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.

But there is nothing so harmful in the devil that we would not find an opposing remedy. There is no secret network of which we do not have information.

St. Ephraim the SyrianPART ICHAPTER ONE.

What does Christian perfection consist of? –

To acquire it, it is necessary to fight. –

Four things that are extremely necessary for success in this battleWe all naturally desire and have a commandment to be perfect. The Lord commands: "Be ye perfect, for your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48); St. Paul convinces: "Be infants in malice, but be perfect in mind" (1 Cor. 14:20); in another place we read in him: that ye may be perfected and fulfilled... (Col. 4:12), and again: let us be led to perfection (Heb. 6:1). This commandment was also foreshadowed in the Old Testament. Thus, God says to Israel in Deuteronomy: "Thou shalt be perfect in the sight of the Lord thy God" (Deuteronomy 18:13). And St. David also commands his son Solomon: "And now, Solomon, my son, that thou mayest know the God of thy fathers, and serve Him with a perfect heart and spiritual will" (1 Chronicles 28:9). After this, we cannot but see that God demands of Christians the fullness of perfection, that is, that we be perfect in all virtues.

But if you, my beloved reader in Christ, wish to attain such a height, you must know beforehand what Christian perfection consists in. For, not knowing this, you can deviate from the true path and, thinking that you are flowing towards perfection, go in a completely different direction.

I will say frankly: the most perfect and great deed that a person can only desire and achieve is to draw closer to God and to be in unity with Him.