Слово 18. Послание к некоторому другу его, сидящему в темнице, который спрашивал его, как избавиться от искушения сатанинского, от случающихся во сне скверных истицаний, от блудных ощущений и помыслов и от малодушия

I was surprised at your request that, being overcome by such grief, you earnestly ask me for spiritual healing from the temptations inflicted on you by demonic envy. But I, being deprived of all virtue and incapable of such treatment, how and how can I help you, especially since I myself demand such treatment? However, according to your faith, as far as God enlightens my unreasonable thought, I will remind you of what you yourself know. Bestial-like kindling and the subsequent nocturnal defilement occurs either from excessive natural warmth, or from immeasurable saturation with tasty dishes, or from the previous frequent satisfaction of this passion and skill for it; It also happens from pride, when we condemn our neighbors, and it also happens from the constant evil action of demons against us, kindling bestial lust in our hearts. The first two causes of this godless filth are extinguished and completely destroyed by abstaining from excess food and sleep, as the speaker teaches us: But sometimes they, that is, demons and lustful thoughts, coldly clothed me in sackcloth and humble fasting my soul (Ps. 34:13). By sackcloth we mean crying and tenderness and denial of bodily peace. The same one again teaches us, saying: I returned to passion when the thorns fell (Ps. 32:4). By thorns we mean the ignited arrow of prodigal passion, and by the return to passion - voluntary self-exhaustion, when someone exhausts himself with long abstinence, vigil and various spiritual deeds, humility of heart and pure prayer, which he said in more detail elsewhere: He suffered and sloshed to the end, that is, he exhausted himself with various fasting deeds, and all day, then throughout his entire life he lamented walking, that is: always remembering his sin, he never ceased to regret, grieve and cry about my sin. And why is this? For my soul, he says, is filled with reproach, that is, with fornication, and there is no healing in my flesh (Ps. 37:7-8). But enough said about this. And since you say: I am faint-hearted, then console yourself with the words of the same righteous man who says: Behold, I went away in flight and settled in the desert (Ps. 55:8). And how he helped himself there, when cowardice and storm bothered him - listen carefully: I hope, - he says, - God, saving me from cowardice and from the storm (Ps. 55:9) of all mental disturbances raised by demons. Imitate this righteous man, according to your strength, arming yourself with faith and unashamed hope in the Savior’s love for mankind, and you will receive help from Him in every possible way, for the Lord is near to all who call on Him in truth: He will do the will of those who fear Him, and He will hear their prayer, and I will save (Ps. 145:18-19). And what do you say: “I can’t dig” and so on; then I’ll tell you this: don’t stop digging, not just the soil that grows grass, but your heart and conscience, eradicating from them the worldly evil thoughts and indecent morals, thoughts and customs that vegetate there due to long-term bad habits. Also, do not be ashamed to ask the Savior with commendable abandon for forgiveness of your past sins, so that you can correct yourself in the future and lead a good and God-pleasing life. The Savior loves such persistent supplicants and annoying people, for He Himself said: Seek and you will find, seek and it will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7). Prosperity for a monk lies in always walking with all his soul, with all his heart’s desire, in the way of the Savior’s commandments and fatherly decrees. You might be interested in: