Reverend

Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain INVISIBLE WARFARE

Translation from Greek

In the original of this book, in its title, it is stated that the book was compiled by another person, a certain wise man, while Elder Nicodemus only revised it, corrected it, supplemented it, and enriched it with notes and extracts from the Holy Fathers and ascetics. That is why it belongs to Elder Nicodemus more in spirit than in letter. In translating this book, it was considered more suitable to include notes and patristic testimonies in the text, and for this reason it was sometimes necessary to change the words of the book in order to improve its style, which was sometimes allowed even without this. Therefore, the proposed book should be read not so much as a translation as a free arrangement. PREFACE1

This spiritually useful book rightly bears the name given to it: "Invisible Warfare." Just as many of the sacred and divinely inspired books of the Old and New Testaments received their name from the very subjects about which they teach (the book of Genesis, for example, is so called because it announces the creation and well-being of all things from non-being; Exodus because it describes the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt; Leviticus because it contains the rule of the sacraments for the tribe of the Levites; the books of Kings because it contains the rules of the sacraments for the tribe of the Levites; the books of Kings because they are what they tell about the lives and deeds of kings; The Gospels – because they preach great joy, that Christ the Lord is born of the Savior of the world (Luke 2:10-11), and show all the faithful the way to salvation and the inheritance of eternal blessed life); so who will not agree that the present book, judging by its content and by the subjects with which it is concerned, is worthy of the title: "Invisible Warfare"?

For it teaches not about any sensual and visible battle, nor about open and bodily enemies, but about mental and invisible warfare, which every Christian accepts from the hour when he is baptized and makes a vow before God to fight for Him to the glory of His divine name. even unto death (why is it written in the book of Numbers: for this reason it is said in the book: "The warfare of the Lord," – it is allegorically written about this invisible warfare (Num. 21:14), and about the enemies incorporeal and invisible, who are various passions and lusts of the flesh, and evil and man-hating demons, who do not cease to fight against us day and night, as Blessed Paul said: "Our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but to the principalities, and to the powers, and to the rulers of the darkness of this world, to the spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).

The warriors who fight in this invisible battle, she teaches, are all Christians; our Lord Jesus Christ is depicted as their military commander, surrounded and accompanied by commanders of thousands and hundreds, that is, by all the ranks of angels and saints; the field of battle, the field of battle, the place where the struggle itself takes place, is our own heart and the whole inner man; The time of battle is our whole life.

What are the weapons in which this invisible battle cloaks its soldiers? Listen. Their helmet is a complete disbelief in themselves and a complete lack of confidence in themselves; shield and chain mail – bold faith in God and firm hope in Him; armor and breastplate – instruction in the sufferings of the Lord; with a belt – cutting off carnal passions; with shoes – humility and infirmity, constant recognition and feeling; with spurs – patience in temptations and driving away negligence; with the sword that they constantly hold in one hand is prayer, both verbal and mental, heartfelt; with a three-pointed spear, which they hold in their other hand, a firm determination not to agree to the struggling passion, to renounce it with anger and to hate it with all their hearts; the means and food with which they are strengthened to resist their enemies is frequent communion with God, both mysterious from the mysterious sacrifice and mental; a bright and cloudless atmosphere, which gives them the opportunity to see their enemies from afar, is a constant exercise of the mind in the knowledge of what is right before the Lord, a constant exercise of the will in desiring only that which is pleasing to God, peace and tranquility of the heart.

Here, here, in this Invisible Battle (that is, in the book), or, rather, in this Battle of the Lord, the soldiers of Christ learn to know the various charms, manifold snares, inconceivable cunning and cunning of the military, which mental adversaries use against them, by means of feelings, by means of fantasy, by means of the deprivation of the fear of God, and especially by means of the four pretenses which they bring into the heart at the time of death. – I mean the pretexts of unbelief, despair, vanity, and their own transformation into angels of light. Learning to discern all this, they themselves contrive how to destroy such intrigues of their enemies and oppose them, and they learn what tactics and what law of battle they should adhere to in what case, and with what courage they should enter into battle. And I will say briefly, by this book every person who desires salvation learns how to conquer his invisible enemies, in order to acquire the treasures of true and divine virtues, and for this to receive an imperishable crown and eternal pledge, which is unity with God both in the present age and in the future.

Accept this book, Christ-loving readers, joyfully and graciously, and, learning from it the art of invisible warfare, try not only to fight, but also to fight lawfully, to fight as you should, so that you may also be crowned, because, according to the Apostle, it happens that someone struggles, but is not crowned, if he has labored illegally (2 Tim. 2:5). Put on the weapons which it shows you, in order to smite to death your mental and invisible enemies, who are the soul-destroying passions and their organizers and exciters – the demons. Put on all the armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). Remember how during Holy Baptism you promised to remain in renunciation of Satan and all his works, and all his service, and all his pride, that is, love of pleasure, love of glory, love of money and other passions. Strive as much as you can to turn it back, to shame it, and to conquer it in all its perfection.

And what recompense and rewards do you have to receive for such a victory?! Very many and great. And hear about them from the mouth of the Lord Himself, Who promises them to you in Holy Revelation word for word thus: "To him that overcometh I will give food of the tree of the beast, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Rev. 2:7). Thou who overcometh shall not be harmed by the second death (ibid., v. 11), to him that overcometh I will give food of the hidden manna (ibid., v. 17). To him that overcometh and keepeth my works to the end, I will give him authority over the tongue, and I will give him the morning star (ibid., vv. 26-28). If you overcome, he will be clothed in white robes... and we will sing his name before my Father and before his angels (ibid., vv. 3, 5). To him that overcometh I will make a pillar in the church of my God (ibid., vv. 3, 12). To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my throne (ibid., vv. 3, 21). He who overcomes will inherit everything, and he will be God, and he will be my son (ibid., vv. 21, 7).

See what honors! See what rewards! See this octopus-composed and many-coloured incorruptible crown, or, rather, these crowns that are woven for you, brethren, if you defeat the devil! This is what you are now concerned about, because of this strive and abstain from all things, so that no one may send your crown (Rev. 3:11). For verily it is a great shame that those who asceticize in the lists in bodily and outward labors abstain from everything five times as much, in order to receive some perishable crown of wild olive, or palm branch, or date, or laurel, or myrtle, or any other plant; but you, who have received such an incorruptible crown, spend your lives in negligence and carelessness. Will you not be awakened from this sleep by the words of St. Paul, who says: "Do you not know that those who flow into disgrace are all flowing, but only one accepts honor?" In this way, let ye comprehend: but every one who strives shall abstain from all: and they may receive a crown that shall be corrupted, but we shall not be corrupted (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

If, inspired by zeal, you are vouchsafed such a victory and such bright crowns, then do not forget, my brethren, to pray to the Lord for the forgiveness of sins and Him who has been your companion to receive such a blessing through this book. First of all, do not forget to lift up your eyes to Heaven and give thanks and glory to the first Source and Finisher of your victory, your God and Leader Jesus Christ, saying to Him each of you the same Zerubbabel word: "From Thee, O Lord, is the victory... and Thine is the glory; but I am Thy servant" (Ezra 4:59), and another, spoken by the Prophet David: "Unto Thee, O Lord, is majesty, and power, and glory, and overcoming, and confession, and might" (1 Chron. 29:11), now and unto the ages of ages. Amen.All evil boldly enters the human race through the domination of the passions.

Just as God leads us to life by all possible means, so Satan uses every means to kill us.