Week 2 - Thursday

Bible Passage

Matthew 16:24

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’”

Commentary

From the Life of Antony

“'So then we ought to fear God only, and despise the demons, and be in no fear of them. But the more they do these things the more let us intensify our discipline against them, for a good life and faith in God is a great weapon. At any rate they fear the fasting, the sleeplessness, the prayers, the meekness, the quietness, the hatred of money and vainglory, the humility, the love of the poor, the almsgiving, and, most of all, their [reverence] towards Christ. Wherefore they do all things that they may not have any that [overcome] them, knowing the grace given to [them] against demons by the Saviour, when He says, "Behold I have given to you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy.”