Iakobos
Orthodox
This could go in many places but for me it really resonated with the struggle against lust and consumption of pornography and maybe others will find it helpful. I can clearly see how I allow sin to take a hold of me through this process.
Source: The Struggle for Virtue, Abp. Averky, Ch. 11: The Holy Fathers on Combating the Passions
The Holy Fathers teach five stages of the battle against evil and sinful thoughts
1. Initial suggestion
- A person, thing or thought suddenly appears in the mind
- May happen through senses, emotions or imagination
- A suggestion is not itself sinful because we cannot keep our mind free of thoughts
- But we must guard against the thoughts from taking root
2. Acceptance
- Entering into conversation or dialogue with the thought
- Attending to the thought as to a guest who has entered your home
- We must immediately take up arms against the sinful thought and cast it out of our consciousness
- Engage with the thought is blameless IF our response is to promptly banish it from our consciousness
- If we recognize the thought as bad or sinful but retain it in our consciousness and sympathize with it or relish it, then actual sin has begun
3. Consent
- The soul delighting in the thought or image that has entered the soul
- One begins to imagine how to act upon the suggestions of the thought that has been entertained
- Considerably sinful if the thought has been recognized as evil but through laziness or neglect, is not driven out
- At this stage the sin may only fail to be realized, if the opportunity to fulfill it does not present itself
4. Captivity
- When a soul has accepted an evil thought and is completely gripped and carried away by it
- The automatic attraction of our heart toward the sinful thought, or the constant allowance for it to dwell in ourselves
- The peaceful condition of the spirit is fundamentally disrupted at this stage
5. Passion
- The long-term and habitual delight in sinful thoughts and feelings, and the repeated committing of sin in actual deed
- Complete slavery to sin, second nature
- The sinner cannot and does not have the power to live without the constant gratification of his sinful inclination
The Holy Fathers say that he who desires to be victorious in unseen warfare must establish the following four dispositions or inclinations in his heart:
1. Never in any way rely on yourself
2. Always have in your heart complete, resolute hope in the One God
3. Work unceasingly
4. Always be in prayer
The full book contains much more advice and teachings and I highly recommend it, but this part stood out to me because I'm so guilty of entertaining and welcome those sinful thoughts in my consciousness as if they are a guest in my home, and once I do that the rest inevitably follows.
Source: The Struggle for Virtue, Abp. Averky, Ch. 11: The Holy Fathers on Combating the Passions
The Holy Fathers teach five stages of the battle against evil and sinful thoughts
1. Initial suggestion
- A person, thing or thought suddenly appears in the mind
- May happen through senses, emotions or imagination
- A suggestion is not itself sinful because we cannot keep our mind free of thoughts
- But we must guard against the thoughts from taking root
2. Acceptance
- Entering into conversation or dialogue with the thought
- Attending to the thought as to a guest who has entered your home
- We must immediately take up arms against the sinful thought and cast it out of our consciousness
- Engage with the thought is blameless IF our response is to promptly banish it from our consciousness
- If we recognize the thought as bad or sinful but retain it in our consciousness and sympathize with it or relish it, then actual sin has begun
3. Consent
- The soul delighting in the thought or image that has entered the soul
- One begins to imagine how to act upon the suggestions of the thought that has been entertained
- Considerably sinful if the thought has been recognized as evil but through laziness or neglect, is not driven out
- At this stage the sin may only fail to be realized, if the opportunity to fulfill it does not present itself
4. Captivity
- When a soul has accepted an evil thought and is completely gripped and carried away by it
- The automatic attraction of our heart toward the sinful thought, or the constant allowance for it to dwell in ourselves
- The peaceful condition of the spirit is fundamentally disrupted at this stage
5. Passion
- The long-term and habitual delight in sinful thoughts and feelings, and the repeated committing of sin in actual deed
- Complete slavery to sin, second nature
- The sinner cannot and does not have the power to live without the constant gratification of his sinful inclination
The Holy Fathers say that he who desires to be victorious in unseen warfare must establish the following four dispositions or inclinations in his heart:
1. Never in any way rely on yourself
2. Always have in your heart complete, resolute hope in the One God
3. Work unceasingly
4. Always be in prayer
The full book contains much more advice and teachings and I highly recommend it, but this part stood out to me because I'm so guilty of entertaining and welcome those sinful thoughts in my consciousness as if they are a guest in my home, and once I do that the rest inevitably follows.
