It is unlawful for us to trust in our own strength.
The prophet Moses is the first to command, "
Watch yourself, that you do not forget the
Lord your God...Do not say in your heart, 'My
strength and the might of my hand gained me this great power.’
Then you shall remember the Lord your God, for He it is Who gives you strength" (Dt. 8:11-18).
The prophet Amos similarly states, "The strong will certainly lose his strength, and the warrior will in no way be able to save his life. The archer
will not stand his ground, and the swift foot will not escape danger, and the horseman will be completely unable to save his life" (Amos 2:14-15).
The prophet Samuel's mother also voiced, “The man of might should not boast in his might; for
not through his own might is man strong.
The bow of mighty men was weakened, and those who areweak were girded with strength”(1 Kg. 2:4-10).
In the book of Proverbs it is written, “The horse is prepared for the day of war, but help comes from the Lord” (Pr. 21:31).
The Psalms note, “He shall not delight in the strength of a horse, nor in the legs of man is He well pleased” (Ps. 146:10). “A king is not saved by great might, nor shall a giant be saved by the magnitude of his own strength” (Ps. 32:16). Furthermore, “Futile is the horse for salvation, nor by the magnitude of his might shall a person be saved” (Ps. 32:17).
“Neither in my bow will I hope, nor shall my
sword save me.” Rather, “You, O Lord, must
save me from them that afflict me”(Ps. 43:6-7). Put to shame them who hate me, because “You alone are able to deliver the beggar from the
hand of them who are stronger than him, and the poor man and pauper from them who despoil him”
(Ps. 35:10).
"For in Thee do we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
"And not even a single hair will fall from our head" (Lk. 21:18) without the will of Thee, our Creator and God.Since we are taught these things
by the Holy Scriptures, let us not even dare to trustin ourselves or gloat in our physical strength, so we do not bring upon ourselves the curse of him who places his hope in the strength of his
own arms: “Cursed is the man who puts his hope in the flesh of his arm” (Jer. 17:5).
monk Antiochos
