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(35) Jesus said, "It is not possible for anyone to enter the house of a strong man and take it by force unless he binds his hands; then he will (be able to) ransack his house."

(103) Jesus said, "Fortunate is the man who knows where the brigands will enter, so that he may get up, muster his domain, and arm himself before they invade."

(98) Jesus said, "The Kingdom of the Father is like a certain man who wanted to kill a powerful man. In his own house he drew his sword and stuck it into the wall in order to find out whether his hand could carry through. Then he slew the powerful man."

(46) And though thy Body perhaps is put hard to it and suffers Pain and Misery, yet it is much worse with him when he is vanquished, for then he roars like a Lion which is robbed of her young Whelps, for the Fierceness and Wrath of God torments him; but if thou lettest him lodge within thee, then he grows fat and wanton, and will vanquish thee in time.

(21) Mary said to Jesus, "Whom are Your disciples like?" He said, "They are like children who have settled in a field which is not theirs. When the owners of the field come, they will say, 'Let us have back our field.' They (will) undress in their presence in order to let them have back their field and give it back to them. Therefore I say to you, if the owner of a house knows that the thief is coming, he will begin his vigil before he comes and will not let him into his house of his domain to carry away his goods. You, then, be on your guard against the world. Arm yourselves with great strength lest the robbers find a way to come to you, for the difficulty which you expect will (surely) materialize. Let there be among you a man of understanding. When the grain ripened, he came quickly with his sickle in his hand and reaped it. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."

(10) "We must therefore put on the panoply of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; since the weapons of our war fire are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down reasonings, and every lofty thing which exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity unto the obedience of Christ," says the divine apostle. There is need of a man who shall use in a praiseworthy and discriminating manner the things from which passions take their rise, as riches and poverty, honour and dishonour, health and sickness, life and death, toil and pleasure. For, in order that we may treat things, that are different, indifferently, there is need of a great difference in us, as having been previously afflicted with much feebleness, and in the distortion of a bad training and nurture ignorantly indulged ourselves. The simple word, then, of our philosophy declares the passions to be impressions on the soul that is soft and yielding, and, as it were, the signatures of the spiritual powers with whom we have to straggle. For it is the business, in my opinion, of the malificent powers to endeavour to produce somewhat of their own constitution in everything, so as to overcome and make their own those who have renounced them. And it follows, as might be expected, that some are worsted; but in the case of those who engage in the contest with more athletic energy, the powers mentioned above, after carrying on the conflict in all forms, and advancing even as far as the crown wading in gore, decline the battle, and admire the victors.

(125) Suddenly I get the better of him, suddenly he is too hard for me; yet notwithstanding he has not overcome or conquered me, though he often gets the Advantage over me: For our Life is as a perpetual Warfare with the Devil.

(61) Just in this manner thou settest, and no other, when thou art in the Pleasures of the Flesh; if thou wilt not fight, thou canst not look for any Victory, but thou wilt be murdered in thy soft Bed of Down. For Man has a continual Host or Army before him, which fights with him continually; if he will not defend himself, then he is taken captive and slain.

(55) 1 will not say, that one that is a true Believer, [or truly faithful] in the new Birth, cannot (with earnest Combating) help and Hell; but he must have sharp Weapons, when he has to do with Principalities and Powers, or else they will deride and scorn him; as it is done for certain, when the Priest, with his glistering Cope [or fine Cloaths,] comes between Heaven and Hell, and will [undertake to] fight with the Devil.

(128) If he buffets me, then I must retire and give back, but the divine Power helps me again; then he also gets a Blow, and often loses the Day in the Fight. [* See v. 68.]

(6) Its strength proceedeth from him, it hath obtained it by prayer from him

(109) And the great Prince Michael with his Legions fought against him; and the Devil with his Legions had not the Victory, but was driven from his Place, as one vanquished. [Rev. 12.] Now it may be asked, What Manner of Fight was this? How could they fight one with another without Weapons? Answer.