Humility and the Demon's Flight

Let us entrust the phalanx of the opponent to their own guard. For thus, having been united by the filter of love, we will drive out malice, and we will transfer the works of the hands into the treasury of hospitality. Let us not receive these brothers as if we were merely providing a favor, but let us welcome them with supplication as being debtors, just as Lot showed (Gen 19:1-3). Some people praise themselves for the title of stranger and for being strangers, and when they call a stranger, they do not invite him at all, but they present the word of the invitation to the blind; and they reproach the one who declines as if through insolence; because of this, a great swelling arises from here. For the thoughts, piercing the eye of the soul, blind it, so that we might use the most beautiful of the commandments most poorly.

Chapter 64. When a thought strikes you, do not force the brother too much at the table; then it mocks you through him, so that you do not have an unbridled tongue toward the violence of love; for perhaps it suggests to you that one of the wanderers is a brother, and that having been satisfied with bread he should depart, but it suggests to him hospitality, that he has found nothing else beside you; for bearing the eye toward his practical change, it implants one into the other in the hearts, so that one might cut off hospitality and the other might sprout reproach. Abraham, sitting before the tent, if he saw anyone passing by, received him with work; living in impiety, he emptied the table, receiving barbarians, yet he did not fail to receive angels (Gen 18:1-8). Let those know the sweetness of hospitality who, having sojourned, were welcomed by it, when even a simple word prepares a sweet table for the heart. Therefore, with much diligence, let us practice hospitality, so that we might receive not only angels, but also God. 'For as much as you did to one of these least of my brothers, you did to me' (Matt 25:40), he says. Who of those sharing in virtue more knowingly answered thus? The diligence of hospitality is accustomed to make vanish the fantasies that echo the demons in the heart, and a bountiful service being made with readiness, if anyone has turned away at all from the material things; and these things happening with humility and the crushing of the heart, one is freed even more from the fantasies that weary. For the demons greatly condemn the humility...

Yes, knowing that this was a masterly commandment. Who among the tested ones moves a word concerning humility, and diminished this, saying: that a Father, he says, of the all-tested, being harassed by a demon and terribly shaking his jaw, immediately changed and provided the other one ready, but he who, as if struck by a lightning bolt of humility, was struck back and cried out, was instantly separated from the creature.

Chapter 27. The appearance of the holy bishop, and this is also the word. It happened, he says, that a son of a faithful widow having the demon Python, having lingered in the wound, did not undergo treatment. But the mother of this, being humbled by grief, froze the passion with thanksgiving, as if having hung the soul upon a cross, and drove away the demon of the child with prayers; for while the youth was wandering in the days around him and the mother was praying in the house, the demon, shouting this woman's name, was driven by torments. But she, hearing this very thing, did not rush to the matter, binding the battle of nature by humility, being led away involuntarily by others, and even then the demon remained fit to use the flight. But she, having approached and having enveloped the child with tears, put forward thanksgiving and humility against the demon, but having wept bitterly and having implored Christ and having marked the cross, before many lashes, the demon fled from the child more readily.

The demons envy those who flash with lightning in the submission to the Father, and their teeth chatter against them, because in submission they unhesitatingly yoked the departure, through which also, speaking precisely with pretexts, they stir up provocations, and in the occurring anger, they wrap up wrath; then they will also slightly raise up hatred toward the Father, as if they were being unjustly struck and were paying attention only outwardly; so that, having scattered the soul by various ways, they might scatter those of the paternal embraces. Therefore, he who exists in submission to the Father, let him be defeated by insult and let him conquer by humility, and let him be regulated by patience, and let him not endure the murmuring of thoughts toward severity and the insolence of brothers.

Chapter 28. And that freedom is not equal to strenuous slavery, for they throw in, even more than these, so that the one under authority might spontaneously...