life, the martyr was conquering the persecutor outside.
Holy martyrs, witnesses of Christ, fought against sin unto the shedding of blood, because He was in them, through whom they conquered. And now, those who fight against sins recognize the battle and desire the crown. For when the enemies of the name of Christ persecuted the martyrs, they fought within themselves and conquered outwardly. But they would not conquer outwardly unless they first conquered inwardly. Behold, I tell you how the enemy approached the martyr. He would seize him, bind him, and lead him to the judge. The judge would say to him: Deny Christ if you wish to live. But he would not deny because he wanted to live. How then did he first fight inwardly? Because the sweetness of this life would say: Deny. He would not listen and would confess Christ. Conquering the sweetness of life inwardly, he would conquer the persecutor outwardly.
This is the Christian struggle: to mortify the actions of the flesh by the spirit.
What, then, did I say? Now also those who fight against sin fight, and those who recognize the fight desire the crown. For this I said long ago, and I ought to explain to you what it is. You heard when the Apostle was being read. I recall those very words. For if you live according to the flesh, he says, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the actions of the flesh, you will live. This is the Christian fight: to put to death by the Spirit the actions of the flesh. The action of the flesh is to desire another man's wife. That very delighting and desiring is already the delight of the flesh. He does not yet commit adultery, but he is already titillated by desire. But the conscience will overcome if patience is held. Who is it who does not endure such a battle? All endure it, but not all conquer. Just as not all conquer, so not all are conquered. There are also those who do not fight at all. For when desire has risen in his heart, he consents to it at that very hour. But the reason he does not act is because he does not find the opportunity. He who therefore does not act because he does not find the opportunity, meanwhile has not found a place on earth and has lost a place in heaven.
Where you consented, there you remained captive.
Desire has arisen, and you have risen. But you cannot go to another man's wife. Now you walk bound, because where you have consented, there you have remained captive. However, he who does not consent is not conquered by desire. It fights with pleasure. You fight with contradiction. It will say: Let us act, so that we may live with pleasure. You respond: Let us not act, so that we may live without end. You fight with it as long as it begins not to rise as well. Or if it ever rises briefly, it quickly blushes and perishes. What I said about the love of another man's wife, I say about the love of drunkenness, the love of money, I say this about the love of pride and all others where there are evil loves and evil habits.
Whatever evil we have done is ours, but whatever good is God's.
But whoever opposes these evil desires becomes a Christian with good morals. And he fights daily in his conscience, to seek the crown from Him who sees it, when he has overcome. But can he overcome, if he fights alone? Leave him alone there, and he is defeated. Therefore, when you do not consent to the desires of the flesh relying on yourself, you are alone, and because you rely on yourself, you act alone. However, when you attribute nothing to your own strength, and entrust yourself entirely to God, it is God who works in you both to will and to accomplish for your good will. And thus it is said: If by the Spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you will live. Human frailty claims nothing here for itself, attributes nothing to its own efforts and strength, because if it claims credit for itself, it makes room for pride, and pride makes room for ruin. But he who attributes all his progress to God makes room for the Holy Spirit. And thus the Apostle says: For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. If therefore we are sons of God, the Spirit of God guides us, the Spirit of God directs us. Whatever evil we do is ours. But whatever good we do is of God, who works in us both to will and to accomplish for our good will.