Meditations on the Song of Songs – the bed of Solomon 3
Meditations on the Song of Songs
The spiritual people read this book and grow in their love for God… but the worldly need a guide when reading it, lest they misunderstand and descend from its lofty meaning to worldly interpretations.
“We continue our meditations on the verse: ‘Behold, the bed of Solomon, surrounded by sixty mighty men… all of them holding swords and well trained in war; every man has his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.’”
Behold, the bed of Solomon… surrounded by sixty mighty men.¹
+ Trained in War:
The spiritual warriors, “trained in war,” understand the spiritual battle well. They know where sin comes from, how it comes, and by what means it must be fought.
If the devil attacks you with laziness, you fight him with diligence. If he tempts you with vain glory, you respond by remembering your sins. If he attacks you with despair, you answer by proclaiming the mercies of God. If he portrays the path as difficult, you remind him of the work of the Holy Spirit and the help that grace provides.
One of the saints, when the demons fought him with vain glory, said to them: “Have I reached what St. Anthony or St. Paul the First Hermit attained? I am a sinner.” And if they replied, “You are a sinner, and the wages of sin is death,” he would answer, “And where then is the mercy of God?” They would marvel, saying, “If we lift you up, you humble yourself; if we humble you, you rise up.” He was truly one of the “trained in war,” knowing which weapon to use for each kind of battle.
The one who is trained in war knows both the strikes from the right and from the left. He knows when to be silent and when to speak, when to eat and when to fast. He knows the middle way that has saved many, and how to stand rightly between excess and negligence. As the Apostle Paul said, “I have learned both to abound and to suffer need.”
Some are not only trained in war but have become leaders in the battles, explaining the path to others and guiding them along it.
St. Evagrius has a book on “Thoughts,” in which he explains the thoughts that come from God, from the self, and from the devil, and how to respond to each wrong thought.
Theophan the Recluse wrote a book on “Spiritual Warfare.” St. John of Assiut has many writings on this subject. The Spiritual Elder and St. Isaac have many homilies titled “Heads of Knowledge”, explaining the knowledge of the path and teaching their children how to fight.
St. Anthony the Great taught his children discretion—that is, discernment and understanding—so that they might learn warfare. Likewise, St. John the Apostle told his children, “Test the spirits.” And St. Paul advised people not to be deceived by the devil’s tricks, for he can disguise himself as an angel of light.
This was the work of spiritual guides and confessors.
A beginner sits with them to learn warfare—to discern the spirits, to separate the goats from the sheep, to distinguish the voice of God from that of the deceiver… even to understand dreams and visions, whether they are from God, from the devil, or from another source—and to know which weapon to use in each battle.
The one trained in war avoids falling. And if he falls, he does not fall easily, and he rises quickly. His fall is not repeated. As one of the saints said, “I do not remember the demons ever defeating me twice with the same sin.” The one trained in war has experience in the spiritual life—he has studied the path, knows its signs and landmarks, and can guide others along it.
The devil’s tricks are many and deceitful, but they are exposed before those trained in war.
They are not ignorant of his devices but perceive them from afar, even if they wear the garments of sheep. They recognize his methods, his ways, his timing. All his plans are uncovered before them. Their spiritual intelligence perceives all his works and knows his soldiers. These are the ones trained in war—they bind the devil and give him no place in them.
The saints learn warfare not by the length of time but by the depth of experience.
They learn it through battle, through carefulness, watchfulness, knowledge, and wisdom—through what the Lord reveals to them, through what they absorb from the spirit of the fathers and teachers and guides by abundant counsel, through meditation, and through the heavenly wisdom granted to them by God.
¹ Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – El-Keraza Magazine, Year 6 (Issue 4), January 24, 1975
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