“Faith without tears, repentance, and struggle is dead!” - Saint Ephraim the Syrian

 

 

Faith is not an intellectual acceptance of certain truths, nor a moral stance of life that merely adorns man externally. In the Orthodox tradition, and especially through the writings of Saint Ephraim the Syrian, faith is presented as a living relationship with God, as a fire that is kindled in the heart and renders it capable of loving, repenting, and struggling.

Christ Himself said, “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted,” showing that faith is directly linked with mourning, tears, and a broken heart. Without these, faith becomes a false condition, a self-satisfaction, lacking the power to save. Saint Ephraim the Syrian, the foremost hymnist of tears, hands down to us that tears according to God are the bread and drink of the soul. The man who does not know the tears of repentance remains a stranger to true spiritual life, for his heart has not been softened, his pride has not been broken. Thus, his faith remains external, without fruit.

Tears, according to Saint Ephraim, are not mere emotionalism. They have nothing to do with a sentimental nature nor with psychological sorrow. They are the fruit of grace which visits man when he humbles himself, when he sees the multitude of his sins and turns with sincerity toward God. Then the eyes become a fountain of water, and every tear becomes a testimony that the soul has awakened—that faith is not a barren idea but an experience. The Lord Himself wept before the tomb of Lazarus and wept over Jerusalem. This shows us that tears are not a sign of weakness, but an expression of deep love and divine compassion. Therefore, when man mourns for his sins with tears, he partakes of this love, he becomes like Christ, and his faith acquires true depth.

Repentance constitutes the center of spiritual life. It is not merely the confession of an act, but a continual turning of the soul toward God. Saint Ephraim emphasizes that the man who does not repent daily has not yet come to know God. For repentance is the acknowledgment of our weakness and the surrender of ourselves to the mercy of God. Without repentance, faith is dead. We may speak of Christ, chant hymns, fast—but if we do not repent, our heart remains closed. Repentance is the gate of the kingdom, the beginning and the end of the spiritual path.

There is no moment in the life of the believer when this movement of return is not needed. The struggle against the passions is the field upon which it is proven whether our faith is true. Saint Ephraim, with his fiery words, makes clear that the Christian who remains idle, who does not wage war against his passions, is like a soldier who lays down his weapons and surrenders to the enemy. The spiritual life is not a romantic repose, but a constant warfare—warfare against self-love, against sensuality, against egoism, against pride. And in this warfare, tears and repentance are the mightiest weapons. He who struggles in this way lives his faith. But he who avoids the battle lives in delusion. He thinks he believes, but in reality, he merely makes peace with himself.

Saint Ephraim writes concerning the danger of delusion. Many believe they have faith because they perform certain outward acts—they light a candle, venerate, say a prayer; but if they do not have a contrite heart and tears, if they do not struggle with their weaknesses, then their faith is like a tree without roots. It will fall with the first wind of temptation. True faith is not measured by how many times we go to church, but by how much our life is being transformed. If we are becoming more humble, more meek, more filled with love, then our faith is alive. If not, then we are living in self-deception.

The tears of prayer bear yet a deeper fruit. They cleanse the mind and illumine the heart. Saint Ephraim says that the tear is a second baptism, for just as the first baptism cleanses man from the ancestral sin, so also the tears of repentance cleanse him from his daily falls. When a man becomes accustomed to praying with tears, then his faith is not theory but experience. He feels God present, touches His mercy, senses His love warming him. Then even the greatest temptations do not crush him, for he knows that he has his Father in heaven to uphold him.

The spiritual battle is unceasing and never comes to an end. Even when the believer acquires peace in his heart, temptations do not cease to come. Saint Ephraim reminds us that the devil wages fiercer war against those who have begun to love God. For this reason, we must always be watchful, to have prayer upon our lips and repentance in our heart. Victory does not come from our own strength, but from the grace of God. Yet grace is given only to those who struggle—not to those who remain idle. “Faith is like a flame. If you leave it without oil, it will be extinguished. But if you feed it with tears and struggle, it will shine and illumine your path unto eternity.” Our society often seeks to convince us that faith is a matter of sentiment or tradition. But the Orthodox tradition teaches that faith is a work of the heart that is broken, that mourns, and that returns daily to God. Saint Ephraim was no theorist. He lived in tears and asceticism, and thus his teaching is a testimony of life. He calls all of us not to rest in a superficial faith, but to seek after those tears that regenerate man.

The voice of Saint Ephraim the Syrian resounds to this day: faith without tears, repentance, and struggle is dead. This saying is not an exaggeration, but the very essence of spiritual life—tears that soften the heart, repentance that brings us back to God, and struggle that proves our faith. Without these, the Christian remains only in name—without strength, without joy, without salvation. But with them, our life becomes a radiant path, full of hope, even if it is filled with hardships. For Christ dwells where there is humility, contrition, and tears. Thus, faith ceases to be an idea and becomes life. It ceases to be dead and becomes resurrection. And then we can say with certainty: our soul has found the way to the true kingdom.

 

Greek source: https://entoytwnika1.blogspot.com/2025/09/blog-post_16.html