Friday 30 August 2013

Christian’s Armour “the machinations of the devil”

Night Office

COMMENT:
The Night Office Second Reading provided an little recalled name of writer, Haymo of Halberstadt.
[A Word in Season, Readings for the Liturgy Hours VI].
The  First Reading is Ephes 6:10-24 gives the subject, the Christian’s Armour.

Bl. Haymo’s writes of “the machinations of the devil”,  6 refs of ‘devil’..
On the other hand, The Commentary of Ronald Knox (p.260) takes up the thread of  the even more specific Gnostic bias, the astro-theological slant. “Verse 12 is perhaps a final allusion  to the Gnostic or semi-Gnostic teaching which had disturbed he peace of the Asiatic churches; ‘those who have the mastery of the world’ recalls a title given to the Devil by the (second-century) Gnostic leader Valentinus. “In order higher than ours” is literally “in places above the heaven”; cf. Ephesians 1.3.
It is puzzling to find St. Apparently attributes to diabolic powers a super-celestial sphere of influence; in 2.2 he has told us that their domain is in the lower air. But he is concerned, here, to point out that we are not striving against human enemies, but against immortal spirits which belong, by right of origin, to the very highest order of created beings.
. . .
St. Paul ranges ever wider geography and theology.

St. Paul’s  geographical  wide spreads his
Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against thespiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (NASB: Lockman)
Greek: hoti ouk estin (3SPAI) hemin e pale pros aima kai sarka, alla pros tas archas, pros tas exousias, pros tous kosmokratoras tou skotous toutou, pros ta pneumatika tes ponerias en tois epouraniois.
Amplified: For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.  (Amplified Bible - Lockman)

12 For our astruggle is not against 1bflesh and blood, but cagainst the rulers, against the powers, against the dworld forces of this edarkness, against the fspiritual forces of wickedness in gthe heavenly places.
a
1
Lit blood and flesh
b
c
d
e
f
g


Twenty First in Ordinary Time FRIDAY

First Reading    Ephesians 6:10-24
Responsorv                                                             1 Pt 5:8-9; Jas 4:7
Be on the alert - watch out! Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. + Stand up to him, strong in your faith.
V. Resist the devil and he will take flight. + Stand up ...

Second Reading From a homily by Haymo of Halberstadt
Homily by Haymo of Halberstadt, Hom. 2 in epp. Pauli: PL 118, 808-809


My brothers in faith and love, and because we have one omnipotent God and Father, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Do not rely upon your own strength, your own merits, or the power of the rulers of this world, but be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

Put on the armor of God, so that you maybe able to stand against the wiles of the devil. The term armor includes everything needed for battle, cuirass, helmet, shield, lance, javelins, and other similar equipment. By the armor of God, however, we must understand our Lord Jesus Christ, by whose protection all the elect are defended, with whom they are clothed; as the same Apostle says elsewhere: All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

The elect put on Christ when with his help they acquire the virtues of Christ. To say Put on the armor of God is therefore the same as saying Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, set yourselves to acquire all the virtues which you know to be his. For example, he is just, truthful, patient, chaste, and gentle. He is called a lamb, a lion and a calf. Clothe yourselves, then, in justice, truthfulness, patience, love, cha stity, and gentleness. Be a lamb, that is, gentle; be a lion, that is, strong in faith and good works opposing the devil; be a calf too, mortifying yourselves with all your sins and unruly desires, so as to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For the devil tries to trip us up in many ways. He lies in wait for us by evil suggestions; he lies in wait for us through our carnal vices and the lure of evil pleasure; he lies in wait for us through his servants, such as heretics, false brothers and sisters, and pagans. But we must fight valiantly against them all to be sure of vanquishing them.

And take the helmet of salvation. A helmet is placed on the head to shield and protect all the bodily senses, namely the sense of sight in the eyes, of hearing in the ears, of taste in the mouth, of smell in the nose, and of touch in the whole head. What then are we to understand by the helmet which, as we have said, protects all the bodily senses? Our Lord Jesus Christ, and his protection. By the head we should understand the mind, for just as the limbs are ruled by the head, so thoughts are governed by the mind. Let us therefore place Christ on our head, that is, in our mind, to protect it; let us remember him in the secrecy of our minds, placing our trust in him instead of in ourselves, and he will guard all our senses so that our ancient enemy the devil will be unable to harm them.

Take also the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; that is to say, the teaching and knowledge of the holy scriptures given us by the Spirit. It is called a sword because just as a sword drives an enemy off, so by meditating on the divine scriptures given us by the Holy Spirit, and seeking to do what they teach and avoid what they forbid, we can defeat all the machinations of the devil.






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