And now, when there is so little peace on earth, when a third war, unprecedented in cruelty and horror, is being prepared, we, Christians, need to shoe our feet as much as possible in readiness to preach the gospel of peace, we need to rise up with all the strength of our souls against those interventions, against those aggressions that torment the peoples so terribly involved in the struggle. Oh, how it is especially necessary now that it should be evident everywhere and everywhere that we think only of peace, that we hate with all our hearts war, bloodshed, and the extermination of people.

"… and above all, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery arrows of the evil one..." Red-hot arrows are constantly shot into our hearts by demons and wound and destroy a multitude of human hearts. And we have been given a shield, the cross of Christ, for with it we receive the power to resist both the devil and the demons. And we will manifest this power when we are inspired by deep faith in God and boundless love for Christ.

The accursed demons tremble before this shield, and their head, Satan, trembles. "… and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:16-17). Put on a helmet, a spiritual helmet – not a steel helmet that protects you from bullets, not from bomb fragments, but a helmet of hope for salvation, a helmet of hope that the Lord is with us and has given us the strength and authority to fight the devil.

And what kind of sword is this, not steel, not double-edged, but the sword of the word of God? What is its power? This is what St. Paul says: "The word of God is alive and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword: it pierces to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb. 4:12). By the Word of God, by this terrible sword for the enemy, we can work miracles.

The Word of God is so infinitely powerful, so effective, so deeply penetrating into the hearts of people, able to shake them so much, that sometimes suddenly a person, mired in sins and impiety, is suddenly transformed, struck by the power of the word of God. You see what a full armor God has given us to protect us from the wiles of the devil. You see that God does not abandon us in good works, you see that we have received the armor of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the shield of God and the sword of the Spirit – the word of God.

So, don't we really use this holy armor, are we really careless, don't we try to acquire it?! And how to buy it? Only in one way: by faith and prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ, by tireless exercise in the virtues which are prescribed in his holy law; by constant remembrance of this protection, by striving always, always, day by day, to create, to keep all His commandments.

Then, and only then, will we receive the full armor of God, then we will not be alone: our Lord Jesus Christ Himself will fight with us against the spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places, against the rulers of the darkness of this world. For this is why He ascended the cross, and for this reason He shed His most pure Blood, in order to give us this all-armored armor of God. We will be subjected to the most grievous punishment if we do not consider the Blood of Christ as holy, by which we are saved and sanctified.

May this horror not be with any of us! May our King and God Jesus Christ Himself help us in our daily struggle with the spirits of wickedness in the heavenly places, to Whom be glory and dominion with the Eternal One, His Most Holy Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen. January 21, 1951 WEEK 36. "COME UNTO ME, ALL YE THAT LABOUR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN..." All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knoweth the Son but the Father; and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wants to reveal it."

Oh, what amazing words, what immeasurable boldness to say anything like that! Such words could only be said by the true Son of God, our Lord and God Jesus Christ. "All things have been delivered unto me by my Father." What is this that was delivered to Him by His Father? Everything, everything: the whole universe, all the innumerable starry worlds, all the care for the ranks of angels, for the human race, all historical events in the life of peoples – everything, everything is entrusted into His hands, all providence for the world, for humanity.

Он, Вседержитель, недаром так называется, ибо все Ему предано Отцом Его, все содержит Он в длани Своей. Ему, Вседержителю, предан и последний Страшный Суд. Не есть ли это самое ясное свидетельство из уст Самого Господа Иисуса Христа о Его Божественности? О, конечно, есть, о, конечно, так! Только Богу, Богу-Слову мог Бог-Отец предать все. "И никто не знает Сына, кроме Отца; и Отца не знает никто, кроме Сына, и кому сын хочет открыть" .

Опять второе свидетельство о Божественности Господа Иисуса Христа: Он непостижим, ни для кого непостижим, а непостижим может быть только Бог. Он непостижим дотоле, доколе Сам Отец не благоволит кому-нибудь открыть о Нем, открыть, что Он есть Истинный Сын Божий. Так было со св. апостолом Петром, ибо когда Господь наш Иисус Христос спросил учеников Своих, за кого они почитают Его, тогда блаженный Петр ответил: "Ты – Христос, Сын Бога Живаго!

Тогда Иисус сказал ему в ответ:блажен ты, Симон, сын Ионин, потому что не плоть и кровь открыли тебе это, но Отец Мой, Сущий на небесах" (Мф. 16, 17), – не плоть и кровь, не люди, не разум человеческий, но Отец Его, Сущий на небесах. Итак, непостижим Господь наш Иисус Христос в Своей Божественной сущности, итак, Он есть истинный, подлинный Бог, Второе Лицо Святой Троицы.

И Он не может быть познан никем, так же, как и Отец Его не может быть познан. "Приидите ко Мне все труждающиеся и обремененные, и Я успокою вас" (Мф. 11, 28). Опять какие поразительные по дерзновению слова! Смеют ли какие-нибудь уста человеческие сказать что-либо подобное! Смеют ли призывать к себе все, все бесконечное, бесчисленное множество труждающихся и обремененных, смеют ли им обещать успокоение?!

А Он смел, Он открыл объятия Свои, которые были шире, чем от края земли до края земли, и в эти объятия звал всех, всех бесчисленных труждающихся и обремененных. О как их бесконечно много! О сколько удрученных нуждой, согбенных старостью; сколько беззащитных, сколько голодных, сколько несчастных больных, сколько униженных и обиженных, сколько страдающих от злобы сильных мира сего!