Saint Mark the Ascetic was one of
the most profound Fathers of the Church, who handed down to us teachings filled
with wisdom concerning the inner struggle of the Christian. His spiritual
experience, born out of stillness, fasting, and unceasing prayer, clearly
demonstrated that faith is neither theory nor a mere formal confession, but a
true battle. Whoever believes without fighting against his passions, without
striving to keep his heart pure, risks living in delusion. For Saint Mark, the
spiritual life is a constant conflict with the old man, with the forces that
seek to separate us from Christ.
Faith, as seen in the Orthodox
tradition, is not a mere intellectual assent. It is not saying “I believe”
without your life being transformed. It is fire, it is movement, it is a
decision to follow Christ with your entire being—yet this decision is not fulfilled
without toil. Saint Mark tells us that the Christian who does not fight against
his passions is like a soldier who wears a uniform but never goes to battle. He
appears to be a soldier, but he is not. Likewise, the believer who is content
with outward forms, without inner struggle, lives with a faith that does not
save.
Christ said that “the kingdom
of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” This means
that salvation is not something granted without effort, but requires violence
against ourselves—that is, a constant struggle against sinful habits, desires,
and thoughts that draw us away from God. Saint Mark teaches that “the grace
of God is given to us, but we must cooperate with it.” Without the
struggle, grace remains inactive within us, like a seed that is not watered and
does not bear fruit.
The spiritual battle begins
within the heart of man. Saint Mark emphasizes that the thoughts are the first
field of conflict. Before a person falls into outward sin, he has already
surrendered in his heart and imagination; therefore, the first discipline is
watchfulness—paying attention to what enters within us, guarding our mind in
purity. If we allow our thoughts to roam unchecked, we soon become enslaved to
the passions. The spiritual battle is one of constant vigilance. This struggle
is not merely a moral effort; it is not simply trying on our own to become
better. Saint Mark makes it clear that without the grace of God, no man can
overcome the passions. Faith is not the product of human strength, but a
cooperation between God and man. God grants the power, and we offer the will
and the ascetic labor. When the believer strives with humility, then grace
comes and grants him perseverance, illumination, and an inner strength that
cannot be explained by reason.
Saint Mark the Ascetic insists
that the devil wages war with subtlety; he does not always appear through
coarse temptations. Often, he implants in a person the thought that he is
already good, that there is little left to correct. At other times, he leads
him into pride over his small effort, so that he may lose humility—or again, he
causes him to postpone the struggle until tomorrow. All these stratagems aim to
keep him away from the true warfare against the passions. Without awareness of
this war, faith becomes false and superficial.
The struggle is not only internal
but is also made manifest in action. The believer who desires to live with
Christ strives to keep His commandments—love, forgiveness, almsgiving, purity.
Each day he is confronted with opportunities either to carry out these works or
to deny them. Saint Mark says that faith is revealed by deeds. If I confess
Christ but do not love, if I pray but do not forgive, then my faith is
delusion. The true battle is that Christ may be made manifest in my life.
The spiritual battle is not a
matter of a moment, but a continual journey. Saint Mark teaches that the
struggle lasts as long as we live. There is no moment when we can say, “I will
rest now, I have arrived,” for that is the very moment when the fall begins.
Just as a soldier during wartime never lays down his weapon, so too must the
Christian remain ever watchful. He may grow weary, he may fall, he may become
exhausted, but he never gives up. Perseverance in the struggle is the mark of
true faith.
Saint Mark also points out
another danger: outward piety without inner transformation. A person may fast,
attend church, and pray, but if all these are not accompanied by a struggle
against the passions, then they remain merely formal. The true Christian is not
measured by external acts, but by the extent to which he allows Christ to dwell
within him and cleanse him from evil.
In the spiritual battle, a great
weapon is humility. Saint Mark says that humility crushes every snare of the
devil. Whoever thinks that he can conquer by himself will fail; but whoever
trusts in Christ and rises with repentance each time he sins, that one stands
up and goes forward. The battle is not never to fall, but always to rise again,
keeping the gaze fixed upon the Lord.
The struggle against the passions
aims to purify man so that he may become a temple of the Holy Spirit. When a
person fights against anger, pride, avarice, and sloth, he opens space within
his soul for the peace of God to enter. Saint Mark reminds us: “Christ does
not dwell in a heart filled with passions and negligence,” and also this: “Faith
that does not fight the passions is not a living faith.”
The spiritual battle, however
hard it may be, is filled with joy. Saint Mark says that the heart which
overcomes the passions already tastes in this life the peace and light of God.
It is not a life of darkness or despair. It is a path that leads to the joy of
Christ’s presence. And this joy is the truest sign that our faith is not a
delusion, but a real communion with God.
Saint Mark the Ascetic calls us
to awaken from the delusion of a faith without struggle. He tells us plainly:
without spiritual battle, there is no faith—there is only illusion. Life with
Christ is a continual crucifixion of the old man. It is a struggle against
thoughts, passions, and temptations. Yet within this struggle, the power of God
is made manifest, granting us true freedom. If we desire our faith to be
living, let us put it to the test in battle—for it is only there, in the
struggle, that it is revealed whether we truly love Christ.
Greek source: https://entoytwnika1.blogspot.com/2025/09/blog-post_31.html
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