809 discourse vii: the death of death and same nature, a partner in our mortality, entirely innocent of any sin.”65 For that reason, then, He clothed Himself in human flesh, in the style of slaves that He might die. But He desired that His flesh have no stain of any sin, lest death, which came into the world on account of sin, would seem to accuse Him of any little breakage of the law. Hence [death] would have reckoned to be engaging in battle with its slave and not [its] Lord. Therefore, armed with our weakness, more truly, I should say, covered with the garment of slavery, our Codrus, our Christ attacked death; and dying, He conquered death, and by that strike by which He was struck, He conquered it. “Death underwent defeat as the dead body gave to it its fatal blow.”66 Most insolent death was hoping to be the future conqueror by our King’s death on the Cross when, behold, it was conquered and vanquished; the death of the King brought forth eternal salvation for His people. 2. David, not yet having left his youth, entered the camp of Saul, the King of the Israelites, with the provisions he carried for his fighting brothers. There, he noticed that Goliath the Philistine was insulting the Hebrew army, since no one among them desired, nor did anyone dare, to enter into a one-on-one match. In view of the fact that a duel had been proposed, [and] that if someone put him down on the ground, he could consider all the Philistines vanquished and slaves in the one Goliath. This arrogance of the wicked enemy provoked the heart of this noblest and most courageous adolescent. So, offering himself to enter the sacred duel with Goliath on behalf of the sacred altars and hearths of the holy people, he demanded to be admitted into the battle. “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? […] And David said to Saul, ‘Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine’” (1 Sam 17:26, 32). Accordingly, he is armed like a king: The helmet of Saul protects his head, chain 65 The source of this text was not able to be found. 66 Ioannes Chrysostomus, In Epistolam ad Colossenses Commentarius, c. II, Homilia VI: PG 62, 341.
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