Satan lures you with his lies, but Chrysostom rightly insisted that the fault for any capitulation to Satan squarely rests upon you. It's your choice. "Look, your eye was given that you may behold the creation and glorify the Creator. But if you do not use your eye well, it becomes the minister of adultery. Your tongue has been given, in order that you may speak well, in order that thou may praise the Creator. But if you give not excellent heed, it becomes a cause of profanity. Your hands were given that you might stretch them forth unto prayer. But if thou are not wary, you will stretch them out unto covetousness. Feet were given in order that you may run unto good works, but if you are careless you will cause wicked works by means of them. Don't you see that how all good things can hurt the slothful and weak person?"
Chrysostom feared for his congregation, that by attributing their sin to Satan, they would fail to seek God's grace for themselves through repentance. "Know yourself," Chrysostom warned, "know your self-inflicted wounds that you will be able to apply the medicines. For whoever does not know their disease, will give no care to their weakness. We have sinned much: I know this well. And we are all liable for penalties. But we are not deprived of pardon; nor shall we fall away from repentance. We still stand in the wrestling arena. So do not despair if you are old, for even the robber alongside Jesus repented with his last breath. Are you young? Don't think you have forever to get right with God, for ‘the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.' The Lord has made the end of your life invisible in order that you might always be diligent. You are not the master of your end. Therefore be a master of virtue."
Chrysostom closed his sermon with a few tips for keeping right with God and keeping Satan at bay. "Would you like me to list the paths whereby we ward off the devil and make way to heaven? The first way is condemnation of your own sins. That will be enough for the Lord to forgive you. Moreover, if you condemn your own sins you are slower to commit them again. Awake your conscience, that inward accuser, in order that you may have no accuser at the judgment seat of God. Another path, not less than this, is to put out of your mind harm done to you by your enemies, in order to master your anger and to forgive whomever sins against you. ‘For if you forgive your debtors, Jesus said, ‘your heavenly Father will forgive you.'
"A third way? Fervent and diligent prayer that proceeds from your heart. A fourth? Give to the poor. And finally, live a modest and humble life because such a life exhausts the power of sin over you. The tax-collector who in sight of all, brought forward his humility, and laid aside the burden of his transgressions left that place, unlike the Pharisee beside him, a truly righteous man. Don't be lazy; but walk these five paths everyday: condemnation of your sin, forgiveness of others, prayer, generosity, and humility. Let us constantly apply these medicines and heal our wounds, in order that we may return to health, and enjoy the sacred table with assurance; and with much glory, reach Christ the king of glory, and attain to everlasting good by the grace, and compassion, and loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom and with whom be glory, power, honor, to the Father, together with the all holy, and good and quickening Spirit, now and always and for ever and ever. Amen."
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