Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the First Sunday in Lent

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:12–19)

Therefore, it seems to me that in these matters the Apostle is describing death as if the hostile entrance of some tyrant who wanted to invade the dominions of a rightful king. First, he would seize the very passes and entrances into the kingdom by means of collusion with the guard. Then he would attempt to turn the hearts of everyone in the kingdom to himself and, for the most part, he would succeed. In this way, he would lay claim to a kingdom not his own. Therefore, while he is ruling through tyranny a commander chosen by the rightful king is sent—Moses, who must call back the people who have been taken over by the [tyrant] to the laws of civilized rule and must teach them to make use of the laws of the true king. But that tyrant, i.e., the death of sin, who had stolen his way in because of the collusion of the first guard, was ruling over all those who had fallen away by a transgression similar to that of the first man. But the commander of the lawful ruler does everything in order that he might lead at least some of the people out of the kingdom of sin and death. He succeeds at last in converting one nation and anyone else who wants to join himself to that nation. And by an order of the king, first of all, he instituted sacrifices, by means of which, when they are offered according to certain formalities, he could say, “and their sin shall be forgiven them.” And so it was only then that a certain part of mankind began to be liberated from the kingdom of sin and death. For that tyrant, who is called death, was exercising dominion from Adam, who was the first to give entrance to him by his own collusion, so that he could pass through to all men, up to Moses, the one we called a commander, who, sent by God, the king of all, began to weaken the tyrant’s kingdom and to call the people back under the law of the just ruler.… Listen now to when the Apostle says that the enemy and tyrant, whose dominions [Christ] destroyed, is going to be destroyed: He says, “The last enemy is destroyed, death.” The kingdom of death has already been destroyed, then, and the captivity which was being held under its authority has been led away. But because that enemy and tyrant is still ultimately to be destroyed at the end of the age, that is why we see him even now, I do not say reigning so much as robbing. Having been expelled from his kingdom, we see him going around through deserts and wastelands seeking to gather to himself a band of unbelievers.

Origen, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, 5.1.31, 37