Battles With Sinners

Ecce, inquit, gladium evaginaverunt peccatores, extenderunt arcum suum, ut dejiciant pauperem et inopem. Quis est gladius peccatoris, nisi contrarius gladio Spirtus sancti? Docuit hunc Scriptura me gladium; docuit Apostolus dicens, quia habemus locricam jusititiae, et scutum fidei, et galeam salutis, et gladium Spiritus, quod est verbum Dei. Ergo verbum Dei gladius Spiritus sancti est. E contrario utique gladius spiritus nequissimi, verbum est malum. Hoc gladio Petus apostolus Ananiam et Saphiram sermonis si quasi quodam ense percussit, hoc gladio Paulus Elimae adversanti disputationibus suis, oculorum lumen eripuit, et noctem caecitatis infudit. Considera nunc mihi jurgantes peccatores, atque acerba jactantes insolentiae, et criminantionum opprobria proferentes; nonne, si eos audias, dices, Gladium evaginaverunt peccatores; quando sermo turpis tamquam de vagina petulanti ex ore profertir, quem cohiberi parfuit et recondi? Similiter ut gladius verbum Dei dicitur, et idem sermo est peccatoris: ita et arcus quem extendunt peccatores, mens eorum est; et sagitta quam jaciunt, sermo est venenatus. Sicut enim sagitta est Christus, qui est Verbum Dei, cui dicitur: Posui te sicut sagittam electam, quae profertur ex pharetra Dei: ita sagittae sunt perfidorum, quae arcu quodam iniquitatis emissae incautum vulnerant innocentem, nisi ignita eorum jacula scuto fidei repellantur. Et ideo sollicitus esse debes miles in praelio; quia pugna tibi non solum adversus cernem et sanguinem est, sed adversus ipsas quoque nequitias spiritales quae non videntur. Abundent tibi arma fortia Deo, ita facile possis  quae volueris tela depromere: ne pauperem te et inermem hostis possit opprimere. Esto Deo fortis, Deo dives, ut dicantur de te: Redemptio animae viri, divitiae ejus. Abundato theasuro sapientiae, esto dives in verbo et operibus bonis, ut possis esse munitus. Fuge divitias peccatoris, ne inveniat ubi vulnerare te possit. Esto misericors, ut invulnerabilis maneas, vel curare te possis, si fueris vulneratus. Est et pauper quem volunt adversarii vulnerare, ex illo numero de quo Salvator dixit: Beati pauperes spiritu, quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum.   Sanctus Ambrosius Mediolanensis, Enarrationes In Psalmos, Psalmum XXXVI

'Behold,' he says, 'the sinners have unsheathed the sword and stretched their bows that they cut down the poor and needy.' And what is the sword of the sinner unless a blade opposing the Holy Spirit? Scripture taught me this is a sword. The Apostle taught: 'Because we have the breastplate of righteousness, and the shield of faith, and the helm of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.'  2Therefore the Word of God is the sword of the Holy Spirit. Opposed to it is the sword of the wicked, the evil word. With the sword of the Word Peter struck down Ananias and Sapphira as if with a blade, with this Word Paul in dispute with Eliame, took the light from his eyes, and poured over him a night of blindness. 3 Consider now with me the disputes with sinners and the bitter contumely they cast forth, and the disgraceful crimes they bring forward, whether, if you hear them, you do not say, 'The sinners have unsheathed the sword'  when, as from a scabbard, the petulant from their mouths send forth a filthy word which he had been keeping back and concealing? Similarly as it is said to be the Word of God and with the word of the sinner, so even it is with the bow which the sinners stretch, which is their mind, and the arrow which they shoot from it is the word sent forth. And also like an arrow is Christ, who is the word of God, of whom it is said, 'I have placed you like a chosen arrow,' 4 which is taken from the quiver of God. And the arrows of traitors, which from the bow of iniquity they shoot, will wound unwary innocents, unless their burning shafts are repelled by the shield of faith. And therefore you should be as prudent as a soldier at war, because your enemies are not only flesh and blood, but even those wicked spirits which are not visible. May your strong arms from God abound, that easily you are able to draw out what you wish, lest the poor man and the man without defence be overcome. Be strong to God, be rich to Him, that they may say concerning you, 'The salvation of a man's soul is his wealth.' 5  With an abundant treasury of wisdom be rich in words and good works, that you be a fortress. Flee the riches of sinners lest he discover where you can be wounded. Be merciful, that you remain invulnerable, or that you be able to care for yourself if you are wounded. It is the poor man that the enemy wishes to wound, one of that number concerning whom the Saviour said, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' 6 Saint Ambrose, Commentary on the Psalms, from Psalm 36 1. Ps 36.14 2 Ephes 6.14 3 Acts 13 10-11 4 Is 49.2 5 Prov 13.8 6 Mt 5.3