Patience

Patience according to God is a great help in times of temptation. For the Lord says: By your patience you will gain your souls (Lc. 21:19). He did not say: “by your fasting” or “by your stillness” or “by your psalmody,” even though all these are connected to the salvation of the soul, but by your patience. By patience, that is, through any temptation that may come and through any distress, whether it be words of insult, humiliation, or contempt from any person, whether small or great, and even through bodily illness or warfare from the satanic hosts, or through any kind of temptation, from men or from demons. By your patience you will gain your souls. Not simply by patience, but also by all thanksgiving, by prayer and humility, so that in this way you may bless and raise hymns to the Savior and Benefactor of all, God, Who arranges and accomplishes all things whether they are good or of another kind for our benefit. And the Apostle writes: By patience we pass through the struggle of faith that lies before us (Heb. 12:1). For what can be greater than virtue? And what is stronger or more powerful than patience understanding patience according to God, the queen of virtues, the foundation of courageous deeds, patience the harbor that is never storm‑tossed? For patience is truly peace in wars, calm in storms, and assurance in battles and dangers. It makes the one who has acquired it stronger than diamond, and neither weapons, nor flying arrows, nor agitated armies, nor battle devices, nor darts, nor spears that are hurled, nor the armies of demons, nor the arms of the enemy devils, nor even the devil himself, opposing with his entire host and with all his means of warfare, will be able to harm the one who has acquired it through the power of Christ.