Abba Anthony said:
“I think that the body has a
natural motion which has become one with it, but it does not act without the
consent of the soul; it merely registers in the body a passionless motion.
However, there is also another
motion that comes from the fact that we nourish and care for the body with food
and drink. And the warmth of the blood that results from these things stirs the
body into activity. For this reason, the Apostle also said: ‘Be not drunk with
wine, wherein is excess.’ And the Lord too, when giving commandments to His
disciples, said: ‘Take heed lest your hearts be weighed down with surfeiting
and drunkenness.’
Yet there is also another motion
in those who are spiritually struggling. This comes from the deceitfulness and
envy of the demons.
So we must know that there are
three bodily motions: one is natural, another is from negligence in regard to
foods, and the third is from the demons.”
***
Abba Poemen said:
“Just as the bodyguard of the
king stands beside him always ready, so also must the soul be vigilant against
the demon of carnal sin.”
***
They recounted about Amma Sarah
that she endured for thirteen years a fierce war from the demon of fornication,
and never did she pray for the warfare to be removed, but only said: “My God,
give me strength.”
They also said about the same one
that once the evil spirit of fornication attacked her more violently, bringing
to her mind the vain things of this world.
But she, unyielding due to the
fear of God and her asceticism, immediately went up to her cell to pray.
Then the spirit of fornication
appeared to her in bodily form and said: “You have overcome me, Sarah.”
And she replied: “It was not I
who overcame you, but my Master Christ.”
***
An Elder said:
“The enemy says to the Father, ‘I
send mine to Yours in order to destroy Yours. And if I cannot instill my deceit
into Your elect, at the very least I create fantasies for them during the
night.’
And the Savior says to him: ‘If
ever an abomination shall inherit from its father, then just as much shall that
be reckoned as sin to My elect.’”
***
Concerning the confrontation of
harmful thoughts, an Elder replied:
“I beseech you, brother, just as
we have ceased harmful actions, let us also cease the thoughts. For what are
we, if not earth that came from earth?”
***
Once a disciple of a great Elder
was assailed by a carnal temptation.
And the Elder, seeing his toil,
said to him: “Do you want me to entreat God to lighten your warfare?”
And he said: “No, Abba, for
though I toil, yet I see fruit from my toil. Rather, pray that God may grant me
patience to endure it.”
And the Abba then said to him:
“Today I see that you have advanced, and you have surpassed me.”
The Elder also said that evil
thoughts are like flies that enter into the house. If, then, you kill them one
by one as they come in, you do not grow weary. But if you allow the house to
become filled, great toil will be required to drive them out. You may indeed
succeed in doing so, but you may also grow weary and leave them to lay waste to
your house.
An Elder said: “Carefreeness,
silence, and hidden inner labor give birth to purity.”
(Excerpts from the Great
Gerontikon, Chapter V)
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