Christian Warriors

I came across this very direct and very insightful bit of information while continuing my reading of Unseen Warfare. It is the very first paragraph of Chapter 16 which is titled “How a warrior of Christ should prepare for battle in the moring:”

As soon as you wake up in the morning, pray for a while saying: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me.’ Then your first work should be to shut yourself in your own heart, as if taking up position in the arena. Having established yourself there, bring yourself to the consciousness and feeling that your enemy and the passionate urge agaisnt which you struggle at the moment is already there, on your left, ready for immediate attack; therefore rouse against them a firm resolve to conquer or die, but never submit. Realise also that on your right there stands, invisibly present, your Commander, our Lord Jesus Christ, with His Holy Mother and a host of holy Angels, with the Archangel Michael at their head, ready to come to your aid. So take heart and be of good cheer.

What a brilliant visual of the warfare we are all involved in and what hearting one as well! I try to say a set of morning prayers each morning (the usual Glory Be… O Heavenly King… Most Holy Trinity… Come let us worship and bow down… etc.) though sadly the days I don’t do it outnumber the days that I do. However, I can definately tell a difference throughout the day from when I do say my morning prayers and when I do not.

The Fathers teach us that prayer is the single most effective weapon against our enemeis–both internal and external. I don’t know about you, but I find it very comforting to know that as I’m praying, as I’m waging a holy war against my passions and the demons who delight in them, I have the mighty Commander, our Champion Defender, and the Heavenly Army fighting with me. Glory be to God!

IC | XC

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NI | KA