Battling Demons

Then again as he went on he saw what was this time not visionary, but real gold scattered in the way.

Life of St. Antony (PDF), by St. Athanasius (Written between 356 and 362)

Was it the devil, or some other form of temptation? It mattered not. Anthony cared not for money and did not turn to look. He found a place of seclusion, holed himself there. Twice a year, loaves of bread would be sent to him, apparently keeping for six months.

He would be attacked:

‘Go from what is ours. What dost thou even in the desert? Thou canst not abide our attack.’

However, Anthony was not harmed by this; he did not fear. Instead, he would sing:

‘Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered, let them also that hate Him flee before His face. As smoke vanisheth, let them vanish; as wax melteth before the face of fire, so let the sinners perish from the face of God.’

For twenty years he lived like this, training himself in the monastic life. By this time many were eager to imitate his discipline. Finally, he came out and those who saw him were surprised: he looked just as he did when he went in. No sign of struggling with demons, no signs from fasting, no sign of being fat from lack of exercise. He was neither grieved by his isolation, nor overjoyed by the reception he received.

Through him the Lord healed the bodily ailments of many present, and cleansed others from evil spirits. And He gave grace to Antony in speaking…

Many were persuaded to embrace the solitary life. Cells arose in the mountains; the desert was colonized by monks. He spoke to them:

‘The Scriptures are enough for instruction, but it is a good thing to encourage one another in the faith, and to stir up with words.’

Treat every day as if it is your first, not resting on the idea that you have lived this life for a long time.

‘And in the world everything is sold at its price, and a man exchanges one equivalent for another; but the promise of eternal life is bought [by the monk] for a trifle.’

Your inheritance is in heaven, where you will have exchanged this corrupt body for one that is incorrupt.

‘Nor let us think, as we look at the world, that we have renounced anything of much consequence, for the whole earth is very small compared with all the heaven. … Therefore let the desire of possession take hold of no one, for what gain is it to acquire these things which we cannot take with us?’

‘Why not rather get those things which we can take away with us--to wit, prudence, justice, temperance, courage, understanding, love, kindness to the poor, faith in Christ, freedom from wrath, hospitality?’

Hold fast to your discipline; do not look back to the life you left behind. As the apostle wrote, “I die daily.” In this, Anthony understood it plainly: when you wake, consider that you may die that day; have a daily expectation of death. Live according to this.

I agree with that, but I see something else: die daily to pride and to self. A reminder that humility is the foundation on which the Christian life is built: first, the Son’s humility, then humility in us in order to live a Christ-like life.

‘Thus living, let us keep guard carefully, and as it is written, “keep our hearts with all watchfulness.” For we have terrible and crafty foes – the evil spirits – and against them we wrestle, as the Apostle said, “Not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Great is their number in the air around us, and they are not far from us.’

Grow in your discernment of the evil demons. They have many devices designed to trick and trap; learn to recognize these. As you cheerfully advance in your discipline as a monk, their attacks and temptations will increase. Even when their attacks fail, they are not discouraged; they attack again, in different ways and in different forms.

‘For place is no hindrance to their plots, nor do they look on us as friends that they should spare us; nor are they lovers of good that they should amend. But on the contrary they are evil, and nothing is so much sought after by them as wounding them that love virtue and fear God.’

Through all of this, Anthony is clear that we are not to fear these demons. They have no power over us, because they have no power over Christ and the One whom we serve. He reminds us of the story of Job. The devil did not have power over Job: he asked God and God delivered Job over to him. Further, we should take heart: the devil threw everything at Job, yet did not succeed in getting Job to curse or denounce God.

‘So then we ought to fear God only, and despise the demons, and be in no fear of them.

In fact, it is our fear that encourages the demons, draws them in, compounds the strength of their attacks. Instead, the demons fear us, and our humble life:

… [the demons] ‘fear the fasting, the sleeplessness, the prayers, the meekness, the quietness, the contempt of money and vainglory, the humility, the love of the poor, the alms, the freedom from anger of the ascetics, and, chief of all, their piety towards Christ.’

Anthony then describes the many ways by which the demons trick us and tempt us – even tricking us into believing that there is something good in their treachery. Even Greek wisdom isn’t spared, only brought to an end by the coming of the Lord.

There is much focus on the work of the devil to trick us and cause us harm, to get us to move away from Christ. When faced with this, take courage and pray. A settled soul is a sign of peace; any confusion that remains is a sign of evil spirits.

‘And let this also be a token for you: whenever the soul remains fearful there is a presence of the enemies.’

Conclusion

‘Once a demon exceeding high appeared with pomp, and dared to say, “I am the power of God and I am Providence, what dost thou wish that I shall give thee?” But I then so much the more breathed upon him, and spoke the name of Christ, and set about to smite him. And I seemed to have smitten him, and forthwith he, big as he was, together with all his demons, disappeared at the name of Christ.’

Another time, he had a conversation with Satan himself, with Satan confessing that his power was gone in the face of Christ:

‘If, therefore, the devil himself confesses that his power is gone, we ought utterly to despise both him and his demons. … Let us consider and lay to heart that while the Lord is with us, our foes can do us no hurt.’