Prologue in Sermons: May 6

The Struggle Against Evil Thoughts is a Feat Worthy of Reward

May 6

(A spiritual remedy for the disturbance of thoughts.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Very often it happens, brethren, that evil desires and impure thoughts pursue us entirely apart from our will. How should we regard them in such a case? Are we responsible for them before God or not? We should consider it this way: if, upon careful reflection, we notice that we ourselves gave occasion for evil, blasphemous, and unclean thoughts to enter us, then we are certainly accountable for this before God; likewise we are responsible when we take pleasure in a thought that has entered us unwillingly, or sympathize with it. But if we have given no occasion for this evil to enter us, if we do not sympathize with it, and if with all the strength of our soul we struggle against the thoughts in order to drive them out, then not only are we not responsible, but we even deserve a reward for the struggle, and the fight against evil is reckoned to us as an ascetic feat.

Saint Dimitri of Rostov reflects on this as follows:

“Since many people are troubled by evil and blasphemous thoughts, it is useful to know when these thoughts become sin and when they do not. One must understand that in these evil thoughts there is no sin at all when we do not consent to them by will and reason, but rather hate them and struggle against them in every way. But when the mind and will take pleasure in such thoughts and a person retains them in his heart, then these evil thoughts become for us a mortal sin. Those who struggle against such thoughts but think that they are sinning are mistaken, because they do not know that there is a great difference between a thought and consent to it. When we think about something, it does not yet mean that we consent to it; but when we love evil thoughts, take delight in them, desire them eagerly, and multiply them in our mind, this is already consent. If, however, we hate them and do not desire them, but they come to our mind on their own and we turn away from them, then the conscience should not be troubled by them; for when they wage war strongly against us and we overcome them, we thereby increase our reward before God” (Prologue, May 6).

The truth of Saint Dimitri's words can also be confirmed by an example:

“One monk, sent by his spiritual father to a certain village, struggled for a long time with thoughts that inclined him to sin. Five times the carnal struggle arose within him, and five times he subdued the flesh by the fear of God and by prayer. After this, when the ascetic returned to his elder, he fell before him as if guilty, considering himself to have fallen into mortal sin. But the discerning elder, looking at the monk, saw upon him five crowns and said to him: ‘Do not grieve, my child; you have not been defeated, but have conquered, because while fighting the passion you did not submit to it. Thus also did the righteous Joseph struggle; his feat was seen by the angels, and they glorified God when he gained victory over passion, while the devil was put to shame. It is good not even to have evil in thought; but if thoughts tempt us, we must struggle so as not to be defeated'” (Prologue, July 29).

Therefore, brethren, if it should happen that impure thoughts enter your mind without any cause on your part, or evil desires enter your heart, and if you struggle against them with all the strength of your soul — rejecting them, striving to uproot and cast them away — then know that these thoughts and desires will not be counted to you as sin. For in struggling against them you are not acting, but suffering or warring. And if even ordinary soldiers who firmly resist their enemies are rewarded rather than punished, how much more will Christian warriors — those who firmly struggle against the enemies of salvation — receive a great reward. “To him who overcomes,” says the Lord, “I will grant to sit with Me on My throne” (Revelation 3:21). Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.