The Glory of the Cross of Christ

These things has the Cross accomplished for us! The Cross is the trophy of victory against the demons, the sword against sin, the blade wherewith Christ smote the serpent. The Cross is the goodwill of the Father, the glory of the Only-begotten Son, the joy of the Holy Spirit, the ornament of the Angels, the safeguard of the Church, the boast of the Apostle Paul, the rampart of the Saints, the light of the whole world!

By His death, Christ bound the chief of robbers and the prison guard, that is, the devil and death, and transferred their treasures, that is, the entire human race, to the royal treasury. ... The King Himself came to the prisoners ... and broke the doors, crushed the bars, vanquished Hades, and stripped the prison.

Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, +407 A.D.