Joshua 11:23

But it is said in what follows that "Jesus took all the land, as the Lord commanded Moses." That "Jesus," the son of Nave, I do not see that he "took all the land." For how much "land did he take," who held Judaea alone? But our Lord Jesus himself truly "took all the land" in this, that from "all the earth" and from all the nations a multitude of believers ran together to him. It is also added after these things, after "Jesus took all the land": "and the land rested from wars," it says. How will this seem to be truly said of the son of Nave, that "the land ceased from wars," which almost never in his times "ceased from wars"? But this is fulfilled in my Lord Jesus Christ alone. For if you consider yourself, you who have come to Jesus and have obtained from him through the grace of baptism the remission of sins, and now in you "the flesh does not fight against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh," your "land has ceased from wars," if however you "carry about the death of Jesus Christ in your body," so that, all battles ceasing in you, you may become "peaceable" and be called "a son of God." But this will come to pass after you have completed the battles and conquered the adversaries. Then rest will be given to you, so that you may "rest under your vine," which is Christ Jesus, "and under your fig tree," which is the Holy Spirit, so that thus you may render thanks to God the Father almighty in the same Christ Jesus our Lord, "to whom is glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen!"

Under Moses it was not said, what is said under Jesus, that: "the land rested from wars." It is certain that this land of ours also, in which we have contests and endure combats, will be able to rest from wars only by the power of Jesus the Lord. For within us are all these nations of vices, which continually and unceasingly assail the soul. Within us are the "Canaanites," within us are the "Perizzites," here are the "Jebusites." How we must labor, how we must keep watch, and for how long we must persevere, that when all these nations of vices have been put to flight from us, at length "our land may rest from wars"? And therefore the prophet admonishes us to "meditate on the law of the Lord day and night." This meditation upon the divine words is surely like a kind of trumpet, rousing your spirits to battle, lest perhaps, while the adversary keeps watch, you should sleep. Therefore the "day" is not sufficient for meditating, but the "night" too is added. But what will you do, who not only sleep by night, but also all day long serve either the occupations of the world or the delights of the flesh, and scarcely and rarely gather at church on the appointed days? Some of you, moreover, even when coming do not come, because in coming they give their leisure not to the word of God but to idle tales. On account of which the divine word says to you: "Rise, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, that you may lay hold of Christ." For "rise from the dead" is said to those who remain in the works of death, persisting in their uncleannesses and crimes; which, although they be not manifest to men, are nevertheless known to God. But at least on this account do penance and turn to the Lord with your whole heart, give your leisure to prayers, give your leisure to the word of God.