This is the task of our life – to correct our hearts and purify them, so that no unrighteousness comes out of them. And only then will the holy truth reign in relations between people, when the hearts of all of them become sources of love, and not malice, selfishness and envy.

In this great work of purifying our hearts, may the One Knowing of the heart help us.

Amen.

January 27, 1952

Week 34. On the Whole Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-12)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

(Ephesians 6:10-12).

Our battle is not against flesh and blood, that is, not against men, but against principalities, against powers.

Against what authorities, what authorities?

Of course, it is not about those authorities who govern the state, but about completely different principalities, that the holy Apostle Paul speaks, as he himself immediately explains: "against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in high places," against the demons, against the angels of Satan, for they can truly be called the rulers of the darkness of this world.

All the darkness that you see in human life is the work of their hands, it is the work of that prince who dominates the air, of whom the Holy Apostle Paul speaks in another epistle. And who is this prince who dominates the air? It's Satan himself, it's the devil. He dominates a huge number of hearts.

And it is against him, against his angels of darkness, against the spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places, that St. Paul commands us to be strengthened by the Lord and by the power of His power.

We ourselves are not able, not at all able to fight this terrible prince who dominates the air.