Treatment and protection from the passion of fornication

Fornication (or lustful passion) is distinguished by its special deceit. She is capable of mastering a person’s mind and the process of indulging her often becomes the only stimulus for life. To shield their own passion for fornication, almost everyone gives it the name “love,” although in reality it does not mean a pure and bright feeling, but only a physical desire to satisfy one’s sexual needs.

You will learn more about fornication and ways to combat it from this material.

Prodigal thoughts

Prodigal thoughts are slimy and obsessive, they are voluptuous and inflame character. The body easily gives in to them! If you stop your thoughts, you will curb your soul and body.

“It happens that the evil one puts in such a tempting thought: “Every hour a lustful thought troubles you; How long will you bear this anxiety and endure? Satisfy lusts so as not to be in struggle; After you repent, it doesn’t matter.” Answer him with sobriety: “Who will tell me that if I corrupt my flesh, I will find time to repent and will not be dragged along with those who practice iniquity? For our life is on earth (Job 8:9). If this happens, then would sinning be the same as taking a sword and killing myself? And how can you say that this matter is unimportant? For I see how highly those who do not succumb to this attraction are honored and how dishonest those who indulge it are. Joseph is praised from generation to generation, both in heaven and on earth, and the Egyptian woman is ridiculed; The chaste Susanna is glorified, but the lustful elders have left behind a bad name for all generations. How else do you say: satisfy once and calm down? “Don’t you know, devil, that if an animal is accustomed to carnivory, it more often satisfies this passion?” And you want to assure me that if I satisfy my lust, it will no longer bother me. May the Lord forbid you, you crafty evildoer, who seeks, like a lion, to devour my soul. Your sweetness is bitter, your suggestion is the depth of evil, your promises are filled with death and destruction. You inspire me with sin, which will expose me from the grace of the Lord and offend the Holy Spirit, by whom I was marked on the day of deliverance (Eph. 4:30); but you say that this is not an important matter. You encourage me, so that I may create the oaths of Christ for the harlots (1 Cor. 6:15), so that in an instant I may lose immortal wealth and destroy sanctification, without which no one will see the Lord...” (St. Ephraim the Syrian).

“If you notice that some thought is drawing you to a date with a boy or a beautiful woman, then know that you are approaching the enemy’s snares. If, even after admonition (not to do this), you do not abandon your intention, then know that you are already entangled in nets and it is not easy for you to overcome voluptuousness. Will you say: “I do not suffer harm from this?” But is it possible to walk on hot coals without burning your feet” (St. Ephraim the Syrian).
“An unladen ship is tossed hither and thither by the blows of the waves, and an intemperate mind is tossed with prodigal thoughts” (St. Nilus of Sinai).
“The inhuman enemy, the instigator of fornication, represents God as a lover of mankind, suggesting that He has great condescension towards this passion as natural. But watch this malicious person and you will find that after committing this sin, he already imagines God differently - only just and unforgivable. He makes the first suggestion in order to draw us into sin, and the second in order to plunge us into despair” (St. John Climacus).

Therefore, do not believe your thoughts, cut them off immediately and quickly reveal them to your confessor, repent and confess more often.

“Let our first and main act of maintaining purity of heart be that when, through a subtle insinuation of the devil’s malice, a memory of any female person creeps into our minds, be it mothers, sisters, relatives, or even holy wives, we We hurried to expel him from our thoughts as quickly as possible, so that if we linger long in such thoughts, our seducing enemy would not unnoticedly transfer our mind from these wives to those through whom he could instill harmful thoughts. Why, trying to fulfill the commandment: guard your heart with all care, we must, according to God’s original command, carefully guard the poisonous head of the serpent (Gen. 3), that is, the beginnings of evil thoughts, through which the devil tries to creep into our soul, so that , if his head, through our negligence, penetrates into our heart, his whole body did not creep in there, that is, it was not born from unclean thoughts and consent to sinful pleasure. When the enemy is allowed inside, he will captivate the soul and will certainly kill it with his poisonous remorse. We must also beat the sinners who arise on our earth, that is, carnal feelings, on the morning of their birth (Ps. 100:8), and smash the sons of Babylon against a stone while they are still babies (Ps. 136:9). For if they are not beaten while they are still tender and weak, then having grown up, through our connivance, they will rise up against us with great strength and - either destroy us, or, if they are defeated, then, of course, not without great sighs and labors. For when the strong, that is, our spirit, is armed and guards his house, that is, protects the peace of our heart with the fear of God, then the essence of his possessions in the world (Luke 11:21), that is, the fruits of his labors and virtues , acquired over a long time. When the stronger one who finds him defeats him, that is, the devil, through agreement with the thoughts inspired by him, then he will take up all his weapons, relying on tenderness, that is, the remembrance of the Scriptures or the fear of God, and selfishness will distribute him (Luke 11 , 22), that is, skills in virtues will be dispelled by all sorts of opposite vices...

We can maintain such a mood constantly if we always remember that God is the night and day viewer and knower of not only our secret deeds, but also all our thoughts - and believe that we have to give Him an answer for everything that revolves in the heart ours, as for all our deeds and actions” (St. John Cassian).
“Whoever corrupts the temple of God, God will corrupt him (1 Cor. 3:17), says the Divine Scripture. Like a dog, resist vigorously the demon of fornication; Do not agree to be carried away by such thoughts; because from a spark there will be many coals and from a bad thought bad wishes will multiply. Try to destroy the memory of them more than the stench of mud” (St. Ephraim the Syrian).
“Blessed are those who keep holy things (purity) in humility! But let no one hope to achieve peace (in this matter) by submitting themselves to obedience to the suggestions of the enemy: for then this tormentor will hold them captive through lustful thoughts and pleasures, although without shameful deeds. In this situation, since they have not known a wife, the enemy instills in them the idea of ascribing virginity to themselves, while their whole body is filled with lustful filth. This is how the enemy makes them exalt themselves as free from sin, while he saturates them with a bunch of gall and a bunch of sorrow (Deut. 32:32)” (St. Ephraim the Syrian).
“When the demon begins to draw a tempting object in you and writes in your mind the beauty of the woman you once saw, bring the fear of God inside and remember those who sleep in sins; think about the day of your departure, when your soul will be separated from your body; imagine that terrible and trembling voice that will be heard by those who are careless about the truth and who do not keep the commandments of Christ: depart from Me, cursed into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angel (Matthew 25:41); imagine a never-ending worm and endless torment. Think and remember this - and the lust for pleasure will dissipate in your thoughts, like wax melts before the fire; for demons cannot withstand the fear of God even for a moment” (St. Ephraim the Syrian).

“Do not accustom your thoughts to enter into conversation with the sweets of lust, because in the host of passionate thoughts and movements a fire flares up (Ps. 105:18). They, heating you up, will make you think that it is difficult to hold back the fire of nature, that you are unable to do violence to nature any longer, and that although today you will sin out of necessity, tomorrow you will repent according to the commandment. For the (Christian) law is philanthropic - it easily forgives sin to those who repent. At the same time, they will present you with an example of how some, after abstinence, fell and repented again, giving credibility to their seductive advice, so that, having crushed the firmness of opposition with this hope of easy conversion again through repentance, they could make the temple of chastity a house of fornication” (St. Nilus of Sinai).

Universal bait: hypertrophy of the sexual instinct

As the fallen angels are well aware, a person has no other way to remain without the grace of God, except for one thing - to commit a sin by violating any Divine commandment. However, it is not so easy to persuade a person to sin, especially initially, since conscience, as a divine instrument given to every person to distinguish between good and evil, greatly interferes with the performance of this task. In order to facilitate it, the demons needed to find such a universal bait that could, firstly, reliably hide the hook under the guise of, for example, natural physiological attraction, and secondly, be equally attractive to all people. The instinct of reproduction with its inherent natural attraction of opposite sexes to each other was chosen by demons as precisely such a universal bait, trapping all of humanity in the net of sin. Thanks to special methods of influencing human consciousness and physiology, demons are able to immeasurably increase (hypertrophy) sexual desire.

Thus, the method of hypertrophy of the sexual instinct is for demons a ubiquitous, main and universal method of mastering the will and body of a person. He easily and imperceptibly allows demons to force a person to cross the limit of the use of this instinct permitted by God, limited to the sphere of legal marriage, and, thereby, to sin. At the same time, demons, at their own choice, can direct their hypertrophied sexual desire to any, the strangest, inappropriate, or even terrible and disgusting object that:

or is prohibited by God (for example: another man’s wife, a small child, a subject of the same sex, any animal, a dead female body, etc.),
or is clearly, due to its social, intellectual or moral qualities, not suitable for further married life. In the latter case, the demons set themselves the goal of creating painfully difficult relationships between people who are alien in spirit, but who find themselves in a marriage union, whom the demons quite deliberately united with the help of a mutually directed fornication suggestion. Both spouses, and most importantly, their children, will suffer from this “failed love” (but, from the demons’ point of view, very successful).

But still, the main reason, in my opinion, that demons have completely taken control of the sexual instinct of any person is that it is this instinct in a hypertrophied form (with their help) that is the most powerful means by which they manage to provoke people are rebelling against God. The conflict artificially created by demons between what is desired (in the sexual sphere) and the commandment of God for many centuries among those who know God manifests itself, as a rule, in three main forms.

Treatment and protection from the passion of fornication

“Punish your thoughts with poverty of food, so that you think not about fornication, but about hunger” (St. Nilus of Sinai).

It has been experimentally proven that when a person is hungry, he thinks more about filling his belly, and not about fornication. For a lustful person, abstinence from food is especially important, since the demon of fornication always attacks when the belly is full, using the natural physiological states of the body. Therefore, the oppression of the belly in food bridles the human flesh under the power of the mind and makes the natural reactions of the flesh controllable. The oppressed hungry belly involuntarily attracts attention to itself, and therefore is a deterrent to the prodigal movements of the soul, which is what St. So succinctly said. Nile.

“The trouble is not that passions fight us and we must fight them; but it is disastrous if, having pleased ourselves, we fall before our opponents. Resist the lust that burns you, so as to avoid the flame that never goes out. If passion once defeats you, it will not retreat, but will attack you even more. Be attentive to yourself, so that you do not lose the glory of God’s face...

Remember what you promised to God, and keep what is holy (purity) so that you may find grace before the Lord. Listen to him who said: Flee fornication (1 Cor. 6:18). Do you want to know what a grave sin is fornication? Look: those whom the serpents could not kill in the wilderness, fornication brought down in the land of Midian. If you have fallen into sin, then do not remain in the fall and do not neglect God’s long-suffering and God’s mercy. Remember that death will not delay (Sir. 14, 12). Remember that it is impossible for you to escape God's hands. So, do not be negligent, but repent, cry, sigh because you are deceived; for even if we consign our fall to oblivion, then God, who created us, knows the deeds of everyone” (St. Ephraim the Syrian).

“Other passions are usually purified, among other things, by dealing with people and by everyday activities and affairs with them, and are somehow cured by the very trouble and annoyance of falling into them. So, for example, outbursts of anger, insult, and impatience, in addition to heartfelt instruction and cheerful attention, are cured by visiting the brethren and by frequently evoking these passions. Since they, being irritated by this, are more often discovered, they are exposed more often and therefore are healed more quickly. But this illness, with exhaustion of the body and contrition of the heart, also needs solitude and distance from people, so that, having thus rejected the reasons for the harmful feverish kindling of it, it can quickly come to a state of perfect recovery. Just as it is useful for those who are sick with any illness not to bring foods that are harmful to them even to their eyes, so that when they look at them a murderous desire is not born: so silence and solitude greatly contribute to driving away this particular illness (lust). so that the sick soul, without being called out from the outside by various persons and things, more freely ascends to the purest mental contemplation and through this can more easily root out the contagious excitement of lust” (St. John Cassian).

“Until then, this passion will not cease to challenge the soul for victory, until it (the soul) realizes that it is beyond its strength to successfully conduct such a struggle and that with its labors and its effort it cannot in any way win victory unless it is supported by help and intercession Gentlemen.
And indeed, if every success in virtue is a work of the Lord’s grace and overcoming every passion is His victory, then primarily this work (that is, acquiring purity and overcoming lustful passion) is a special grace and gift, as is confirmed by the opinions of St. fathers and experiences of cleansing from this passion, according to the testimony of those who were honored to acquire it. For not to feel the sting of the flesh is in some way the same as being in the body, coming out of the flesh and, putting on flesh, being outside of nature. And therefore it is impossible for a person to fly on his own, so to speak, wings to such a heavenly height of perfection, if the grace of the Lord does not lift him out of the earthly mud with the gift of purity. For people of flesh are not so closely resembled by any virtue to the heavenly angels in imitation of their lives, as by the acquisition of the grace of purity, through which they, while still continuing to live on earth, have, according to the Apostle, residence in heaven (Phil. 3:20) and here, in mortal flesh, already possess what is promised to the saints in the future life, after the deposition of corruptible flesh” (St. John Cassian).

“Most of all, you need to watch yourself vigorously at night. For just as cleanliness and self-protection during the day prepares for purity at night, so vigilance at night provides the heart, as well as self-attention, with strength and strength to resist everything unclean during the day...
However, we must know that even though we have observed all the strictness of abstinence, namely, hunger, thirst, vigil, constant work, and have been reading soul-saving books with unremitting zeal, we cannot, however, ourselves, through these feats, acquire continuous purity chastity, unless the special grace of God comes to our aid. Let everyone know that he must tirelessly practice the above deeds only in order to patiently endure the sorrow of them, inclining the mercy of God to himself, to be worthy of the divine gift of liberation from the battle of the flesh and from the domination of prevailing passions, and not in the hope that he himself, through them, can achieve the indestructible purity of bodily chastity, which he so desires and seeks.
The desires of real things cannot be suppressed or rejected unless other, salutary ones are perceived in their place. Therefore, if we want to destroy carnal desires from our hearts, then in their place we must quickly plant spiritual desires, so that our spirit, always striving for their objects, has neither the desire nor the time to pay attention to the delights of the transitory joys of the earth. And when our spirit, through daily exercises in spiritual work, is established in such a mood of renunciation from everything, then it will experimentally understand the power of the following verse, which we all often repeat, but the power of which only a few experienced people know: I have seen the Lord before me, for he is at my right hand. Let me not move (Ps. 15:8). Only he truly comprehends the power and meaning of this verse who, having achieved that purity of body and spirit that we are talking about, realizes that he is protected at every moment by the Lord, so that he does not again deviate to the former, and that his right hand, i.e. holy actions are constantly protected by Him. For the Lord is always present to His saints, not on the left side - because a holy man has nothing on the left, that is, bad - but on the right. But for sinners and the unclean He is invisible, because they do not have the right side, on which He is usually present” (St. John Cassian).

“If the spirit of fornication bothers you, rebuke it, saying: “The Lord consume you, you full of stench, you unclean demon.” For we know him who said: the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God (Rom. 8:7).
Anyone who loves purity and chastity becomes a temple of God...
How fragrance pleases the sense of smell; so the Holy Spirit delights in purity and dwells in man...
Refrain, brother, from jokes, so that they do not make you shameless, shamelessness is the mother of lewdness.
When lust is ignited in the body, bring to your mind an unquenchable fire and an endless worm, and the kindling of the members will immediately fade away; otherwise, having weakened, you will be defeated, and you will begin to repent, and the fire will embrace you with the sorrow of repentance, and you will get used to sinning, although you will repent. At the beginning, try to be strict with every movement of this desire, so as not to be overcome by it, and you will not get used to giving up victory over yourself in battle. For habit is second nature. The habit of relaxation will never allow you to acquire severity. She always creates and destroys, sins and repents. If you get used to relaxing when they attack you, then the inscription in your handwriting forever and ever will be: repentance. He who is accustomed to yielding victory over himself to desire is always convicted by his conscience; He is sad at all times, and although he shows a cheerful face in front of others, he is internally saddened due to the conviction of his conscience. For the usual property of lust is to impart painful sorrow to those who fulfill it. Therefore, listen with all your soul, always having God within you [1, 330].

Be attentive to yourself and try to keep yourself pure until death, so that you can meet the immortal Bridegroom with boldness and joy. Honor virginity; and it will lead you into the heavenly palace. Therefore the apostle said: I have betrothed you to one husband, to present a pure virgin to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2).
Protect your body from sin, so as not to lie before the Creator; because we offered ourselves as a gift to the Lord; and we no longer have power over our body, and we cannot take the gift back, of our own free will. If someone, having made a vow to God, brought a gift to the Lord and the priest, taking the gift, placed it in the temple; then even if the one who brought this gift repented later, he no longer has the power to take the gift back after bringing it to the Lord; and if he intends to steal it secretly, he will not be free from accusation as having taken his property, but will be punished as a blasphemer. Likewise, those who have dedicated their souls to God no longer have power over their own body.
Beware of bad advice. For it happens that those who have fallen away from virtue intensify to ensnare others, so that they will not be the only ones to wallow in an indecent life. They speak pleasantly, so that those who obey them, distracting them from chastity, are plunged into sins. Having themselves fallen, not only do they not want to rise up, but they also deliberately tempt others into falling and corruption. And the devil uses them as bait on the bait. The grave was opened at the throat of them, betrayed in the passion of dishonor (Rom. 3, 13: 1, 26). Beware of them, so that they do not burn you with their soft speeches” (St. Ephraim the Syrian).
“Don’t be careless, but resist courageously and block the trench that usually comes in to ruin you, so that, not finding a convenient entrance, he leaves with nothing. And to block the trench means to protect the senses through which both good and evil enter the soul, i.e. sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste; and do not allow your thoughts to be carried away where they should not. Keep in mind the giants who corrupted the earth with their dominion, and how the Lord in one instant wiped them off the face of the earth with a flood; and their strength did them no good. Judge about the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, how it was consumed for the sins of the inhabitants; and luxury and pride did not benefit them. Let us take care of our salvation, so that death does not suddenly befall us and so that we do not leave here in great condemnation...

Keep your body pure in the Lord, like a pearl of great price; do not flaunt your clothes; turn your gaze downward and your soul to grief; Don’t go so far as to treat a young man freely, and even talking to a woman is unnecessary; Do not have a conversation with the boy and do not enter into company with drunkards and laughers, but remain entirely in the fear of God, remembering the commandment of the Apostle: do not get drunk with wine, there is fornication in it (Eph. 5:18)” (St. Ephraim the Syrian).

Do not neglect the advice of the elder, do not consider the advice about wine unimportant, for not a single worldly holiday takes place without wine, and there are plenty of reasons for drinking wine in the world. The community of those who revel and laugh erases the fear of God and reduces spiritual sobriety.

Lost fear of God and sobriety open the door to uncontrolled demonic influence and prepare the way for the fall.

“Whoever wants to correct himself and establish himself in purity must firmly grasp a chaste thought, exhaust the flesh with good labors and incessant remembrance of God, cleanse the thought of everything bad and shameful. Through this our mind is filled with grace; The grace of God, which dwells in the mind and possesses it, blocks access to it for malicious enemies when they try to enter...
Blessed is the man who cares to please God and keeps his body clean, so as to become the holy temple of Christ the King. Have you already become a temple of your own free will, man? Be attentive to yourself day and night, so that your temple does not become corrupted. If you keep it pure and useful to your Master, then the Spirit of God will dwell in you and sanctify you more and more...
The root of lust is shameless. If you cut it every day, then it vegetates every hour. Completely tear out the root of lust from your heart, so that it does not vegetate and grow hourly. If you cut it a thousand times, it will regenerate twice as many times - until you completely tear out its roots” (St. Ephraim the Syrian).

“He who protects himself from these arrows does not go to crowded meetings, does not wander absentmindedly at festivals. For it is better to remain calmly at home and remain in prayer, rather than, thinking to honor the holidays, to quickly become the prey of enemies” (St. Nilus of Sinai).
“The stormed ship hurries to the pier; and the chaste soul seeks the desert. The ship is running away from sea waves that threaten danger, and the soul is running away from women’s faces that cause death...

A desert bush is safe from the flame of fire, and a chaste man far from women is safe from the ignition of the passion of lewdness: for just as the memory of fire does not burn up thoughts; Likewise, passion has no strength when there is no food for it...
If you pacify the flesh that lusts after the spirit through ascetic labors; then beyond this age you will have the glory promised by the sayings of the beatitudes, as one who has overcome in battle the one who in your body fights against the law of your mind, and takes you captive by the law of sin that is in your hearts (Rom. 7:25).
During the time of prodigal warfare, refuse invitations to feasts...
It is most dangerous if the heart is mired in the habit of the sweets of lust; and it will take a lot of work to cut this (passionate) pasture to the roots...
Look, man of abstinence, under the pretext of repentance, do not be deceived by unknown hopes. For many, having fallen, were immediately snatched away by death, while others were unable to rise (from the fall), bound by the habit of lustful pleasures as if by law. Why do you know, man, whether you will live and whether you will repent for assigning years of life to yourself? By falling from this, you indulge your flesh, whereas you should rather indulge in the remembrance of death, so that in your heart you can more vividly imagine the terrible decree of judgment and thereby extinguish the wisdom of your scorched flesh” (St. Nilus of Sinai).
“Whoever fights with this opponent with bodily labor and sweat is like one who tied his enemy with a rope; whoever fights against his enemy with abstinence and vigilance is like one who has surrounded his enemy with iron shackles; and whoever arms himself against him with humility, lack of anger and thirst is like one who killed his adversary and hid him in the sand...

Whoever hopes to fight his flesh or overcome it with his own strength struggles in vain. For if the Lord does not destroy the house of carnal lust and build the house of the soul; then the one who tries to succeed in this on his own watches and fasts in vain...
Whoever tries to put an end to this war by abstinence alone is like a man who is trying to swim out of the depths of the sea, using only one hand. Pair humility with abstinence; because the first without the last turns out to be useless...
Some say that after experiencing carnal sin it is impossible to be called pure, but I, refuting their opinion, say that it is possible and convenient for anyone who wants to turn a wild olive into a good one through grafting. If the keys of the Kingdom had been entrusted to the body of a virgin, then the opinion of these persons might have been correct. But may he who, having a mother-in-law, become pure and bear the keys of the Kingdom, put them to shame” (St. John Climacus).

If you are a family man and live in a legal relationship with your spouse and preserve the purity of your marriage and the bed undefiled, then you do not sin before God. If you once had a wife (husband) legally and now live in abstinence, do not consider that you were wicked, for you passed from one blessed dispensation to another, more perfect one.

“As the water of life, diligently drink the reproach of every person who wants to give you this medicine that cleanses you from lust; for then deep purity will shine in your soul and the light of God will not become scarce in your heart.
Do not cease to imagine and remember the abyss of dark fire, unmerciful servants, the merciless and implacable Judge, the endless depth of the underworld flame and close descents into underground places, terrible abysses and other similar things; so that by fear, born from these memories, you can remove from yourself the feeling of fornication, unite with imperishable purity and accept in your soul the radiance of immaterial light, which is more brilliant than all lights” (St. John Climacus).

Three forms of rebellion against God

The first type of rebellion against God is personal rebellion. So, for example, in both of the above cases (see “inappropriate objects”), fueled by a passionate, uncontrollable attraction, a person, under the supervision and control of demons, tries to overcome all the obstacles that God’s commandments, parents, society and his own conscience place before him. An indomitable, truly insane desire to satisfy either sexual desire or romantic feelings of “love” inspired by demons forces a person to rebel against God and His prohibitions, not noticing that he is hooked and has become a puppet in the hands of fallen angels. It is precisely this obsession with prodigal passion, over which demons know how to throw an elegant romantic veil, that is “fed” to readers in almost all novels and poetic works called “love,” although this passion has nothing to do with true love.

The second type of rebellion against God, which is based on hypertrophied sexuality, manifests itself in two forms: a) in the form of a distortion of Christian teaching and b) in the form of a transition from revealed teaching to paganism (i.e., to unrevealed religions).

Signs and degrees of defeat by prodigal passion. Signs and degrees of purity and chastity

The Holy Fathers described the degree of defeat by fornication, as well as signs of recovery from it and the degree of strengthening in the virtue of chastity. Based on these signs, a Christian himself can check himself, get to know himself, as if diagnose his soul for the degree of purity in which it resides, and draw appropriate conclusions.

“If a sign of purity is not to experience lustful movements even in sleepy dreams; then, of course, the extreme degree of lust will be to endure the outflow even in reality from mere thoughts and memories” (St. John Climacus).
“One can set a sign and measure of the perfection of acquired purity if, when we are resting or relaxing in deep sleep, no seductive image arises, or if one arises, it is not strong enough to arouse any lustful movements. For such a movement, although it is not imputed to the full guilt of sin, nevertheless serves as a sure sign that the soul has not yet reached perfection, and shows that passion has not yet been completely plucked out when dreamy images manage to produce this kind of outrage” (St. John Cassian ).
“There are many degrees of chastity; along which one ascends to unshakable purity. I will divide the ladder of such improvement of chastity into six degrees, which, however, in reality, pass unnoticed, in the likeness of our bodies, which every day insensitively receive an increase and, without our knowledge, grow to their perfect form. - The first degree of chastity exists - if the monk is not subjected to the disturbance of carnal lust in the waking state; the second - if the mind does not slow down in voluptuous thoughts; third - if at the sight of a woman he is not at all disturbed by lust; the fourth - if in the waking state it does not allow even simple carnal movement; fifth - if even the most subtle consent to a carnal action does not hurt the mind, when reasoning or reading brings to mind human birth; sixth - if even in our dreams we are not outraged by seductive dreams of women” (St. John Cassian).

“The beginning of purity occurs when thoughts are not combined with prodigal excuses, and without dreams, outflows occur from time to time in a dream; the middle of purity, when natural movements occur only from contentment with food and are free from dreams and outflows; The end of purity is the mortification of the body, preceded by the mortification of unclean thoughts” (St. John Climacus).
“Complete chaste purity from the beginnings of abstinence from lustful thoughts and movements is distinguished by the complete calming of carnal excitement and peace from them. Perfectly matured chastity always preserves the imperturbable and unshakable purity of body and soul and is nothing other than holiness. This happens when the flesh, having ceased to lust after the spirit, begins to harmonize with its desires and virtue, and when they both unite with each other in a solid peace, and, according to the saying of the Psalmist, like brothers, they begin to live together (Ps. 133: 1). Then God is with them; for it is said that His place is in the world (Ps. 75:3), that is, not in the noise of battle and struggle with passions, but in the world of chastity and in constant peace of the heart. Why, when someone, through the extinction of carnal passions, is worthy to acquire this place of peace, then at the same time he becomes the dwelling place of God” (St. John Cassian).

Please note that chastity must mature, and this maturation is facilitated by constant exercise in extinguishing this passion. When the tree grows, its branches will be inaccessible to fire.

“It is another thing to be abstinent,... and another thing to be pure..., having come to an imperturbable state of chaste purity and virgin innocence. Such virtue is attributed to only virgins and virgins in soul and body, as, for example, both John (the Baptist and the Evangelist) are recognized in the New Testament, and Elijah, Jeremiah, and Daniel in the Old Testament. It is not unfair to honor those who, after the fall, through long ascetic labors and zealous recovery of what was lost, reached a similar state of purity and purity of soul and body, and feel the sting of the flesh not so much through the attack of shameful lust, but through the movement of nature alone. And such and such a state, we say, is extremely difficult to achieve in the midst of a crowd of people - is it not even impossible? Which, however, let everyone hope to learn from our discussion, but let him find out for himself through the examination of his conscience. We have no doubt that there are very many abstinent people who drive away and suppress the attack of the flesh, whether they experience it rarely or every day, either with the fear of Gehenna or with the desire for the Kingdom of Heaven. Regarding them, the elders believe that although they may not be completely upset and overcome by passionate irritations, they cannot, however, be safe from attacks and completely invulnerable. For one who is in the position of a fighter, although he often defeats and overcomes the enemy, is inevitably sometimes himself to experience anxiety and vulnerability” (St. John Cassian).
“Cast down the weakness of your nature before the Lord, realizing your powerlessness in everything, and you will imperceptibly receive the gift of chastity” (St. John Climacus).

What does the church view under the concept of fornication?

Speaking about fornication with its mental qualities, it is imperative to touch upon the Christian awareness of the meaning of the relationship between a man and a woman. In other words, the main current task that the Creator sets for people.

To look at this topic more impartially, you should study patristic anthropology (the doctrine of man).

The Church views the emergence of any kind of passion as a distortion of human essence after a person committed the act of sin. Christian teaching says that there is one main reason for committing sins - human selfishness, in other words, a person’s feeling of unfaithful love for himself. It is from here that all human passions and vices begin to grow.

Prodigal passion is no exception.

Please note that the words “fornication” and “to go astray” have the same root. And this means that when a person falls into fornication, he begins to wander away from the Truth. Having allowed sinful fornication passion into himself, a person inevitably commits not only physical, but also spiritual fornication, as a result of which he moves away and is alienated from the Creator.

The Almighty in His own fairy tales reveals to people the sacred secrets of spiritual life and the Kingdom of Heaven. Those who have read the Bible know the parable of the prodigal son. It examines bodily and spiritual fornication and subsequent repentance. The fairy tale, in the literal and figurative senses, shows us the main meaning of fornication (in other words, wandering away from oneself, from the Creator and true love).

The Lord made man in his own form and likeness and endowed him with various gifts. Thus, people have the power of words, the power of reason and the highest emotions. Man has truly colossal abilities and power.

But the problem is: is he really constantly wasting his energy on what is necessary?

Patristic anthropology says that a person has only two paths. One of them is to be adopted by God. And the second is to indulge oneself, to succumb to one’s passions and whims, and this is the path that leads to the death of a person’s soul.

Sample prayers for overcoming lust

The venerable and blessed fathers left us specific prayers, using which they were privileged to overcome their own lust.

St. Ephraim the Syrian gives an example:

“One monk, suffering from fornication, forbade the demon, saying: “Go into the darkness, Satan! Don’t you know that although I am not worthy, I nevertheless bear the members of Christ?” And immediately the burning stopped instantly (as if someone, blowing, extinguishes a lamp); why did he marvel at this within himself and glorify the Lord” (St. Ephraim the Syrian).

He also advises:

• “If during your work the spirit of fornication disturbs you, do not be lazy to stretch out your hands in prayer, and the prayer of faith will resist for you” (St. Ephraim the Syrian).
• “If carnal warfare arises in you, do not be afraid and do not lose heart. By doing this, you will embolden the enemy against you, and he will begin to plant tempting thoughts in you, instilling: “It is impossible to stop kindling the fire in you if you do not satisfy your lust.” But, enduring, be patient with the Lord, pour out your prayer with tears before His goodness, and He will hear you, and will lead you away from the pit of passions, that is, unclean thoughts, and from the clay of the mud, that is, shameful dreams, and will put you on your feet. your holiness (purity) is on the stones (Ps. 39:1-3), and you will see the help coming to you from Him. Just be patient, don’t relax in thought, don’t become exhausted, scooping water out of the boat; because the harbor of life is close. I also say to you, he says: behold, I have come (Isa. 58:9). But He is waiting to see your feat, whether you are really ready to resist sin even to death. So, do not be faint-hearted; God will not leave you. He looks at your feat; look at it and the faces of St. angels, and a crowd of demons. Angels are ready to give a crown to the winner, and demons are ready to cover the vanquished with shame. Be careful. Do not sadden your own (angels) and do not make strangers (demons) happy” (St. Ephraim the Syrian).

St. Nilus of Sinai reminds us of tears:

“With prayerful vigil, unite your tears in order to receive help in this battle” (St. Neil of Sinai).

St. John Climacus directs to the memory of death and the Jesus Prayer:

“Let the memory of death fall asleep and rise with you, and together the Jesus Prayer; for nothing can give you such strong intercession during sleep as these doings” (St. John Climacus).

He also cites all the mental and physical actions required for a heartfelt cry:

“Those who have not yet acquired true heartfelt prayer are helped (in the fight against prodigal passion) by exhausting themselves in bodily prayer, I mean: raising the hands, beating the chest, lifting the eyes to heaven with tenderness, sighing with groans and frequent kneeling; which, however, they often cannot do due to the presence of other persons. “That’s when the demons especially try to attack them; and they, not yet having the strength to resist them with firmness of mind and the invisible effect of prayer, out of necessity, perhaps, sometimes give in to those who fight them. In this case, if possible, jump away from people as quickly as possible, hide somewhere unnoticed for a short time, and there, raising your soul’s eye to grief, if you can, and if not, at least your body’s, and spreading your arms crosswise, to shame and defeat in this way the mental Amalek, crying out to the One who is able to save, not with exaggerated words, but with humble sayings, first and most of all, crying out: have mercy on me, for I am weak (Ps. 6:3). Then by experience you will know the power of the Almighty and with invisible help you will put the invisible to flight. He who is accustomed to fight in this way will soon begin to drive away enemies with one soul: for this second is given from God to workers as a reward for the first” (St. John Climacus).

Why do we find it difficult to cope with lust?

Why then (albeit to a much lesser extent), and especially now, people, even those who have come to know the True God and His commandments, do not always cope with fornication? Why is it that the soul, which does not have the instinct and need for reproduction, since, as mentioned above, is not intended for reproduction, cannot control its body? Why does our physical body, which, it would seem, should obey the physiological restrictions and constants initially inherent in the named instinct (such as the cessation of sexual activity during gestation), does not obey them? In addition, the soul of a person, even if he does not know the commandments of God, for reasons of expediency alone, as well as on the basis of logic and experience, would have to restrain himself and his body from wrong actions in the sphere of sexual relations. But why are so many tragedies, so many sins and so many troubles caused by incorrect sexual behavior? Why is it so difficult for us to manage ourselves?

Truly, there would be nothing complicated here (and there are examples of this), if not for the intervention of an outside, demonic force, the purpose of which, hiding behind a natural instinct, like a screen, is to force a person to constantly violate both the spiritual and physiological laws established by God. Demons achieve this quite consciously, since they know much better than us that violation of the Creator’s laws is the main reason for the departure of Divine grace from a person. The latter, as mentioned above, is necessary for mastering the will of a person and subordinating him to the will of the demonic.

In addition, demons are well aware that it is in this purely intimate sphere of human relationships that people can inflict the most painful blows on each other, capable of destroying their lives and souls. The painfulness of the blow is due to the fact that only in this area of people’s lives can the most monstrous, truly diabolical substitution of the highest of all concepts of happiness—the concept of LOVE—occur. Demons know that it is this substitution that gives rise to the most difficult emotional experiences, feelings of unbearable pain from deception, betrayal, frustration, etc.

Demons achieve their goals, as a rule, in two ways:

indirectly, by the method of suggestive-telepathic influence,
directly, by the method of sensory influence on the higher regulatory systems of the brain.

In the first case, that is, with suggestive-telepathic influence, demons introduce sexually charged thoughts into a person’s consciousness, reminiscent of the object of desire, and then, with the help of constant repetition, make these thoughts obsessive. Having become accustomed to them, a person himself will strive for the object indicated by them, an irresistible desire to see it and possess it will appear, regardless of any norms and laws.

At a deeper stage of mastering a person’s consciousness, demons can already transmit visual images into his consciousness, which, having the nature of pornographic pictures and “films,” using a special reflex mechanism, cause strong stimulation of the thalamic pleasure centers. The result of such an impact can be a form of sexopathology called “mental orgasm.” Demons most easily carry out this influence during sleep when consciousness and will are switched off, when, under the influence of erotic visions, both men and some women (Functional female sexopathology. V. Zdravomyslov et al., Alma-Ata, 1985) have wet dreams. But even in the waking state, demons force a person to fantasize about topics of an erotic nature given by them, thereby psychologically preparing him to commit sin: fornication, adultery, masturbation (synonyms: masturbation, malaria), as well as many severe sexual perversions.

In the second case (sensory stimulation method), demons, with directed energy impulses, excite orgiastic pleasure centers, covering the thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, reticular formation of the brainstem and cerebral cortex. Such an effect can be simulated by implanting electrodes into the corresponding centers and exposing them to a weak electric current. In this case, the subjective sensations of a person, which are based on the reflex mechanism, will be the same as with ordinary mechanical excitation of receptor fields. When exposed to this effect, a person feels an exciting burning sensation, tickling and other specific sexual sensations (SENESTOPATHY) in the area of the genital organs, which are peripheral formations of the reflex arc. Such long-term demonic influences on these centers turn people into sexual maniacs (EROTOMANIA).

Basic patristic rules for healing from the passion of fornication

As far as possible, remove yourself from communication and intercourse with persons of the opposite sex, except for the most necessary.
Keeping your eyes, guarding your mind from lustful thoughts. Punish thoughts with poverty of food, so that they think not about fornication, but about hunger.
Abstinence in food, oppression of the belly.
Abstinence in sleep, restricting oneself from the required amount of sleep, vigil, lack of sleep.
Strict observance of fasts.
Calling on the grace of God for help.
Cutting off the prodigal fantasies that arise in the memory.
Not pleasing the flesh with comfort, excessive convenience, pleasant expensive clothes, not wearing seductive clothes.
During the uprising of prodigal thoughts, immediately rise to prayer.
Do not lose heart when battle arises.
Move away from harmful people and their conversations, interrupt harmful dates.
When lust is inflamed, avoid touching the body, both your own and someone else's.
During the heat, remind yourself of the torment in Gehenna and the Judgment.
The root of lust must be torn out from the heart.
Do not trust your mortal body throughout your entire life, and do not rely on it until you stand before Christ.
Abstinence of the eye, tongue and belly are three aids to acquiring purity.
Submit the weakness of your nature before the Lord, realizing your complete powerlessness, and you will imperceptibly receive the gift of chastity.
Try to be strict with every lustful movement in the body, so as not to be overcome by it.

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The goal of demons is power over humanity

The main goal of the work of demons over the consciousness, will and body of every person is to achieve complete power over all of humanity, separating people from their Creator and making them like themselves. The demons set this goal for themselves because of their fierce and immeasurable hatred of God, from Whom they once fell away, wanting to take revenge on Him through those whom He loved so much that He voluntarily went to the Cross, atonement for their sins.

A passionate thirst for revenge in order to satisfy their boundless pride and lust for power forces demons to ensure that people fall away from God, whom they personally cannot harm. But in order to tear them away from the Heavenly Father, to distort the image of God in them, making people similar to themselves (i.e., demonic), demons must first deprive people of protection - those grace-filled uncreated Divine energies that do not allow demons to control their will and thoughts and the human body. The grace of God, the accumulation (acquisition) of which, according to the word of St. Seraphim of Sarov, should be the main work of a Christian on earth, increasing in quantity within him, creating also outside him a kind of protective “screen” that complicates the external influence of demons and prevents their penetration into the human body. That is why the demons had a very pressing question: how to deprive a person of this blessed protective “screen”.

“Human rights” to debauchery

c) The third type of rebellion against God and His Church is the direct revolutionary activity of Freemasonry and all other varieties of deeply religious Satanism, the task of which is the complete destruction of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, as well as Catholicism, which fell away from it in the 11th century, which was most openly manifested in the French revolution of the late 18th century, and most importantly - in the three Russian revolutions of the 20th century. The deep motive of these uprisings for many of the revolutionaries (of course, not among the most dedicated) was, in my opinion, a sexual rebellion, a struggle for freedom for sin and, first of all, for the sin of prodigal.

By the way, the last Russian (this century - the fourth), the so-called Gorbachev revolution, which destroyed the economy (including industry and agriculture), the army, science, healthcare, schooling and education, and most importantly - moral values (still preserved in Russia from Orthodox ancestors), one of its main goals was the fight for “human rights”. These rights were discussed at Gorbachev’s meeting with the American president in the famous Masonic lair on the island of Malta. R. Reagan demanded from Gorbachev, of course, freedom and respect for human rights, and specifically sexual freedom, which, as it later turned out, was expressed in the “human rights” to homosexuality (i.e., the sin of sodomy), prostitution and pornography! And this freedom was granted to everyone who was possessed by a prodigal demon: articles that persecuted homosexuality, prostitution and pornography were removed from the USSR Criminal Code. “Yes,” you say, “but many churches have opened!” In fact, the Orthodox were simply thrown a distracting bone, and in the meantime, tens of millions of young souls were morally destroyed, irrevocably (for the most part) separated from God and from the Church by rampant sexual freedom, spiritually crippled by the “human rights” to fornication and sexual perversion. Again, one of the main goals of this revolution was the fight against God and Orthodoxy, based on the sexual instinct exaggerated by demons (not without the help of their servants in the media).

The Path to Idolatry

b) The transition from revealed religion to paganism.

This form of struggle with God is characterized by a retreat from the true revealed religion and a return to some ancient or modern pagan religions that do not restrict, but, on the contrary, in some cases even stimulate complete sexual freedom. Here are just a few of them: the cults of Astarte, Aphrodite, Isis, Thammuz, Adonis, Lucifer, as well as Tantrism, Shintoism, Mormonism, Dianetics and numerous other occult systems.

Provoked by demons, the desire for moral deliverance from a clear and precise limitation of sexual function, which was determined for people by God in the form of legal marriage, i.e., the desire for sexual “freedom”, or more precisely, for debauchery, was, it seems to me, the main reason the repeated deviation into idolatry of the ancient Israelites - the only people who possessed a revealed religion in the pre-Christian period. The prophet Ezekiel, for example, in one of his revelations saw how at the northern gate of the temple of the Lord “women sat weeping for Tammuz” (Ezek. 8:14). The meaning of God's denunciation of this wickedness was... that the Israeli women seen by the prophet served the idol Tammuz (Tammuz), placed in the temple of the True God (!!) along with other pagan “gods” by the wicked king of Israel Joachim. This service was accompanied at first by crying for Tammuz (Tammuz), and then by unbridled joy, combined with the most vile and shameless debauchery (Biblical Encyclopedia, M., 1891, p. 686).

All Christians have been experiencing a similar demonic influence in the sexual sphere for many centuries, gradually falling away from the true teaching, and some from Christ. It is enough here, as an example, to cite the Roerich family that fell away from Orthodoxy and their numerous followers, who fell into the most primitive demon worship (paganism), clothed, however, in an elegant tinsel of pseudoscientific, as well as Hindu and Lamaistic concepts and terms.

Law of Parental Sin

In the latter case, for the mother’s mortal sin, as you may have noticed, the entire family lost the grace of God. The husband and daughter remained unprotected from the influence of demonic forces, and the child’s body was directly invaded by demons, which was expressed in the form of epilepsy, as one of the most severe forms of possession. Quite conventionally, all family members can thus be compared to communicating vessels in which the level of liquid simultaneously decreases, even if it is drawn out from only one vessel. In the two examples I gave above, which could be endlessly multiplied, we observe the action of one of the most important laws of God, regulating the life of man as a rational spiritual person, and therefore called spiritual laws, in contrast to the laws given by God to nature: physical laws, chemical, biological, etc. This law, let's call it the LAW OF PARENTAL SIN, explains the reason, incomprehensible to many, why children suffer for the sins of their parents. Let me try to formulate it now:

The sin of even one of the parents (especially “mortal”) necessarily reduces the common potential of uncreated Divine energy (grace) for the whole family, which has the greatest impact on children, as the weakest members of the single body of the family, depriving them and all other family members graceful divine protection from the negative effects of demonic forces.

The fact that the family can truly be considered as a single spiritual body, just as the Church, consisting of many members (people and local Churches), is the body of Christ, can be read from St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians (Eph. 5:23–27), as well as in 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 12:12–14). Look how the apostle compares the husband to Christ, and the wife to the Church... This comparison contains an extraordinary depth and mystery, which we can only partially reveal.

Just like the Church, which “by water and the Spirit” gives birth to new children (in spirit) for eternal life and thereby grows itself, a wife gives birth to children (in the flesh) for this earthly life, thereby multiplying the body family, the head of which is the husband, just as Christ is the head of the Church. Just as all members of the body of the Church are “filled with one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:12), that is, united into a single body by the grace of the Holy Spirit, the single body of the family is united by a single common potential of grace-filled energy, although each member of the family, I think , has some kind of reserve of grace.

On the chastity of young men

Nothing beautifies a young age more than to enter into marriage free from all debauchery. And their wives will be kind to them when their soul does not know fornication in advance and will not be corrupted, when the young man knows only the woman with whom he entered into marriage. Then love becomes more ardent, and affection is sincere. And friendship is more reliable, and a wife is the sweetest of all, when young men marry in compliance with this rule... If the young man was corrupt before marriage, then after marriage he will again look at other people’s wives and run to his mistresses. He who was chaste before marriage will remain so even more so after marriage. On the contrary, whoever learned to commit fornication before marriage will do the same after marriage.” St. John Chrysostom

About a girl's chastity

Although you did not say or utter those words of the harlot: “Come and let us wallow in lust,” you did not utter it with your tongue, but spoke with your sight, did not utter it with your lips, but spoke with your gait, did not invite with your voice, but invited with your eyes clearer than your voice. Although by inviting, you did not betray yourself; but you are not free from sin either; for this too is a special type of adultery; you remained clean from corruption, but bodily, not mental. St. John Chrysostom