A Russian monastic who was always looking to deepen his experience of hesychia, Saint Arsenius left for the Holy Mountain with a group of Athonite monks who had visited his monastery. Having arrived in the garden of the Theotokos, like a new Publica, he regarded himself as the least worthy of all who had ever set foot there. This deep and sincere humility led him ever more deeply into repentance, passing every night in prayer. Having richly inherited the phronema of Athos, he decided to return to his country and found a monastery dedicated to the Mother of God there. After receiving the blessing of his Archbishop, he located a place well suited for the ascetic life – the abandoned island of Konevets on Lake Ladoga. On the island he found a ruined pagan shrine that was infested by demons, but they fled at his rebuke not being able to withstand the fire of his humility. The monastery was firmly established, and many monks came to join him there.
Category: How Demons Attack
Posts that include descriptions of the various ways in which demons attack mankind.
Pansemne, the Former Prostitute
A prostitute from Antioch, the ironically named Saint Pansemne (“very chaste”) especially targeted Christians with her charms for 12 years. Hearing of her reputation, Saint Theophanes, who lived nearby in solitude, feigned interest, but surprised her with a marriage proposal that included a large quanitity of gold. His only condition was that she become a Christian. When she learned about the Last Judgment during her catechesis, her conscience was pricked, and she gave herself to the ascetic life, shutting herself up in a cell like that of her husband. Her name ultimately proved prophetic, and, having done all diligence, God granted her petitions of healing and delivering those tormented by demons.
Columba, Wonderworker of Iona
Like tongues of fire descending on the Hebrides, Saint Columba and his companions landed on the Isle of Iona on Pentecost in the year 563. From there the Saint worked tirelessly in his mission to the Northern Picts, traveling and preaching the gospel throughout all of Scotland. When at home in his monastery, the saint was inundated with a constant stream of visitors to whom he proved a caring and able father. He served them by healing the sick, thwarting epidemics, casting out demons, praying for favorable conditions for both sailors and farmers, reconciling those who were divided, encouraging the downcast, and weeping copious tears for those enslaved by sin. His tears were most efficacious, and God responded to the petitions of his servant by consoling the faithful.
Cyril of the White Lake
As a zealous young monk, Saint Cyril sought a blessing from his elder to fast more than the brethren. His elder, however, encouraged him to first build a firm foundation on the common life so as to avoid temptation and delusion. As such, he developed a rule of prayer with his elder in which the two of them got up together at night and kept vigil, reading the Psalter and making prostrations until the start of the daily office the next morning. This obedience and perseverance made it such that, when the demons attacked through frightful images, he was able to overcome them with the sign of the cross and through the Jesus Prayer. In such ways, he slowly but surely overcame his foes – both his flesh and his bodiless enemies – and was transformed into the likeness of Christ. Later in life, when he had become abbot at the Monastery of the White Lake, the devil sought to assail the Man of God by attacking his spiritual children. The demons continually suggested evil thoughts and attitudes about Saint Cyril to a monk who kept them secret for more than a year. Finally unable to take it anymore, who went to the Saint to confess, but was not able to speak for shame and by the artifice of the evil one. Seeing the clearly the state of the man’s soul, Saint Cyril described his sins to him in detail. The man then fell to his knees in repentance and received forgiveness of his sins, and was thus delivered from torment. For his life of faithfulness, God granted the Saint the gift of healing which he offered liberally to those in need sprinkling them with holy water and anointing them with oil. By these same methods he also cast out a multitude of demons with authority.
Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria
When the great beacon of the Church, elucidator of the Hypostatic union, and champion of the Theotokos, Saint Cyril of Alexandria, had been newly consecrated as Patriarch, he set out to immediately crush the last vestiges of paganism in the lands under his authority. One of the final strongholds of the enemy was an oracle in the city of Menuthis which was infamous for its demonically-inspired revelations. Saint Cyril decided to translate the relics of Saints Cyrus and John to the city, leading the week-long procession himself. Upon arrival, the grace of God working through the presence of His saints drove off the demons who could not bear to be in their presence. Thus through the decisive and God-inspired action of Saint Cyril, the city was liberated from demonic tyranny and was brought under the protection of Saints Cyrus and John.
Hymnography
Made strong in Christ, O Cyril, with steadfast resolve thou hast destroyed the devices of the crooked dragon like a spider’s web.
(Ode Three, First Troparion; Orthros Canon)
Peter of Korisha
Putting aside childish things for the things of God as a young boy, Saint Peter sought to embrace the eremitic life as soon as he was able. Delayed from doing so after the death of his parents by the responsibility of caring for his younger sister, he achieved his aim when she agreed to enter the monastic life as well. Searching for hesychia, he journeyed to a deserted place where he lived in alone in a cave for many years in fasting and prayer. His only companions were the wild animals who dwelt with him as in an outpost of Paradise. While there, he was continuously assailed by demons who sought to sow despair, but the saint confidently drove them off by chanting psalms and hymns. Seeking yet again to wound the heal of man, the Saint was set upon by a snake, but the Holy Archangel Michael appeared and repulsed the snake with his sword. In thankfulness for this protection, Saint Peter increased his ascetic efforts. This resulted in such a deeply Christ-like transformation that he was able to discern the pits the demons continuously dug for him, avoiding them with prayer and humility. He continuously reminded himself that he had been created from the dust of the earth and that he could do nothing without God’s help. The prince of the power of the air, however, would not relent, attacking him with a flock of crows that tried to bend him by pecking out his eyes. This time, the Saint again put him to flight by prayer, specifically the recitation of the Creed. In the end, his victory was proclaimed by the Lord Himself, the uncreated light filling his cave for a number of days. This abundant grace led to his discovery by other monks. He handed down to them his teaching on the ascetic life before falling asleep in peace, having recapitulated the life of mankind in salvation as a co-worker with Christ.
Athanasius the Wonderworker
Saint Athanasius renounced the world for the life of a wandering monk. Like the bee of Saint Basil the Great, the saint went from place to place collecting the honey of God-pleasing teachings and virtues of holy men who he then began to imitate. Eventually, he settled in a monastery in Bithynia revitalizing the communal life and discipline by his faithful example as a common monk. He showed perfect obedience to his abbot to whom he revealed all the inner workings of his heart and mind so that he was not carried away by any stray thought. Thus, he was able to resist all the assaults and temptations of the demons.
Martyr Constantine, the Muslim Convert
Born of Muslim parents, Saint Constantine was blinded as a youth by a malicious magician who, prompted by a demon, gave him a poison potion to drink. Bedridden for three years as a result, his desperate mother heeded the suggestion of a Christian woman to have him submerged in a miraculous pool. Like a foreshadowing of his eventual baptism, the holy Martyr was healed and a seed of salvation was planted in his heart which was watered each time he heard someone teaching about the Christian Faith. This eventually led him to the Holy Mountain he converted and began to responsibly cultivate a desire to give his life as a thank offering to Christ in imitation of the holy martyrs. Put off from this purpose for a time by his spiritual father, Saint Constantine traveled to Magnesia to affect the conversion of his sister. During this trip he was recognized by a Turk and was arrested as an apostate from Islam. This circumstance fanned the flame of his desire which had been as a smoldering coal, and the holy Martyr was given the courage to endure. Again at the prompting of a demon, his torturer devised a metal helmet meant to both retain heat and place a crushing pressure on the sides of his head. This helmet was heated in the fire and placed on Saint Constantine’s head. Meant for evil, the device became for him the helmet of salvation in the armor of God. When they began to cut and beat him, a golden cross appeared on his chest which became impervious to their assaults. Seeing they could do nothing else to the Martyr, he was bung upside down for the night where he suffered demonic attacks in the form of various temptations and apparitions. Saint Constantine, however, had been purified by the refiners fire, and easily repulsed the assault on his soul. He was further strengthened by a vision of the Mother of God who told him that he would survive to bear witness of her Son in Constantinople, but would eventually carry off the martyr’s crown . There a kindly priest offered to have him released, but the Saint declined. Appearing before the judge, he suggested that the judge be converted. The enraged man instead ordered that he be beaten and hung. Thus, the prophecy of the Theotokos came to pass, and Saint Constantine proved himself to be a faithful servant of the Lord to the end.
Hieromartyr Erasmus of Ochrid
Like a new Prophet Elijah, Saint Erasmus was also fed by ravens as he led the ascetic life in the Antiochian wilderness during Diocletian’s persecution. Elected Bishop against his will, he left the desert to lead the life of an Apostle, spreading the gospel through preaching attended by miracles. At Ochrid, he raised a Father and his child from the dead, cast down the idols in the temple, and won the whole city to Christ. For this he was made to appear before the Emperor, Maximian, who asked him what gods he worshipped. The saint calmly replied by asking him the same question, so he was taken to the Temple of Zeus. Upon entering, he cast a stern glance at a large bronze statue of the god, which melted under his righteous gaze. Showing its true nature, a dragon emerged from the remnants of the statue and began to terrorize the people who immediately asked to be baptized, fleeing to the God of Saint Erasmus for protection. The Saint received them into the faith and killed the dragon, only to be arrested for his troubles. The new converts were immediately put to death, and the holy Martyr was tortured and thrown into a prison cell. He was freed from prison by the Holy Archangel Michael and taken to Campania where he continued to proclaim the True Faith. At the time of his death, he was granted a martyrs crown, the faithful seeing it descend from heaven.
Nicephorus, Bishop of Milet
A member of the imperial staff and, later, of the clergy, Saint Nicephorus distinguished himself by his endless capacity for almsgiving. Through his practice of that spiritual discipline, he was able to quench the fire of the aggressive power of the soul (thymos) turning it to the dewy breeze of dispassion. Adding to that prayer, fasting, and meditation on Holy Scripture, he further conquered the desiring power of the soul, eliminating distraction and providing him clear vision of the visible and invisible creation. Initially, he faithfully put his right-ordered soul in the service of the Church as the Bishop of Milet, but he eventually resigned his position for the life of a simple hermit monk. In his retreat, he continued increasing his almsgiving in secret, thus rendering himself impenetrable to demonic temptation.