Feast of the Cross in the Ancient Faith预览

Day 7: The Cross and Our Spiritual Warfare

On this final day of our devotional, we contemplate the Cross as our weapon in spiritual warfare. The Coptic Orthodox tradition, deeply rooted in the spirituality of the desert fathers, recognizes the ongoing battle against the forces of darkness and the Cross's central role in this struggle.

In Ephesians 6:10-17, St. Paul describes the "whole armor of God" that Christians must put on to "stand against the wiles of the devil." Though the Cross is not explicitly mentioned in this passage, it is implied throughout the spiritual armor. The Cross is the source of the "belt of truth," the "breastplate of righteousness," the "gospel of peace," the "shield of faith," the "helmet of salvation," and the "sword of the Spirit."

St. Anthony the Great, the father of monasticism, experienced firsthand the power of the Cross in spiritual warfare. St. Athanasius of Alexandria records in his "Life of Anthony" that when demons attacked him, St. Anthony would make the sign of the Cross and say, "I am a servant of Christ," causing the demons to flee. He taught his disciples that "the demons fear the sign of the Cross...because on the Cross, Christ triumphed over them and exposed their deception."

The Coptic Orthodox liturgical tradition embodies this spiritual warfare in its prayers and hymns. God has given us the sign of the Cross as a weapon against Satan, a banner of faith that armies would conquer with, and a shield of salvation. When we make the sign of the Cross, it is for protection against the enemy, and it is a shield against the fiery darts of the enemy.

St. Shenouda the Archimandrite, one of the greatest Coptic ascetics, kept the Cross ahead of him as his sign of victory and salvation. He would see the demons dissipate in a cloud of smoke at the sign of the Cross and he would say, "They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright.” (Psalm 20:8) See then that the Cross is the destroyer of demons, the healing of the sick, the raising of the fallen, and the hope of the hopeless and should see the Cross as both an offensive and defensive weapon in our spiritual struggle, which echoes throughout Coptic Orthodox spirituality.

The Bible reminds us in 1 John 3:8 that "the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." This destruction was accomplished primarily through the Cross, where Christ "disarmed principalities and powers" and "made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it" (Colossians 2:15).

Christ said if we want to follow Him, we have to pick up our cross daily and follow Him. The walk that you take with a cross ends with you dying upon it but that road of taking up your cross daily leads to the resurrection. That road leads to eternal life and is something we begin to experience in this world as we faithfully carry our cross daily and then continues into the life of the world to come.

As we conclude our devotional journey through the Feast of the Cross, let us embrace the Cross not only as the symbol of our salvation but also as our strength in spiritual warfare. Let us take courage from the fact that the Cross has changed the meaning of death, from doom into victory. Where before was death, now there is life; where before was shame, now there is glory.

Let us remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). In this battle, the Cross stands as our surest defense and most potent weapon—not a weapon of destruction, but of transformation and love that overcomes all darkness.

Prayer: O Christ our God, who through Your precious Cross has given us victory over the ancient enemy, strengthen us in our daily spiritual warfare. When we are assailed by temptation, may the sign of Your Cross be our protection. When we are overwhelmed by passions, may Your Cross be our strength. When the enemy attacks with doubt and despair, may Your Cross be our hope. Grant us to complete our earthly struggle with faith and courage, that we may receive the crown of glory in Your heavenly Kingdom, where You reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

May the blessing of the life-giving Cross be with us all, now and forever. Amen.