Deliverance From Evil

Et quandocumque dicis Deo: Libera me Domine ab homine malo, hoc enim modo cantavimus, scio enim quo gemitu dicas: Libera me Domine ab homine malo. Quis enim in isto saeculo non patitur aliquem hominem malum? Quando ergo hoc dicis Deo: Libera me Domine ab homine malo, sicut totis praecordiis dicis, sic intentis oculis te, prius attende. Libera me Domine ab homine malo. Fac respondisse tibi Deum: A quo? Dicturus es a Gaio, a Lucio, a nescio quo quem pateris. Et respondet tibi: De te mihi nihil dicis? Si ab homine malo libero te, prius es liberandus a te ipso. Te ipsum pateris malum, noli te ipsum pati malum. Videamus si invenit quid tibi faciat alter malus. Quid tibi faciat malus? Tu noli esse malus. Non tibi dominetur avaritia tua, non te calcet concupiscentia tua, non te trituret ira tua. Isti hostes interiores tui qui sunt? Tu ipse. Non tibi aliquid faciant. Videamus quid tibi facit vicinus malus, patronus malus, potens malus. Videamus quid tibi facit. Iustum te inveniat, fidelem te inveniat, christianum te inveniat: quid tibi facturus est? Quod Stephano Iudaei fecerunt. Faciendo malum miserunt ad bonum. Ergo quando oras ut liberet te Deus ab homine malo, attende te. Noli tibi parcere. Te a te liberet. Quomodo a te te liberat? Dimittendo peccata, donando merita, dando tibi vires pugnandi adversus concupiscentias tuas, inspirando virtutem, donando menti tuae caelestem delectationem qua omnis terrena delectatio superetur. Haec tibi cum praestat Deus, liberat te a te, et securus exspectas in huius saeculi malis tamen transituris, cum eis bonis venturum Dominum tuum quae transire non possunt. Satis sint vobis. Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensi, Sermo XLII, De eo quod scriptum in Isaia, Quo mihi multitudinem sacrificiorum vestrorum? Et in Psalmo CXXXIX, Libera me, Domine, ab homine malo Source: Migne PL 38.253-254

Whenever you say to God, 'Deliver me, O Lord, from the wicked man,' 1 which is what we have just sung, I indeed know with what passion you say, 'Deliver me, O Lord, from the wicked man.' For who in this world does not suffer a wicked man? Therefore when you say this to God, 'Deliver me, O Lord, from the wicked man,' as you say it with all your heart, first look on yourself with intent eyes. 'Deliver me, O Lord, from the wicked man.' Let us say God answers: 'From which one?' You're going to say, 'From Gaius, or Lucius,' or some other man you are suffering. Then he will reply to you, 'Are you not going to say anything to me about yourself? If I am to deliver you from the wicked man, first you must be delivered from yourself. You suffer your wicked self and should not wish to suffer your wicked self.' Let us see if He finds something that a wicked man can do to you. What can a wicked man do to you? You should not want to be wicked. Do not let avarice have command over you, don't let your lusts trample on you, don't let your anger whip you. Who are these inner enemies of yours? You are. Do not let them do anything to you. Let us see what a wicked neighbour can do to you, or a wicked master, a wicked man in power. Let us see what he can do to you. He shall find you are righteous, he shall find you are faithful, he shall find you are a Christian; what can he do to you? What did they do to Stephen? Doing evil they sent him on to the good. Therefore, when you pray for God to deliver you from the wicked man, look to yourself. Do not spare yourself. He shall deliver you from yourself. How shall He deliver you from yourself? By the forgiveness of sins, and the giving of merits, by giving strength to fight against your lusts and by inspiring you with virtue, and by giving your mind heavenly delights that exceed all the delights of the world. When God grants you this, He delivers you from yourself, and in the midst of the evils of the world which will pass away, you can wait securely for the coming of your Lord with those goods which cannot pass away. Let them be enough for you. Saint Augustine of Hippo, from Sermon 42 On The Scriptures, Concerning what is written in Isaiah, 'What to me are the multitude of your sacrifices? 2 And in Psalm 139, 'Deliver me, O Lord, from the wicked man.' 1 Ps 139.2 2 Isaiah 1.11