Sirach 35:17

The soul should attend not only to the hearing of the words but to the understanding of the realities. Recall the past, understand the present, attend to the future. Compare events in their succession, and contemplate the magnificence of the divine powers. Earlier, six hundred thousand armed sons of Israel advanced against Midian, and they were all defeated because of the sin that was in them. Now, however, the victorious Midianites, who had routed six hundred thousand men, are beaten by twelve thousand, so that you would know that Israel does not win by the multitude or number of its soldiers but by the justice and piety that are in them. Thus also in their blessings it is said that if they observe the law of the Lord, one of them will pursue a thousand, and two will cause ten thousand to flee. See, then, that a single saint who prays is worth much more than innumerable sinners in battle. "The prayer of the Holy One pierces heaven." How will it not also defeat earthly enemies? For this reason, in every way you must make an effort to "seek" first and to preserve "the righteousness of God." If you attain it and keep it, it will subject all of your enemies to you: if, as the apostle says, you are "clothed with the breastplate of righteousness and the belt of truth, if you take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit" and, above all, the "shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the evil one." Equipped with these weapons, you will put to flight all of the camps of the devil and his whole army, and you will faithfully sing, "If they encamp against me, my heart will not fear. If they raise a battle against me, even then will I hope."

We defeat the adversary only if we fight with tears and with prayers, in continual humility of heart. It is written, in fact, that "the prayer of the humble penetrates the clouds and is not withdrawn from God until it is answered." The weeping of the humble is therefore a great antidote against carnal concupiscence. Tears that spring from compunction of heart defeat the enemy and gain for us the gift of a victorious happiness. In fact, those who "go out weeping, scattering their seeds, will return rejoicing, carrying their sheaves." How wisely the holy prophet teaches that the seeds of good works must be watered with rivers of tears! Indeed, no seed germinates without being watered. Nor does a seed bear fruit if it has been without the benefit of water. We also, therefore, if we wish to harvest the fruits of our seeds, should not cease watering them with tears, which should spring from the heart more than from the body. This is why we are told through the prophet to rend our hearts, not our garments.