Season 4 Podcast 122 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 5, Pt I Episode 12 “The Full Armor of God”

Season 4 Podcast 122 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 5, Pt I Episode 12 “The Full Armor of God” In last week’s episode, Sansjoy, seeking revenge for his brother’s death challenges the Red Cross Knight to a duel. Remember that we are in Faerie Land; therefore, strange things happen, and there is nothing stranger than the outcome of the duel. Spenser, following ancient traditions, is using the stories of the famous King Arthur to describe the battle between good and evil, God and Satan, the spiritual man and the natural man. In reading the Faerie Queen, keep in mind Peter’s words.1 Peter 5: 8-10Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.The Redcross Knight, seeking holiness, represents all of us seeking holiness. His obstacles, though couched in medieval knight errantry, are our obstacles and we too are confronted by our adversary the devil who as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Paul couches the battle also in the imagery of knight errantry when he said, Ephesians 5: 11-18Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance.The three brothers, Sansfoy, Sansloy, and Sansjoy are referred to as Sarazins which means pagans. Sansfoy, without faith, Sansloy, without law, and Sansjoy, without joy, are anathema to true Christianity. They are tools of the adversary, and the Redcross Knight must conquer all three before he can obtain holiness.  In fact, they are obstacles in the path of holiness. Spenser, of course, externalizes the three major barriers to holiness—lawlessness, faithlessness, and joylessness, in the form of evil knights who are under the spell of Duessa, doublemindedness, but really they are within the Knight himself and potentially in all of us.  They represent the natural man, and in his quest for holiness, he must overcome the natural man.  The Redcross Knight represents all of us in our quest for holiness. As long as the Redcross Knight wears the full armor of God, he is able to defeat the Sarazins. However, he recognizes the adversary only when the adversary is dressed in the armor of evil and attacks him in open battle. For example, he was blind to the arch magician Archimago who appeared as a Holy Monk. He is also blind to Duessa which means unfaithful who is disguised as Fidessa or faithful. Duessa declares her love to the three brothers but when she is with the Redcross Knight, she declares her love to him. He doesn’t know the difference between Una which means oneness and Duessa which means doublemindedness.