Suffering And Arms

Christo igitur passo in carne et vos eadem cogitatione armamini quia qui passus est in carne desiit a peccatis... Quisquis sanctorum corpus suum ad martyrium persecutorum violentiae subdidit, nulli dubium quin usque ad vitae terminum, quantum humanae naturae possibile est, sese a peccatis abstinuerit. Quid enim de peccati perpetratione, quid de carnalibus desideriis cogitare, quid nisi voluntatem Dei potuit animo versare, qui vel ligno affixus, vel lapidum ictibus circumdatus, vel bestiarum morsibus subactus, vel ignium flammis superpostitus, vel scorpionum flagris perfossus, vel alio quolibet poenarum genere affectus, hoc tantummodo desiderare cogebatur, ut finito certamine coronam vitae perciperet? Talium ergo mentem nos beatus Petrus cupit semper imitari, cum, proposito dominiciae passionis exemplo, nos eadem cogitatione contra nequitiam pravorum contraque vitiorum oblectamenta praecipit armati?, volens intelligi quod etiam nos in pace Ecclesiae quiescentes, si habitum patientis induimus, facile, adjuvante Domino, lapsus vitamus peccatorum omnium cunctaque desideria divinae voluntatis subjegamus imperiis. Denique et Psalmita Dominum precatur dicens: Infige timore tuo carnes meas, a judiciis enim tuius timui. Et Apostolus: Qui ergo Christi sunt carnem suam crucifixerunt cum vitiis et concupiscentiis. Qui ergo timore judiciorum coelestium carnales in mente concupiscentias exstinguit, jam talis crucifixo ac patienti pro Christo similis, quasi mortuus existens peccatis, Dei tantum servitio vivit. Sanctus Beda, In Primam Epistolam Sancti Petri, Caput IV Source: Migne PL 92.61b-c

Since then Christ suffered in the flesh even you with the same thought arm yourself, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin... 1 Whoever of the holy gives his own body over to martyrdom under the violence of persecutors, without doubt to the end of life, as much as it is possible for human nature, he withdraws himself from sin. For to what commission of sin, or thought of carnal desire, to what unless to the will of God, would he have been able to turn his soul, who was either nailed to the cross, of struck all around with stones, or overwhelmed with the bites of beasts, of placed in the flames of fires, or gouged by the barbs of the whip, or suffering any other type of punishment, when this only would have driven his desire, that by temporal punishment he receive the crown of life? Thus does Peter desire us to imitate such minds, when, with the example of the Lord's passion, he commands us to be armed with the same thought against the wickedness of the depraved and the blandishments of vices, wishing it to be understood that even when we rest in peace in the Church, if we are endowed with the habit of patience, easily, with the Lord's aid, we shall avoid the falls into every sin and we shall subjugate every desire to the commands of the Divine will. Finally even the Psalmist prays to the Lord, saying: 'Pierce my flesh with fear of you, because I have feared your judgement.' 2 And the Apostle: 'Therefore they who are Christ's have crucified their flesh with its vices and desires.' 3 Thus he who extinguishes carnal desires in his mind by the fear of heaven's judgements already has a similar crucifixion and suffering with Christ, so that as one living dead to sin, he lives only for the service of God. Saint Bede, from the Commentary on the First Letter Of Peter, Chap 4 1 1 Pet 4.1 2 Ps 118.120 3 Galat 5.24