Augustine was already the bishop of Hippo Regius, and had been for some time, long enough at
208 SAINT A UGUSTINE - SERMONS text. And just as here he explained which world he meant by in the children of unbelief, so he also did there, when he added of this darkness. And what he calls here the prince of the power of the air is the same as in the heavenly places in that text.
And so heartfelt thanks to the Lord our God, who has snatched us from the power of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love
(Col 1:12-13). So then, being distinguished from that darkness by the light of the gospel, and redeemed from those powers by the precious blood, watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation (Mk 14:38). Because those of you who have the faith that works through love (Gal 5:6), well, the prince of this world has been thrown out of your hearts outside;1 2 3 4 but from outside he prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pt 5:8). So, do not give the devil a foothold (Eph 4:27), as he tries to penetrate your defenses from any side at all; but let the one who threw him outside dwell inside you against him. When that one was lording it over you, you were once upon a time darkness; but now light in the Lord; walk as children of the light (Eph 5:8). Against the darkness and its rulers keep awake in your mother the light, and pray to the Father of lights (Jas 1:17) from the bosom of your mother the light.5
NOTES
1. Nobody proposes a date for this sermon; but from the opening sentence it seems clear that Augustine was already the bishop of Hippo Regius, and had been for some time, long enough at least to establish a custom. So I would date it about 405. It appears, like Sermons 219 and 220, to be a kind of introduction to the Easter vigil, and yet to have been preached by him as bishop. So I have to qualify what I said in Sermon 219, note 1, about this being a job for a presbyter rather than for a bishop. I still think that and the next sermon were preached while he was still only a presbyter; but just as Augustine collaborated with Bishop Aurelius of Carthage in getting presbyters in North Africa to do what was regarded as strictly the bishop's job, namely to preach; so he may well have decided that the bishop could also do the presbyter's job, namely introduce important services like the Easter vigil.
2. That is, of the bishop. A presbyter in those days could hardly talk of his vox pastoralis.
3. Scripture knows of three heavens; see 2 Cor 12:2. This is calculated from the expression found here and there in the Old Testament, "the heaven of heavens": = 1 heaven + 2 heavens. See Ps
115:16. 4. See Jn 12:31.
5. "Your mother the light" is presumably the Church, symbolized by all the lights blazing in the basilica, which had been lit perhaps, then as now, from the paschal candle, symbol of Christ.