What Is Spiritual Warfare? A review of Saint John Of Kronstadt's "My Life In Christ" – Roosh Valizadeh

Saint John Of Kronstadt is a highly esteemed Russian saint and miracle worker who died in the early 20th century. He was a chosen vessel that healed scores of people while foretelling the intense tribulation of the Russian Revolution. His spiritual diary, "My Life In Christ", is among the top three Orthodox books I’ve read. Every page is full of dense spiritual wisdom that beautifully harmonizes with what the Orthodox Church teaches. This is the first of four articles highlighting the best of Saint John’s lessons, starting with a description of spiritual warfare and why it’s so important to engage as a soldier of Christ.

Those who are trying to lead a spiritual life have to wage a most subtle and difficult warfare in their thoughts every moment of their life. This is spiritual warfare. They must be entirely awake, every moment, ready to notice every evil thought entering their souls from the evil one and to repel them. Such people must have hearts always burning with faith, humility, and love; otherwise, the cunning devil will quickly invade them, leading to lessening of faith or complete loss of faith. Then every possible evil will inhabit their hearts, evil that will not easily wash away even with tears. Do not, therefore, allow your heart to become cold, especially during prayer, and avoid stony insensibility in every way possible.

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…the devil and his evil spirits, as simple beings—though far from perfect in their simplicity, and very limited—act on the soul quickly, instantaneously, as suddenly as lightning or thought. A momentary feeling of attachment to earthly things, or a momentary inclination of the heart to sin, a momentary doubt in the truth, and Satan penetrates into the heart, producing in a moment a violent passion in it. Afterward, according to the measure of our sympathy with the passion, he takes possession of us and drags us where he pleases as his prisoners, bound hand and foot. If we resist him, he strives to foil our efforts to strive for heartfelt faith and pious thoughts and feelings by darkening our mind and heart. In order to vanquish and drive him from your heart, you must produce perfect faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart and remember that the enemy is active within you, that your thoughts or the inclinations of your heart and will are sinful, ungodly.

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[The devil] destroys us using our own mind, which should lead us to the eternal, living God! With our own ladles he draws for us the deadly water of worldly, vain wisdom, and gives us and other men to drink of it, instead of the living water of the Word of God! And we drink and drink, never suspecting that is it the water of death.

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You can see that [Satan] is in you, but often you cannot rid yourself of him, because he usually takes care to close all the exits from your heart through unbelief, hard-heartedness, and other passions of his inspiration. “Your labor is in vain, fallen angel, I am the servant of my Lord Jesus Christ. You, who exalt yourself in your arrogance, lower yourself by thus violently struggling with me, weak as I am.” Speak thus inwardly to the evil spirit, who lies like a heavy load on your heart and compels you to all kinds of evil. These words are like fiery whips to the proud spirit, and he, shamed by your firmness and spiritual wisdom, will flee from you.

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However slothful and weak your flesh may be, however inclined to sleep you may be, conquer yourself. Do not spare yourself for God’s sake; renounce yourself; let your gift to God be perfect. Give God your heart.

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I Lived Most Of My Life Under Demonic Influence – Roosh Valizadeh

Secular people think being under heavy demonic influence looks like something out of a Hollywood movie. You develop a guttural croak, stick out your tongue at inappropriate moments, and even develop a limp that signifies you are not well. Or you’ll do things that are obviously evil, such as punch little children in the face and torture backyard animals. The reality is far more subtle. Demons can be in total control over your life, directing your every move, and you will still be deceived that you’re a “good person” who is in charge. The word demon may not even enter your mind.

You’re under demonic influence if you commit evil deeds yet are unable to recognize them as evil. Usually it starts when you commit minor transgressions as an adolescent, often starting with masturbation. You choose to ignore your conscience telling you that masturbation is wrong because you want to feel good in the moment and follow your own will. Over time, your conscience atrophies as you continue to disobey it, allowing you to commit greater evils as an adult until your conscience becomes so damaged that you are easily able to convince yourself that the evil acts you commit are actually good or virtuous.

An example of a great evil I committed in the past was taking the virginity of a few women. In my defense, I did not have to trick them that I wanted a long-term relationship or marriage, and chances are they used me to begin a promiscuous lifestyle, but that is still no excuse. I was the vehicle that Satan used to remove their bodily purity, something they will never be able to give to another man.

Transcript continues here: www.rooshv.com/i-lived-most-of-my-life-under-demonic-influence

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Demons by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a story about a revolutionary cadre that attempts to wreak havoc on a Russian village as part of their quest to overthrow the traditional order. It features intense psychological descriptions and analysis by Dostoevsky to reveal the deep-seated emotions and feelings that drive revolutionary behavior.

Losing touch with God

You may be sure that all those who cease to understand their people and lose their connection with them, at once, in the same measure, also lose the faith of their fathers, and become either atheists or indifferent.

Revolutionary ideas were sweeping Russia at the time. Dostoevsky himself was caught up in the fervor and served time in prison for his activities. Being spared execution by the Tsar at the last moment served as his spiritual awakening, allowing him to recede from the darkness and become a force of tradition and Orthodoxy.

The modern drive to “progress” can be understood as destroying any sense of faith and order possessed by the preceding generations. It may be hard to believe, but many humans today still retain some logos within them which makes today’s revolutionary movement that much more worrisome, because once the remainder is removed from those who rightly believe that a man is a man and a woman is a woman, and both should have the ability to seek their daily bread, materially and spiritually, what will be left? The horrors of the 20th century will pale in comparison to what we will soon face.

Full review can be found here: www.rooshv.com/the-demons-among-us

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