By St. John of Kronstadt
"God forbid that I should boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14).
Last time, beloved, we heard with what praise the holy men of God spoke about the Cross. Now, together with the apostle and with them, I, a great sinner, want to boast in the power of the life-giving Cross: for is it possible for a priest, who performs all services and all mysteries by the power of the Cross and with the participation of the cross, not to experience its saving power on himself: “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). And I would be very ungrateful before my Savior and Lord if I were silent before the ecclesiastical gathering about the miraculous power of His Cross, which has so often shown and constantly shows its power on me: “Keep the king’s secret well, but reveal the works of God gloriously” (Tob. 12:11).
In fact, how do I live and survive, being sinful and weak? By the power of the Cross. Who protects me from invisible enemies that fight against me? The Cross. Who is my helper in the fight against the passions? “From my youth, many passions have fought against me” (Antiphon 4th Tone). The Cross of the Lord. The Cross protects me from enemies. A Christian, beloved, who wants to live godly in Christ Jesus, if not clearly, then internally, and often both externally and internally, is always persecuted. But it would be strange to hear from the lips of a priest and the priest himself say that he does not want to live a pious life: because if anyone, then the priest should try more than anyone else to live a pious life. Therefore, “those who want to live godly in Christ Jesus will be," according to the word of Scripture, "persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). I’m not talking about external enemies. It is easier to defeat them precisely because they are visible; when they persecute, remember only with faith that Christ endured for us, and then you will easily endure their persecution. It is impossible to pass in silence the internal enemies - demons: “For our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, and against the authorities, and against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph.6:12); their persecution is always extremely vicious, precise, poisonous, and murderous. Meanwhile, it takes place inside – in the heart.
What is a Christian to do here? How to drive away the invisible villains who have occupied the very heart? No material weapon will help drive them out of there. Meanwhile, the torment they cause is extremely painful for the soul: it is a fire that mercilessly devours the insides. What remedy is to drive them away and instantly destroy the torment they cause? The Cross of the Lord, or the sign of the life-giving Cross with living faith in the Crucified One, depicted on the chest or belly. As soon as he uncovers it with his hand, suddenly the internal torment will disappear, the demons will run away. This is where you involuntarily exclaim with joy: “Rejoice, O Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, driving out demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was crucified on you” (Prayer to the Holy Cross). And many times I, humble and sinful, drove invisible villains away from me. If any passion strikes my heart, I will immediately turn my mind’s eye to Christ and with living faith I will depict the sign of the Cross on myself: the passion will immediately disappear and the inner fire, the inseparable companion of every passion, will also disappear. But sometimes, alas! passions captivate me for some time and only the torment they internally endure makes me sincerely turn to Christ and His life-giving Cross.
Thus the Cross, beloved, is my victory over invisible enemies. Where I cannot penetrate to drive them away: there my Christ penetrates in the form of His Cross and performs the desired victory for me. Wondrous is the Lord in me, wondrous is His life-giving Cross! "The power of God is made perfect in my weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Invisible enemies, who invisibly and mercilessly strike my soul with kindled arrows, who kill my spirit with sorrow and distress, flee from the terrible name of Jesus Christ and the sign of the Cross: it burns them as they burn me, and the Lord recompenses them for me in equal measure. Suddenly, my soul is light, and it will become clearer, as after terrible and gloomy clouds.
Let us, beloved, with great faith depict on ourselves the sign of the Cross: and it will always be our shield and guardian. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.