Γνωρίζουμε τήν ἁμαρτία;
Εἶναι πολύ φοβερό πράγμα ἡ ἁμαρτία, ἀλλά καί
βαριά ἀρρώστια τῆς ψυχῆς ἡ παρανομία, γιατί
ἐξασθενεῖ τή δύναμή της καί γίνεται αἰτία νά
κολασθεῖ στήν αἰώνια φωτιά.
Πολύ φοβερό κακό λοιπόν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὅπως εἴπαμε,
ἀλλά ὄχι ἀθεράπευτο· φοβερό γιά ἐκεῖνον πού τό
κατέχει, ἀλλά εὐκολοθεράπευτο γιά ἐκεῖνον, πού τό
ἀποβάλλει μέ τή μετάνοια.
Ὑπόθεσε ὅτι κάποιος κρατάει στό χέρι του φωτιά.
Ὅσο κρατάει τό πύρινο κάρβουνο ὁπωσδήποτε καίεται.
Μόλις ὅμως πετάξει τό κάρβουνο, ἀπομακρύνει
συγχρόνως κι αὐτό πού τόν καίει.
Ἄν κάποιος νομίζει, ὅτι δέν καίεται ἁμαρτάνοντας,
σ’ αὐτόν ἡ Γραφή λέει· μπορεῖ νά βάλει κανείς
ἀναμμένα κάρβουνα στόν κόρφο του καί νά μήν κάψει
τά ροῦχα του;
Γιατί ἡ ἁμαρτία καίει φοβερά· ἀποδυναμώνει τά
νεῦρα τῆς ψυχῆς· συντρίβει τά νοητά ὀστᾶ τῆς
διάνοιας· συσκοτίζει τή φωτεινότητα τῆς καρδιᾶς.
http://tokandylaki.blogspot.ca/2012/08/blog-post_30.html
Here something must be said about delusion, so far as this is possible;
for, because of its deviousness and the number of ways in which it can
ensnare us, few recognize it clearly and for most it is almost
inscrutable. Delusion manifests itself or, rather, attacks and invades
us in two ways - in the form of mental images and fantasies or in the
form of diabolic influence - though its sole cause and origin is always
arrogance. The first form is the origin of the second and the
second is the origin of a third form - mental derangement. The first
form, illusory visions, is caused by self-conceit; for this leads us to
invest the divine with some illusory shape, thus deceiving us through
mental images and fantasies. This deception in its turn produces
blasphemy as well as the fear induced by monstrous apparitions,
occurring both when awake and when asleep - a state described as the
terror and perturbation of the soul. Thus arrogance is followed by
delusion, delusion by blasphemy, blasphemy by fear, fear by terror, and
terror by a derangement of the natural state of the mind. This is the
first form of delusion, that induced by mental images and fantasies.
The second form, induced by diabolic influence, is as follows.
It has its origin in self-indulgence, which in its turn results from
so-called natural desire. Self-indulgence begets licentiousness in all
its forms of indescribable impurity. By inflaming man's whole nature
and clouding his intelligence as a result of its intercourse with
spurious images, licentiousness deranges the intellect, searing it into
a state of delirium and impelling its victim to utter false
prophecies, interpreting the visions and discourses of certain supposed
saints, which he claims arc revealed to him when he is intoxicated and
befuddled with passion, his whole character perverted and corrupted by
demons. Those ignorant of spiritual matters, beguiled by delusion,
call such men 'little souls'. These 'little souls' are to be found
sitting near the shrines of saints, by whose spirit they claim to be
inspired and tested, and whose purported message they proclaim to
others. But in truth they should be called possessed by the demons,
deceived and enslaved by delusion, and not prophets foretelling what is
to happen now and in the future. For the demon of licentiousness
himself darkens and deranges their minds, inflaming them with the fire
of spiritual lust, conjuring up before them the illusory appearance of
saints, and making them hear conversations and see visions. Sometimes
the demons themselves appear to them and convulse them with fear. For
having harnessed them to the yoke of Belial, the demon of
licentiousness drives them on to practice their deceits, so that he may
keep them captive and enslaved until death, when he will consign them
to hell.
Delusion arises in us from three principal sources: arrogance,
the envy of demons, and the divine will that allows us to be tried and
corrected. Arrogance arises from superficiality, demonic envy is
provoked by our spiritual progress, and the need for correction is the
consequence of our sinful way of life. The delusion arising solely from
envy and self-conceit is swiftly healed, especially when we humble
ourselves. On the other hand, the delusion allowed by God for our
correction, when we are handed over to Satan because of our sinfulness,
God often permits to continue until our death, if this is needed to
efface our sins. Sometimes God hands over even the guiltless to the
torment of demons for the sake of their salvation. One should also know
that the demon of self-conceit himself prophesies in those who are not
scrupulously attentive to their hearts.
Question: What should we do when the devil transforms himself into an angel of light (cf. 2 Cor. 11:14) and tries to seduce us?
Answer:
You need great discrimination in order to distinguish between good and
evil. So do not readily or lightly put your trust in appearances, but
weigh things well, and after testing everything carefully cleave to
what is good and reject what is evil (cf. 1 Thess. 5:21-2). You must
test and discriminate before you give credence to anything.
You must also be aware that the effects of grace are self-evident, and
that even if the devil does transform himself he cannot produce these
effects: he cannot induce you to be gentle, or forbearing, or humble,
or joyful, or serene, or stable in your thoughts; he cannot make you
hate what is worldly, or cut off sensual indulgence and the working of
the passions, as grace does. He produces vanity, haughtiness, cowardice
and every kind of evil. Thus you can tell from its effects whether the
light shining in your soul is from God or from Satan. The lettuce is
similar in appearance to the endive, and vinegar, to wine; but when you
taste them the palate discerns and recognizes the differences between
each. In the same way the soul, if it possesses the power of
discrimination, can distinguish with its noetic sense between the gifts
of the Holy Spirit and the illusions of Satan.
Source: "One Hundred and Thirty-Seven Texts", Philokalia, vol. 4.
