The Enemy of mankind takes up arms against us through people under his
control; through the proud — by humiliation and contempt; through the
miss-believer — disbelief, free-thinking and blasphemy; through cruel leaders —
tyranny and oppression; through gluttons — enticements toward delicacies,
gluttony and drunkenness; through the debauched — loss of chastity and
disposition toward depravity; through thieves — plunder of our property. He
torments us with those that hate and envy us; through greedy individuals, he
deprives us of food, clothing and housing. Through God’s permission, being
prince of this world and ruler of darkness (John 16:11, Ephes. 6:12), utilizing
all the resources accessible to him and applying all types of illusions and
persecutions, he enrages the human race and attempts to bend everyone to his
side. If the All-wise, All-good and Almighty Heavenly Father did not care about
us constantly, and did not convert the seducer’s countless acts of cunningness
into beneficial outcomes, then the incorporeal monster would have conquered the
whole world for himself a long time ago, and there would have been no holy seed
left (Isaiah 6:13).
When the devil penetrates into our heart, the soul then becomes unusually
constricted and gloomy, everything begins to annoy it and it feels revulsion
towards anything good; it sees evil intent in the words or acts of others and
therefore feels a murderous hatred towards them, rages and surges towards
vengeance. "Therefore by their fruits you will know them" (Mat.
7:20).
Do not be merciless judges of those people that labor for God and that
sometimes act contrary to the Christian principles of piety, which they endorse
and honor. It’s the devil, their evil antagonist that places them in their
self-contradictory position. He bites deep into their hearts and compels them
to act against their own convictions.
When your heart is stunned by the invisible enemy, causing you confusion,
constriction and a fall in spirit, don’t lecture, so that instead of good you
don’t bring temptation. At the same time, do not reprimand as this will only
irritate and not improve matters. Generally speaking, when the enemy is nesting
in the soul, you must be more silent because then we are not worthy of words,
which are gifts from God-Word. Expel your enemy and induct peace into you heart
— and then speak.
