Chrysostom writes, “The devil, if
you would understand, is even useful to us—if we use him correctly—and he helps
us and we gain great things, not ordinary things. And this we demonstrated from
Job.” (De diab. tent. 1.4) Again, Job is the exemplar of virtue in the
face of the devil’s work, showing the congregation that, employed properly, the
devil can be “useful” (chrēsimos,
χρησιμος) to them. If the
congregation has a proper understanding of who the devil is and what his goal
is, the congregation may “use” (chraō, χραω)
the devil, or their knowledge of the devil, to gain advantages over him and
benefits for themselves. The clause “if we use him correctly” is significant.
Chrysostom’s aim is to teach his congregation the proper way to use the devil
so that they may gain great benefit, salvation itself.
Chrysostom’s other example of
using the devil for one’s own profit is Paul, who writes to the Corinthians to
hand over the fornicator to the devil so that the flesh may be destroyed but
the soul saved (1 Cor 5:5). Chrysostom tells his congregation to take from the
devil whatever chastisement comes, for this will rid a person of his impurities
and earthly desires, making it possible for the soul to be saved. The devil is
only allowed to punish as much as God allows, so the devil cannot destroy a
person completely. As an extreme example of the profitability of the devil,
Chrysostom writes, “Behold even the devil has become a cause of salvation, but
not because of his own disposition, but because of the skill of the Apostle.” (de
diab. tent. 1.1-2) It is possible, therefore, for the devil even to be an
aid to salvation, if one is skillful enough to use him rightly.
Prior to this point in the
homily, Chrysostom has been expounding the reasons why God allows the devil
still to roam the earth and wreak havoc. People can only win crowns if they can
exhibit their power, so if there is no adversary against whom to struggle, the
righteous person cannot win a crown. (De diab. tent. 1.1-2) This is
another way to use the devil. To struggle against the devil is to become
stronger, better able to resist, to forge one’s character out of stronger
steel. Chrysostom seems to believe this is an intrinsic benefit of struggling.
His illustration is that of a wrestler. Even if the wrestler’s antagonist has
been taken away at the last minute, the wrestler who has prepared well, who has
done all his exercises for his practice, whether in the end there is an
antagonist or not. (De diab. tent. 1.1-2) (Samantha L. Miller, Chrysostom’s
Devil: Demons, the Will, and Virtue in Patristic Soteriology [New
Explorations in Theology; Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 2020], 74-75)
