“A brother overcome by lust went to see a great old man and besought
him, saying, ‘Be so good as to pray for me, for I am overcome by lust.’
And the old man prayed to God for him. A second time he went to the old
man and said the same thing, and once more the old man did not omit to
beseech God for him, saying, ‘Lord, reveal to me the manner of life of
this brother and whence comes this action of the devil, for I have
already besought you and he has not found peace’. Then God revealed this
to him about the brother: he saw him sitting with the spirit of lust
beside him and an angel, sent to his aid, was standing beside him and
becoming angry with him because he did not fall down before God but,
taking pleasure in his thoughts, delivered up his spirit completely to
the action of the devil. So the old man knew that the cause came from
the brother, and he told him, ‘It is you who are consenting to your
thoughts.’ Then he taught him how to resist thoughts, and the brother,
restored by the old man’s prayer and teaching, found rest.”
-From the Desert Fathers
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