“One Ascetic woman was besieged for a long time with unclean thoughts. When the Lord came and cast them away from her, she called to Him: ‘Where were You before now, O my sweet Jesus?’ The Lord answered: ‘I was in your heart.’ She said then: ‘How could that be? For my heart was full of unclean thoughts.’ The Lord said to her: ‘Know that I was in your heart, for you were not disposed to the unclean thoughts, but strove rather to be free of them; and when you were not able to be free, you struggled and grieved. By this you prepared a place for Me in your heart.'”
Saint Ambrose of Optina
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“I cannot describe to you how much our Panagia likes chastity and purity. Since she is the only pure Virgin, she wants and loves everyone to be like that. As soon as we cry out to her she rushes to our help. You don’t even finish saying, ‘All-holy Theotokos, help me’ and at once, like lightning, she shines through the nous and fills the heart with illumination. She draws the nous to Prayer and the heart to Love.”
Saint Joseph the Hesychast
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“No sacrifice is more fragrant in the sight of God than purity of body, which is realised through… great struggles.”
Saint Joseph the Hesychast
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It was related of Amma Sarah that for thirteen years she waged warfare against the demon of fornication. She never Prayed that the warfare should cease but she said, ‘O God, give me strength.’
Saint Sarah of the desert of Scete
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“Chase away the bad thoughts and fantasies that the devil presents. Don’t even notice them.”
Saint Iakovos Tsalikis of Evia
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“On one occasion Abba Moses of Patara was engaged in a war against fornication, and he could not endure being in his cell, and he went and informed Abba Isidore of it; and the Elder retreated him to return to his cell, but he would not agree to this. And having said, ‘Father, I cannot bear it’, the Elder took him up to the roof of his cell, and said unto him, ‘Look to the West’, and when he looked he saw multitudes of devils with troubled and terrified aspects, and they showed themselves in the form of phantoms which were in fighting attitudes. Abba Isidore said unto him, ‘Look to the East’, and when he looked he saw innumerable Holy Angels standing there, and they were in a state of great Glory. Then Abba Isidore said unto him, ‘Behold, those who are in the West are those who are fighting with the Holy ones, and those whom you have seen in the East are they who are sent by God to the help of the Saints, for those who are with us are many.’ And having seen this Abba Moses took courage and returned to his cell without fear.”
Abba Moses the Strong
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A brother asked Abba Agathon about fornication. He answered, “Go, cast your weakness before God and you shall find rest.”
Abba Agathon
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The woman answered: “You remind me, Zosima, of what I dare not speak of. For when I recall all the dangers which I overcame, and all the violent thoughts which confused me, I am again afraid that they will take possession of me.” Zosima said: “Do not hide anything from me; speak to me without concealing anything.” She said to him: “Believe me, Abba, seventeen years I passed in this desert fighting wild beasts – mad desires and passions… But when such desires entered me I struck myself on the breast and reminded myself of the vow which I had made, when going into the desert. In my thoughts I returned to the Icon of the Mother of God which had received me and to her I cried in Prayer. I implored her to chase away the thoughts to which my miserable Soul was succumbing. And after weeping for long and beating my breast I used to see Light at last which seemed to shine on me from everywhere. And after the violent storm, lasting calm descended… And how shall I tell you, O Abba, of the thoughts that pushed me towards lust once more? A fire was kindled in my miserable heart which seemed to burn me up completely and to awake in me a thirst for embraces. As soon as this craving came to me, I flung myself on the earth and watered it with my tears, as if I saw before me my witness, who had appeared to me in my disobedience, and who seemed to threaten punishment for the crime. And I did not rise from the ground (sometimes I lay thus prostrate for a day and a night) until a calm and sweet light descended and enlightened me and chased away the thoughts that possessed me. But always I turned to the eyes of my mind to my Protectress, asking her to extend help to one who was sinking fast in the waves of the desert. And I always had her as my Helper and the Accepter of my repentance. And thus I lived for seventeen years amid constant dangers. And since then even till now the Mother of God helps me in everything and leads me as it were by the hand.”
Saint Mary of Egypt
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“The person who gives himself over to evil thoughts cannot keep his outer self free from sin.”
Saint Philotheos of Sinai
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“When we stand in Prayer, those unclean and unspeakable thoughts assail us; but if we continue Praying to the end they retire at once, for they do not fight those who stand up to them.”
Saint John Climacus
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“Flee from bad thoughts as from a fire. Don’t take notice of them at all, so they can’t take root in you; and don’t despair, for God is great and forgives sinners. When you err, repent and force yourself not to repeat the offence.”
Saint Joseph the Hesychast
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“Do not test out your mind on seductive and impure thoughts imagining you will not be overcome by them. No one is immune.”
Saint Isaac the Syrian
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“If the enemy decides to attack you with lustful thoughts, don’t be put off by it, but use the demon for your own benefit, saying: ‘It is good that you have brought me these thoughts, now l am encouraged to Pray otherwise I keep forgetting to Pray unceasingly.’ Right away the enemy will retreat.”
Saint Paisios the Athonite
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“We do well if we don’t comply with sinful thoughts, which come from the devil. Because the evil spirit is able to exercise effective influence only over impassioned people. If you’re without passions, he can try to get at you only from afar.”
Saint Seraphim of Sarov
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“The devil is like a lion, hiding in ambush. He secretly sets out nets of unclean and unHoly thoughts. So, it is necessary to break them off as soon as we notice them, by means of pious reflection and Prayer.”
Saint Seraphim of Sarov
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“We have to try to be free from unclean thoughts, especially when we Pray to God. Because it’s not possible for there to be a stench mixed in with a fragrance.”
Saint Seraphim of Sarov
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“Nothing causes such exceeding grief as when one calls to mind that he has fallen because he turned aside to carnal and earthly things, instead of directing his mind in the beautiful ways of the knowledge of God.”
Saint Ambrose of Milan
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“You want me to burn with temptation, but I will not give in to it. Instead, I choose to burn in this fire in order to preserve my purity and to escape the unquenchable fires of Hell.”
Saint Martinian of Palestine
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“Impurity comes from idleness. Prayer, fasting, and Spiritual struggle drive it away.”
Saint Paisios the Athonite
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“Living a chaste Christian life is sometimes more difficult than suffering a Martyr’s death.”
Saint Mark the Ascetic
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“When lustful thoughts begin to trouble you, immediately turn your mind to the Crucified One.”
Saint Nicodemus the Athonite
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“If we are really eager, as the Apostle puts it, to ‘struggle lawfully’ and to ‘be crowned’ (2 Tim. 2:5) for overcoming the impure spirit of unchastity, we should not trust in our own strength arid ascetic practice, but in the help of our Master, God. No one ceases to be attacked by this demon until he truly believes that he will be healed and reach the heights of purity not through his own effort and labour, but through the aid and protection of God. For such a victory is beyond man’s natural powers. Indeed, he who has trampled down the pleasures and provocations of the flesh is in a certain sense outside the body. Thus, no one can soar to this high and Heavenly prize of Holiness on his own wings and learn to imitate the Angels, unless the Grace of God leads him upwards from this earthly mire.”
Saint John Cassian
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“Not one passion is conquered without a great struggle. The Holy Fathers have referred to adulterous passion as death. When the adulterer is saved from an adulterous passion it is as though he resurrected from the dead. For those who live in the world the passion of adultery is inflamed principally by seeing and for those who live a life of asceticism in the wilderness that passion is inflamed by thoughts and by imagination. Saint Sarah, a great female ascetic, was tortured by the insane passion of adultery for thirty years. She always defeated it by Prayer and drove it away from her. At one time, the foul insanity of adultery came to her in bodily form and said to her: “Sarah, you have defeated me!” Sarah humbly answered: “I have not defeated you but the Lord Christ has defeated you.” From that time on, the thought of adultery left her forever. When Saint Pimen was asked how can a man struggle against the adulterous insanity, he replied: “If man surpresses his stomach and tongue then he will be able to rule over himself.” Saint Anthony said that there exists three kinds of movements in the body: “First, the natural movement, second, unrestrained in food, and third, from the demons.” Again, others have said that the vice of adultery is strengthened by anger and pride. However, all agree that along with man’s sobriety and effort the help of God is necessary in order that this repulsive passion be uprooted completely. And that it is possible for man to preserve himself in purity, witness, among many others, Saint Moses of Urgin, who lived fifty years in the world and ten years in the Monastery, altogether a total of sixty years in completely virginal purity.”
Saint Nikolai Velimivorich
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“When you turn to the Lord, don’t look at what’s happening within you. Keep your attention fixed on Him and beg for help. If a mind is paying full attention to the Lord, there’s no room for nasty thoughts.”
Saint Theophan the Recluse
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“We carry about with us impassioned images of the things we have experienced. If we can overcome these images we shall be indifferent to the things which they represent. For fighting against the thoughts of things is much harder than fighting against the things themselves, just as to sin in the mind is easier than to sin through outward action.”
Saint Maximus the Confessor
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“I have met a young girl, she was very decent, so innocent… She never had bodily thoughts… but one day she started to have sinful thoughts. She tried to expel them but she couldn’t do it because she was inexperienced. So she went to the Parish Priest that she knew and said to him: “You know, Father, this is very strange, I have never had this kind of thought, but now it’s bothering me and it won’t go away…” The Priest Blessed her: “May God forgive you!” And he told her: “If the thought appears again, come and tell me”. You see, this is the practice of humility which eradicates the devil. Hiding, following one’s own will, based on self-centeredness, is the seat of satan. We have to eradicate this! Are you afraid to tell your Elder: “Father, I face a battle…”? Lord of the Powers! Is there any human not facing this battle? We came here to fight… Christ didn’t bring us here for comfort… He brought us here walking in front of us and He showed us the way of this real warfare…”
Elder Joseph of Vatopedi
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“Christ does not require big things from us to help us in our struggle. He expects very little, a tiny bit. A young man was telling me that he went to Patmos to worship and fell into temptation’s trap. A female tourist jumped on him and hugged him while he was walking. He pushed her away saying, “My Christ I have come for worship not for love” and he went away. That same night in his hotel room, during Prayer, he saw Christ immersed in Uncreated Light. Do you see the reward he received for that one push? Others strive for years in the ascetic life and may never be blessed with something like that. And he saw Jesus Christ only because he resisted temptation. And this experience, naturally, made him stronger Spiritually. Later on, he saw Saint Marcella, Saint Raphael, and Saint George more than once. One day, he came and told me “Father, say a Prayer for me so that I may see Saint George again and be consoled. I cannot find any consolation in this world!” And then you see where other young people end up…”
Saint Paisios the Athonite
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“We cannot fully acquire the virtue of purity unless we have first acquired real humility of heart.”
Saint John Cassian
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“When you turn to Christ, pay no attention to what’s going on inside you. Keep your attention focused on the Lord and beg Him for help. There’s no room for malicious thoughts in a mind focused on the Lord.”
Saint Theophan the Recluse
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“The Lord will deliver you from all improper thoughts; just humble yourself.”
Saint Ambrose of Optina
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The Brother who would not despair…
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