Exhortation to the Greeks 11.116

God's purpose is always to save the flock of humankind. For this reason the good God sent the Good Shepherd. The Word, unfolding the truth, has shown human beings the height of salvation, so that they may either repent and be saved, or refuse to obey and be judged. This is the proclamation of righteousness: good news to those who obey, judgment to those who disregard it. The trumpet “of mighty din,” when it sounds, gathers soldiers and proclaims war; and shall not Christ, having breathed a song of peace to the ends of the earth, gather his own soldiers of peace? He has gathered, man, by his blood and by the Word, a bloodless army, and entrusted to them the kingdom of heaven. The trumpet of Christ is his gospel; he has sounded it, and we have heard. Let us arm ourselves for peace, “putting on the breastplate of righteousness,” taking up the shield of faith, putting on the helmet of salvation, and let us sharpen “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” So the apostle draws us up in peaceful battle order. These are our invulnerable weapons; armed with them, let us take our stand against the evil one; let us quench the fiery darts of the evil one with the watery blades dipped by the Word, repaying his benefits with thankful blessings and honoring God with the divine Word. “For while you are still speaking,” he says, “he will say, Here I am.”