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Devil in St. Ambrose, part 2

Herein we continue, from part 1, considering info on the Devil from Aurelius Ambrosius aka St. Ambrose bishop of Milan (340-397 AD). The fuller complete result consists of quotations of those sections within the text that refer to Angels, Cherubim, Seraphim, Devil, Satan, demons, serpent and dragon. The point is not to elucidate these references but to provide relevant partial quotations and citations. See my section on Angels here, Cherubim and Seraphim here, Satan here and Demons here.

On the Holy Spirit, Book I
Chapter 3 But if any one should deny the dignity, majesty, and eternal power of the Holy Spirit, and should think that devils are cast out not in the Spirit of God, but in Beelzebub, there can be no attaining of pardon there where is the fullness of sacrilege; for he who has denied the Spirit has denied also the Father and the Son, since the same is the Spirit of God Who is the Spirit of Christ.

Chapter 12 But learn that in like manner as the Father gave the Son, and the Son gave Himself, so, too, the Holy Spirit gave Him. For it is written: “Then was Jesus led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

Chapter 16 St. Ambrose himself thirsts for that water, and warns us that in order to preserve it within us, we must avoid the devil, lust, and heresy, since our vessels are frail, and that broken cisterns must be forsaken, that after the example of the Samaritan woman and of the patriarchs we may find the water of the Lord.

Exposition of the Christian Faith, Book II
Introduction He said well “little,” because the larger could not destroy the vineyards, though to the strong even the devil is weak.

Chapter 13 In My Name shall they cast out devils.

Exposition of the Christian Faith, Book III
Chapter 3 For as the Scripture called the Son of God the Right Hand of God, as it is said: “Your Right Hand, O Lord, is made glorious in power. Your Right Hand, O Lord, has dashed in pieces the enemy;” so the Holy Spirit is called the Finger of God, as the Lord Himself says: “But if I by the Finger of God cast out devils.” For in the same place in another book of the Gospel He named the Spirit of God, as you find: “But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils.”

Chapter 17 When about to fast, He is led (as we read) into the wilderness to render vain the devil’s temptations.

On Repentance, Book II
Chapter 4 But let us consider the case of those whom the Lord so binds, going back to the words before the passage quoted, that we may understand it more clearly: The Jews were saying: “This man does not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub, prince of the devils”…But if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?”…Now we see plainly here that the words are expressly used of those who were saying that the Lord Jesus cast out devils through Beelzebub, to whom the Lord gave that answer, because they were of the heritage of Satan, who compared the Saviour of all to Satan, and attributed the grace of Christ to the kingdom of the devil…The Lord then replies to the blasphemy of the Pharisees, and refuses to them the grace of His power, which consists in the remission of sins, because they asserted that His heavenly power rested on the help of the devil…And lastly, the Jewish people who said of the Lord Jesus, “He has a devil,” and “He casts out devils through Beelzebub,” and who crucified the Lord Jesus, are, by the preaching of Peter, called to baptism, that they may put away the guilt of so great a wickedness.

Chapter 7 The Lord knows all things, but He waits for your words, not that He may punish, but that He may pardon. It is not His will that the devil should triumph over you and accuse you when you conceal your sins.

Chapter 8 And this not unreservedly, for he who rejoices at the fall of another rejoices at the victory of the devil.

On the Duties of the Clergy, Book I
Chapter 25 Who says to the devil as the Manichæan does: “You are the author of my being”?

Chapter 36 Was not he most brave in that he bore so nobly the attacks of the devil, and overcame him with the powers of his mind? Nor have we cause to doubt the fortitude of him to whom the Lord said: “Gird up your loins like a man. Put on loftiness and power. Humble every one that does wrong.”

Chapter 49 Let not the adversary find his image in you, let him not find fury nor rage; for in these exists the likeness of wickedness. “Our adversary the devil as a roaring lion seeks whom he may kill, whom he may devour”…Rather cast out of the kingdom of your soul the likeness of the devil, and raise up the likeness of Christ.

In the next segment, we will consider more from Ambrose on the Devil.

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