Battles and Books

In 325 AD, when St. Athanasius was just a young deacon—maybe 28—he went to a huge meeting called the Council of Nicea. Bad guys called Arians, led by a man named Arius, were saying Jesus wasn’t really God, just a very special guy. Athanasius, working with Bishop Alexander, said, “No way!” He stood up and explained that Jesus is the same as God the Father—fully God and fully Man. His words were so smart and clear that the 318 bishops there listened hard. Athanasius explained that Jesus is homoousios—that means He’s the same essence as God the Father. They wrote the Nicene Creed, a prayer we still say today, to shut down Arius’ lies once and for all.

This wasn’t an easy fight. Some powerful friends of Arius at the emperor's court later turned against Athanasius. But he didn’t care about making enemies—he cared about Jesus. One story says he stayed up all night praying before the big debate, asking God for the right words. And God answered! His victory at Nicea made him famous, but it also put a target on his back. From that day, Athanasius knew he’d have to keep fighting, and he was ready to be God’s voice, no matter the cost.