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THE athlete of Christ, as long as he is in the body, is never in want
of a victory to be gained in contests: but in proportion as he grows by
triumphant successes, so does a severer kind of struggle confront him. For
when the flesh is subdued and conquered, what swarms of foes, what hosts of
enemies are incited by his triumphs and rise up against the victorious
soldier of Christ! for fear lest in the ease of peace the soldier of Christ
might relax his efforts and begin to forget the glorious struggles of his
contests, and be rendered slack through the idleness which is caused by
immunity from danger, and be cheated of the reward of his prizes and the
recompense of his triumphs. And so if we want to rise with ever-growing
virtue to these stages of triumph we ought also in the same way to enter
the lists of battle and begin by saying with the Apostle: "I so fight, not
as one that beateth the air, but I chastise my body and bring it into
subjection," that when this conflict is ended we may once more be able
to say with him: "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against world-rulers of this darkness,
against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places." For otherwise we
cannot possibly join battle with them nor deserve to make trial of
spiritual combats if we are baffled in a carnal contest, and smitten down
in a struggle with the belly: and deservedly will it be said of us by the
Apostle in the language of blame: "Temptation does not overtake you, except
what is common to man."
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