Causes That Impel Toward Sin and Keep One in It

The Christian sinner suffers from sin, yet does not abandon it; and not infrequently does one who has tasted the sweetness of virtue leave it and turn to sin. There must be mighty causes that hold the first fast and draw the latter away, and there are! They are the flesh, the world, and the devil.

1) By flesh is understood that corruption of human nature by which man is drawn toward sensual pleasures, earthly goods, and proud opinion of himself. This is how this enemy works: a) when in the mind there arise passionate thoughts about carnal and sinful objects; b) when in the will desires opposed to God’s law and the inspirations of grace are awakened (2 Sam. 11–11); c) when in sensual desires there is revealed a striving toward entertainments, pleasures, and carnal indulgences, generally toward such a life as Solomon describes: “…all that my eyes desired I did not keep from them, and I did not withhold my heart from any of my joy, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion… from” all “my labor.” (Eccl. 2:10). Temptations of the flesh are the more dangerous because we ourselves carry within us the corrupted human nature. Only he who never fulfills carnal desires (Gal. 5:16) but always strives to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires is delivered from the bondage of this enemy (Gal. 5:24); 2) by world must be understood those people who by their way of life and customs oppose the spirit of faith and the teaching of truth. The world, understood in this sense, acts toward the sinful and against good Christians in two ways: sometimes with a spirit of craftiness it flatters either their sensuality through objects of carnal lust, or their love of money through earthly treasures, or their ambition through honors, distinctions, and other objects of worldly pride; sometimes with hardening and malice it persecutes all who desire to “live godly in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:12), whereby sometimes it does not allow one to come to his senses, and other times it entraps others in the nets of sin. One will not be overcome by this enemy if he always remembers that everything in the world is “vanity of vanities” (Eccl. 1:2), if he is sincerely convinced that without God’s will not even a hair of his head will perish (Lk. 21:18); 3) the last and at the same time first enemy of good is the “Devil… a murderer from the beginning” (Jn. 8:44). He is the more terrible the more powerful, the more dangerous the more crafty in his schemes, because he uses circumstances, properties of man, and everything that can help accomplish his ruinous intentions, and, like a “roaring lion he seeks someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). However hidden this enemy acts, those experienced in spiritual life nevertheless “are not ignorant of his designs.” (2 Cor. 2:11) Sometimes he beguiles through outward objects, pleasant ones, as with the first parents (Gen. 3; 1 Cor. 7:5); sometimes he terrifies through disasters and sorrows, as the Lord said: “Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested” (Rev. 2:10); sometimes he acts on soul and heart, as seen in the example of Judas (Jn. 13:2) and Ananias (Acts 5:3), striving to either produce unclean thoughts in the mind, or fill the imagination with vain fantasies, or awaken in the will sinful desires. In general, he always notices in a person the weak point and customarily acts more strongly upon that, as the Satan’s device was revealed in Judas, who grieved over the precious ointment: “Not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the money box, he used to help himself to what was put into it.” (Jn. 12:6, Jn. 13:2, Lk. 22:3–5). However, the devil does not act arbitrarily but only by God’s permission, as is evident from the example of Job (Job 2:6), and he has success in his actions against us only when we ourselves cease to guard ourselves and surrender to negligence (Matt. 13:25).

These opponents of good are so mighty that no one can escape their bondage unless the Lord delivers him; and those already free from it preserve this freedom only by “being strong in the Lord” Jesus Christ and “putting on all” the grace-given “armor” (Eph. 6:10–11) However, this power is not unconditional. They rule over a person only with his consent; for they only propose sin and draw him toward it; but that this sin is then chosen as the goal—in this no one but the sinner himself is guilty. Compel to choose, no power can. Therefore these enemies of good are only seducers, not the active causes of our sins. Neither their dominion over sinners nor their perversion of good should be regarded as violence to our freedom. From this it is evident that only the obligation on one side to seek help, and on the other to be watchful and vigilant.

Note. How a sinner might extricate himself from the nets of sin, and how the good might stand firm in goodness—on these matters the teachings should be offered in ascetics.