The Recovery of the Soul and the Vision of the Divine Place

66. Since successions of demons also occur, when the first has grown weak in battle and is no longer able to stir the passion that is dear to it; observing these things, we find this: when the thoughts of a certain passion are rare for a long time, and a sudden heat and movement of it occurs, having given us no occasion through negligence, then we know that a demon has received us more harshly than the former, and, guarding the place of the one who fled, has replenished it with its own wickedness. But this one also is fully aware of our soul, fighting much more intensely than the usual habit, and having fallen continuously through the thoughts of yesterday and the third day, without any external pretext intervening.

Let the mind therefore, seeing these things, flee toward the Lord, receiving the headpiece of salvation, and putting on the breastplate of righteousness, and drawing the sword of the spirit, and having struck the shield of faith, let him say, looking up toward the inhabited heaven with tears: 'Lord Christ, power of my salvation, incline your ear toward me, hasten to deliver me. Become for me a protector toward God, and a place of refuge to save me.' And let him especially polish the sword with fasts and vigils. For in seven whole days he will be distressed, being fought and being struck by the burning arrows of the Evil One, and after the seventh he will know him to be somewhat similar to what was taught, and remaining for the rest of the year, being wounded much more than being wounded, until even the one succeeding this one is born; if indeed, like the things concerning Job, we fall under them, and our houses are corrupted by the lawless.

67. Unclean thoughts often accept an increase of matter, and are encouraged by many things. For they traverse great expanses according to the intellect, and lead one to walk long roads, not...

They are stirred up, because of the great heat of passion. But those who have been purified are rather more narrow than these, being unable to participate in many things because of the weakness of passion; therefore they are moved more according to nature, and according to the wise Solomon, they wander for a time, and they gather reeds for an unlawful brick-making, no longer taking straw.

It is necessary, therefore, for every guard to keep the heart, so that it may be saved like birds from thickets, and like a bird from a snare. For it is not easy to make a pure soul clean again, having been purified and then wounded again, to call it back to health, while the demon of sadness does not forgive, but always leaps upon the maidens of the eyes, and at the time of prayer, brings forward the idol of sin.

94. Christ raises the rational nature, having been killed by evil, through the contemplation of all the ages; and the Father of Him raises the dying soul through the knowledge of Himself. And this is what is said by the Apostle, 'If we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him' (Rom 6:8).

98. When the mind, having stripped off the old man, has clothed itself in grace, then it will see its own state at the time of prayer, resembling a sapphire or heavenly color, which the Scripture names the place of God, seen by the elders upon Mount Sinai (Exod 24:10).

99. The mind would not see the place of God within itself, unless it had become higher than all things in material things; nor will it become higher, unless it has stripped off the passions that bind it through thoughts to the sensible things; and it will lay aside the passions through virtues, and the thin thoughts through spiritual contemplation; and this again, when that light appears to it, impressing the place of God at the time of prayer.