THEOSISCaesarius of Arles
When David received his anointing from the holy Samuel, prior to his arrival here, he vanquished a lion and a bear without any weapons, as he recounted to King Saul. The lion and the bear symbolize the devil, as David defeated them for daring to assault his flock. All these elements, dear friends, which were foreshadowed in David and recorded in scripture, were ultimately realized in our Lord Jesus Christ. It was He who triumphed over the lion and the bear when He descended into the realm of the dead to rescue all the saints from their grip. Furthermore, heed the prophet as he implores the Lord, “Deliver my soul from the sword, and my lonely soul from the stall; save me from the jaws of the lion” (Psalm 21:21-22).
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Just as the bear's strength lies in its claws and the lion's in its jaws, these two creatures represent the devil. Therefore, it is stated concerning Christ, that His one Church may be freed from the grip, or power, of the devil.