On Spiritual Warfare

The Six Stages Which Lead To Sin

The Passions: Spiritual Warfare (Part III)
Study # 5

Spiritual Warfare

"We ought to consider whether our spiritual enemies have not each their own proper task to fulfill when drawn up in battle array against us, just as in a visible war. Surprising to say, they certainly have. When I thought about those who were tempted, I observed that falls were of varying seriousness...The devil often has the habit, especially in warring against ascetics and those leading the solitary life, of using all his force, all his zeal, all his cunning, all his intrigue, all his ingenuity and purpose, to assail them by means of what is contrary to nature. (St. John Climacus, 15:28-29)

1. Assault - (Prosboli)
"...some alien impulse intervening into the consciousness from outside by will of the adversary...a simple conception, or an image of something encountered for the first time, which has entered the heart . . .Sinful thoughts, though unnatural are unavoidable and they are sown in the heart by the demons, they should be checked and driven away immediately, whether they seem important or not.
(John Chryssavgis, Ascent to Heaven, p. 179)."

• Assault is not equivalent to sinful action because it is imposed from the outside by the devil.

2. Converse (Sindiasmos)
"...it is a flirting familiarity or a conversation, an entertaining of the thought with feelings of passion or even dispassion, but it stops short of collusion...Our spiritual intellect is subject to evil after the fall, it is like a ‘dog sniffing the meat or loving a filth,' but the ‘friendship' should be cut short. Abba Poimen says: ‘Take care not to speak; but if you do speak, cut the conversation short. (John Chryssavgis, Ascent to Heaven, p. 179)."

     • Converse has a moral responsibility

3. Consent (Sinkatathesis)
"'And consent is the bending of the soul to what has been presented to it, accompanied by delight. (John Climacus 15:74)

No longer does one harbor the temptation as a possibility- either remote of proximate-but definitely gives approval and sanction to it. . .it signifies an act of turning towards the evil thought. It actually initiates sin...(John Chryssavgis, Ascent to Heaven, p. 179)."

"The sin that the monk has particularly to watch out for is that of giving mental consent to some forbidden pleasure. (Evagrios)."

     • Consent is a sin

4. Captivity (Echmalosia)
This is one of the final concluding stages. The point here is that, because of the past (voluntary consent) one's free will is now impaired and undermined, so that one is now forced to consent involuntarily. The heart is carried away yet not irrevocably, for there is still the further stage of struggle. Some passions commence at this stage, leading straight way to captivity...(John Chryssavgis, Ascent to Heaven, p. 181)."

"But Captivity is a forcible and involuntary rape of the heart, or a permanent association with what has been encountered which destroys the good order of our condition. (John Climacus, 15:74)."

5. Struggle: (Pali)
"In struggle one falls prey to the demons only through free will (prov 11:15) but this too depends on one's inclinations and spiritual state. ‘Struggle...is pow3er equal to the attacking force, which is either victorious or else suffers defeat according to the soul's desire' (Climacus 15:74).'" Through our thoughts we can be shipwrecked and through our thoughts we can be crowned. (John Chryssavgis, Ascent to Heaven, p. 181)."

6. Passion ( Pathos)
"Passion they say, is preeminently that which for a long time nestles with persistence in the soul, forming therein a habit, as it were, by the soul's longstanding association with it, since the soul of its own free and proper choice clings to it. (Climacus, 15:74)

"But is unequivocally condemned in every case, and demands either corresponding repentance or future punishment. (Climacus 15:74)

A fall is an opportunity for repentence
"I say them, Father and I was amazed; and I consider those fallen mourners more blessed that those who have not fallen and are not mourning over themselves; because as a result of their fall, they have risen by a sure resurrection...I prefer a sinful man who knows he has sinned and repents, to a man who has not sinned and considers himself to be righteous. (John Chryssavgis, Ascent to Heaven, p. 181)."