Spiritual Armament in the Battle Against Darkness
The answer is connected to the idea that the fight against the forces of darkness always has a spiritual nature, and even in the absence of traditional physical means of protection, one can rely on inner strength based on faith, sincere prayer, and the use of that which symbolically represents the power of Christ.For example, one of the texts presents the argument that the true weapon against the enemies of the unseen world has a spiritual essence. The author writes: "Since rationalists completely reject the existence of the devil, and even among Christians there are many who somehow forget about the existence of evil spirits… and to indicate the weapons with which we will be able to extinguish the arrows of the cunning one" (source: link txt, page: 42).In addition, another excerpt emphasizes the significance of the symbol of the cross as a spiritual weapon. It states that even if traditional means of protection are not at hand, one can turn to the symbolism of faith, for indeed: "Today we heard the hymn: 'Lord, Your cross has given us a weapon against the devil.' The cross is likened to a weapon…" (source: link txt).Furthermore, great emphasis is placed on sincere prayer as a means to combat the forces of evil. In one text it is noted that: "Two forces, completely opposite to each other, affect me: ... The good force, through my free and sincere prayer, always repels the evil force..." (source: link txt, page: 946-947).From these quotations it is evident that in the absence of traditional (physical) means of protection, the primary focus is on inner spiritual strength manifested through sincerity, constant invocation of the name of God, and the use of the sacred symbol (the cross) as a weapon against unseen enemies. Thus, the methods of fighting the forces of darkness come down to relying on spiritual energy and faith, which allows one to withstand the deceit and attacks of evil forces without the need for material armament.