Marriage and Virginity (continued)
31. Now, however, he says, you too put them all aside (Col 3:8), and he lists more such sins.
Why, though, is he not content to say, Put them all aside, but adds the phrase, you too? Only to prevent them thinking they can commit these evils and live in that way with impunity, because their faith would save them from the anger that came down on the children of disbelief, who did those things and lived like that without having faith. You too, he said, put aside those evils, on account of which God's anger came down on the children of disbelief, and do not promise yourselves immunity from punishment as a right of faith. He would not say, Put them aside, to those who had already put them aside to the extent of not consenting to those sins, and not giving them their bodies as the weapons of sin, except that, as long as we are still mortal, the life of holy persons is still lived out in this condition and with this task. As long as the spirit has desires opposed to the flesh, this work goes on with great intensity; perverted pleasures, lust, and base carnal impulses are resisted with the gentle joy of sanctity, the love of chastity, spiritual energy and the prized virtue of continence. So, I say, they are being put aside as long as they are being continually suppressed by continence, to prevent them rising up again. If anyone ceases to put them aside in this way, as though they were safe from them, they will launch themselves at the stronghold of that person's soul, and overthrow it and make it their slave again, a foully mutilated captive. Then sin will reign in the mortal human body, exacting obedience to its desires; then one's body will be offered to sin as a weapon for deeds of wickedness (Rom 6:13), and the last condition will be worse than the first (Mt 12:45). It is much more bearable not to have begun a struggle like this than to have abandoned the conflict once begun, and after being a valiant warrior, or even the victor, to become captive. That is why the Lord does not say, "Whoever begins," but, Whoever perseveres to the end is the one who will be saved (Mt 10:22).
32. Whether we are fighting fiercely to avoid being conquered, or on occasions are even victorious with unexpected and unhoped for ease, let us give glory to him who gives us continence. Let us remember that a just man said while living in prosperity, I shall not ever be dislodged (Ps 29:7), and he was shown how rash it was for him to say this, attributing what was given him from above to his own strength. We learn this by his own admission, for shortly afterward he added: Lord, in your benevolence you honored me with the gift of virtue, but you have turned your gaze away from me and I am now in turmoil (Ps 30:7). By a healing