Additionally, those of the mind of the flesh are enemies of God. Those who desire to be rich or crave glory seek the things of the flesh. Even the Jews who live by the letter and practice the visible circumcision in the flesh seek the things of the flesh of the law; but those according to the spirit, the Jews in secret, doing the circumcision of the heart and spirit, these think on the things of the spirit.
In the mindset of the flesh of the law, someone will find death and hostility towards God, but in the mindset of the law of the spirit, one finds life and peace. Those in the flesh of the law cannot please God, but those in the spirit of the law can. Both groups claim the law of Moses, but the former according to the flesh, and we according to the spirit. Therefore, they consider carnal promises in accordance with the carnal law, but we spiritual, in all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places.
Hope that is seen is not hope; for what someone sees, how can they hope for it? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. In other contexts, we find that where one is willing to endure something, it is significant to hope for the unseen, and thus by setting one's mind on it, enduring all things for its sake.
Likewise, the spirit helps our weaknesses; for we do not know what we ought to pray for, but the spirit itself intercedes for us with unspeakable groanings. This means that it takes over for our weakness. Additionally, we learn that human nature is expressed through these means in countless ways. The spirit takes hold of our weakness, no less than when we pray, provided we pray with the spirit. For at that time, although we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, the spirit helps our weakness. Through this aid, we pray with the spirit. Then, with this assistance following, the mind also helps, and we pray with the mind. A prayer lacking either is incomplete, as is evident from "If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful."
So that the mind may not be unfruitful, I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the mind also. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Just as summing up the things previously said and referring them again to those, he says this, not speaking contrary to the obvious. For he saw according to "and you will be hated by all for My name's sake," as many are against us, and not only men but also the things against which we wrestle, principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world and the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places, and Satan himself who desires to gain advantage over us; not speaking contrary to the obvious, "If God is for us," he is worthless and insignificant and able to do nothing each one of those who are against us; therefore, do not fear nor be troubled; for if you were alone and not resisting with God against such opponents, it might indeed seem reasonable to be afraid of us; but now with God being for us, what comparisons can be made of such great things against us to anything? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is he that condemns? This seems to refer to the Devil as the accuser even of the elect to whom he will bring charges; for there is no one whom he does not accuse and to whom he does not bring charges, except only Jesus, who did no sin, and therefore says, "Now the ruler of this world comes, and he has nothing in Me." Therefore, he is disgraced as an accuser even against God's elect; for with God justifying, who can condemn? Even if the accuser brings up the matters on which they were convicted, if they were not absolved; but He has justified them, wiping away their iniquities like a cloud, and their sins like a mist, and has made white as snow those who previously sinned. But in all these we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. One who, with much struggle, overcomes in the contests concerning victory over his opponent wins; but one who never allowed the beginning to his opposing enemy conquers. Such is Paul and those who, like him, have undertaken the same preparation against temptations, trampling down that which afflicts and reveling in that which constricts, pursuing the persecutor with patience, and laughing at hunger for the sake of heavenly food, esteeming nakedness as nothing for they are clothed with Christ, and trampling down danger as though they were not endangered, and considering the sword through the living word of God as nothing severe affecting them.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. See if it is not reasonable that the very things which he assured us cannot separate us from the love of God, he then pronounced to pertain to human critical trials, while those things which might separate us belong to inferior tests of the human soul. And if we prevails over the former human trials, we will stand superior not without the accord and superior effort of them; therefore, Paul rightly added, "through the love of him." Note also if death indeed struggles wishing to separate from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, it is not the common one about which it is said above "for thy sake we are being put to death all day long," but the enemy of Christ, which is the last to be abolished. For he will want to separate, say, Paul, but will not be able being abolished by Christ. Life then is not that which opposes this death, for things opposing each other cannot wish the same; but the life by which one lives to sin and its forms and falsehood; if therefore a certain sin is in each kind of life, you will notice through the superior power of mercy over life. For this will wish to separate the one in the love of God in Christ Jesus, but will not be able, being abolished one part by the death in which one dies to sin, the other part by our life which is hidden with Christ in God. And even angels will wish to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, concerning whom it is said to those on the left "depart into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." The "neither rulers" refers to "our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers" and the like, and until "when he abolishes all rule and all authority and power." The next in order to this is "things present"; examine whether it can refer to the rulers of this darkness, and not to any present human matters; another might say that the present things refer to visible and temporary things.
After this, let us see the things that are to come, either the things that will strive with the apostle in the time to come for the sojourning in this life, as to the days of the present writing of the epistle, or those that will meet him immediately after the present age and after the departure, when the ruler of this world and certain powers under him will wish to hold him who has departed, but will not be able to because of those who have taken upon themselves the love of God in Christ Jesus. And next is their "neither powers," which seems to be of a certain kind of rational beings outside the mortal body, "nor height nor depth." Lest, therefore, the soul of man be conspired against by height according to the spiritual wickedness in heavenly places, or by depth according to the infernal ones; neither of these will allow the one armed with the love of God to be separated from it. And if besides this whole visible creation, there is another creation by nature seen but not yet visible, you will inquire if it can be applied to "neither other creation will be able to separate us from the love of God."
If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by doing this you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Since the desire for virtue and contemplation seems to be hunger and thirst as causes of spiritual health, if such a hunger or thirst the enemy feels after repenting of his sins, it is necessary to give him the holy bread when he is hungry, unless he is a dog or a swine unworthy of the holy things. There are many ways to feed the enemy who is hungry, sometimes with a teaching word, sometimes with a prayer for him. And since Christ is the head of every man, therefore of the enemy, as he is not a man due to impiety, the head is the antichrist, whom it is necessary to obliterate as contrary to the word of God from the coals of rational fire, whenever the impious having the antichrist as head, being hungry, eats the holy bread, and being thirsty, drinks the living water from the holy spring; therefore it is good work to heap up coals, which are chosen words, upon the enemy’s head; whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the spirit of his mouth—this is the saving fire, concerning which he said, "I came to cast fire upon the earth," instead of consuming and obliterating all bodily and material things. Many coals are needed for the enemy’s head to be completely consumed; these are the true words that obliterate the falsehood. When, therefore, the head is consumed or overcome by the heaped coals, from the feeding of the hungry enemy, the former enemy becomes a friend and finds Christ as the head.