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WE ought also not to be ignorant of this, that they have not all the
same fierceness and energy, nor indeed the same boldness and malice, and
that with beginners and feeble folk only the weaker spirits join battle,
and when these spiritual wickednesses are beaten, then gradually the
assaults of stronger ones are made against the athlete of Christ. For in
proportion to a man's strength and progress, is the difficulty of the
struggle made greater: for none of the saints could possibly be equal to
the endurance of the malice of so many and so great foes, or meet their
attacks, or even bear their cruelty and savagery, were it not that the
merciful judge of our contest, and president of the games, Christ Himself,
equalized the strength of the combatants, and repelled and checked their
excessive attacks, and made with the temptation a way of escape as well
that we might be able to bear it.
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