A Cloak for Malice:

Fr. Scott A. Haynes

A Cloak for Malice: A Meditation on 1 Peter 2:11–19

“Live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but live as slaves of God.” —1 Peter 2:16

The Christian vocation is a paradox of divine freedom bound in holy obedience. St. Peter, writing to the scattered faithful, calls them “sojourners and exiles” in a world that is not their home (1 Pet 2:11). Yet within that exile, he exhorts them to “live as free men”—not in rebellion, but in reverence. The Apostle’s stern warning not to misuse Christian liberty as a cloak for malice cuts directly to the heart of a persistent temptation: to hide evil beneath a veil of piety, to mask pride in the language of freedom, and to sin under the pretense of grace.

The Danger of Misused Liberty

To understand this deeply, we must first ask: What is Christian liberty? According to St. Paul, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor 3:17). Liberty, then, is not the unbounded license to do as we please, but the spiritual freedom to do what is right. It is the unshackling of the will from slavery to sin so that it may serve righteousness. St. Augustine writes,

“The will is truly free when it is not the slave of vices or sins.”¹

But Peter knows the human heart. He knows that fallen man, even baptized and born anew, can subtly transform freedom into justification for self-will. “Do not use your freedom as a cloak for malice,” he warns (1 Pet 2:16). The Greek word for “cloak” (epikalymma) implies a veil, a pretense—an external appearance that hides inner corruption. What Peter condemns is not simply sin, but hypocritical sin: malice masked as righteousness.

St. Jerome remarks on this duplicity, saying,

“There are some who, under the pretense of liberty and knowledge, trample the commands of God… Their mouths speak of heaven, but their hearts are set on the earth.”²

In the name of liberty, they slander, deceive, and sow division, claiming spiritual independence as a cover for spiritual decay.

An Example from the Early Church

An instructive episode from the early Church is the story of Lucilla, a wealthy Roman woman of noble birth, who lived during the time of Pope Stephen I (c. 254). Lucilla presented herself as a pious Christian and was well-known for her ostentatious public devotions. But she also caused scandal in the Church by secretly supporting the Novatianist schism, using her wealth and prestige to draw others into her prideful rebellion against Church authority. When she was confronted, she claimed her “liberty in Christ” gave her the right to follow her conscience.³

St. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, denounced this abuse. He wrote:

“Such liberty is not the freedom of the Gospel, but the liberty of arrogance, cloaked in a garb of devotion.”⁴

Lucilla's actions led to confusion and division, all under the guise of spiritual integrity. Her freedom became, precisely as Peter warned, a cloak for malice.

True Freedom is Found in Obedience

St. Peter places this admonition within a broader exhortation to submit to every human institution “for the Lord’s sake”—even to emperors and governors, many of whom were hostile to Christians (1 Pet 2:13). This is not slavish subservience, but reverent obedience rooted in humility.

“Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (v. 17).

The Church Fathers saw in this an echo of Christ Himself, who submitted to Pilate's authority though He had legions of angels at His command.

St. Leo the Great speaks of this divine humility:

“He who is free among the dead submitted Himself to human judgment, not because He was subject to it, but because He willed to suffer it.”⁵

Christian liberty, then, follows the pattern of Christ’s own submission—it is the freedom to serve, the liberty to love, the power to be meek without fear.

St. Gregory the Great makes this more personal:

“What is freedom, if not the ability to do good uncoerced? The more a man binds himself to God, the more he is free from sin.”⁶

To use freedom as a cloak is to revert to slavery in disguise. But to use freedom to obey God is to walk in the Spirit.

A Personal Examination

Peter’s warning invites each of us to examine our lives. Do we ever excuse gossip in the name of “righteous indignation”? Do we harbor resentment under the guise of “moral courage”? Do we mask pride as “apostolic zeal”? These are subtle cloaks we may wear—often without realizing it.

As an illustration, consider the case of Brother Anthony, a monk in a 6th-century desert monastery. Known for his strict observance of fasting and silence, he was admired by the other monks. But Brother Anthony secretly despised those less rigorous than himself. When asked to help a younger monk who struggled with adhering to all the monastic rules, he refused, saying,

“He must learn to bear the yoke of freedom.”

The abbot gently replied,

“Your freedom, Anthony, has become a cloak for your pride. Cast it off, and you will find Christ beneath it.”

That day, Brother Anthony knelt in tears, understanding for the first time that liberty in Christ means charity above all.

Conclusion: Living as God’s Servants

To live as “free men” is not to escape obligation, but to be free to fulfill it in love. The freedom we are given is precious, but it is not ours alone—it is for the service of others, the honor of God, and the witness of the Gospel. “Live as God’s slaves,” Peter says (1 Pet 2:16), for there is no greater freedom than to be bound by love to the will of God.

Let us then cast off the cloaks we have worn—of malice, of spiritual pride, of false liberty—and clothe ourselves in Christ. As St. Augustine prayed:

“Set me free, Lord, from myself, that I may be truly free in You.”⁷

Footnotes

1. Augustine of Hippo, Enchiridion on Faith, Hope and Love, trans. J.F. Shaw (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 3), ch. 30.

2. Jerome, Commentary on Galatians, PL 26:363.

3. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book VI, Ch. 43.

4. Cyprian of Carthage, Epistle 51: To Cornelius, in The Letters of St. Cyprian of Carthage, trans. G. Clarke, Vol. 2 (New York: Newman Press, 1984), 94–95.

5. Leo the Great, Sermon 59, in The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great, trans. C. Lett Feltoe (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12), para. 3.

6. Gregory the Great, Moral Reflections on the Book of Job, Book 22, trans. Brian Kerns, OSB (Cistercian Publications, 2010), §5.

7. Augustine, Confessions, trans. Maria Boulding, OSB (Hyde Park, NY: New City Press, 1997), Book IX, Ch. 1.