Intimidation is different. First, demons threaten the priest or believers through the mouths of the sick. For example: "We will not forgive you for this, you do not know what we will arrange for you, you will get full payment for everything," etc.

Examples:

1. Acquaintances will come up and persuade: "I treat you well, I love you and respect you, but otherwise I would not say anything. You shouldn't have messed with the possessed, you don't understand what all this will turn out to be for you. I knew one priest, so he ... etc. A description of all kinds of horrors and toll-houses follows."

2. Strangers on the street pounce with abuse, threats and even beatings, and through thoughts the enemy suggests: "If I didn't do it, then nothing would happen, I would live like a person."

3. The third – probably the most unpleasant – is through passions. Such attacks flare up that they are stunning. It is easy to fall into despondency: what, what, but I did not expect this from myself. And the enemy begins to suggest: yes, you were good, looking from the outside. I am also an ascetic... And in the same vein in different variations. All this takes place against the general background of misunderstanding and condemnation of others: a hero was sought, probably he wanted to... /money, popularity, etc./

From my practice, I can cite the following:

During the sermon of a certain priest about humility and patience, the demon through the mouth of a sick woman crumbled in threats. I was standing in the distance, hearing this for the first time and was amazed. The woman, bent at the waist, grinning angrily, shouted: "Well, wait, you are strong, God is with you, but we are not weak either. We'll catch you doing something, we'll be patient with you, and you'll get what you want!" and so on. From unfamiliarity, I had big goosebumps, but this did not make any impression on the priest, which also surprised me. But there was so much malice in the face of the sick woman, what hatred!

Once there was a fire in my cell, and by negligence it almost burned everything. Hearing about this, one demon began to attribute this event to himself. "It's okay," he said through the sick woman, "it didn't work out now, next time we'll burn everything down for you." And so several times in different versions he intimidated: we will burn, we will burn everything for you. It is noteworthy how they (demons) use everything that is suitable for their purposes, passing off an obvious lie as the truth. Do not pay attention to all their conversations and do not be afraid of their threats. Without God's permission, nothing will happen to you.

12. What was the attitude of priests towards the sick in the past and what is the attitude now?

Probably, different. Cases of spiritual illness were not as common as they are now. The sick aroused compassion and a desire to help them, and the priest sought means to alleviate their sufferings and heal them. In various church periodicals, they later shared their experience, describing cases of their encounter with evil spirits. We know this from the biography of Fr. John of Kronstadt, many ascetics of piety, but I am talking about ordinary parish priests who, with God's help, went out to battle and won. In various Diocesan Bulletins I often read about this and was touched in my heart.

These village priests loved their spiritual family and confirmed their love with their deeds, with their lives. When I was ordained to the priesthood, my rector reminded me of the words of St. John Chrysostom that few priests will be saved, since this ministry is the ministry of a loving heart, and few have it. We often forget that Christianity, first of all, in its practical implementation, is service to one's neighbor. There is an old pious legend:

"In one of the monasteries there once lived an abbot of a lofty ascetic life, who unceasingly prayed for the brethren and persistently, with great fervor and tears, asked God that all the monks of his monastery be vouchsafed the Kingdom of Heaven.

Once all the brethren were invited to a feast in a neighboring monastery. The abbot was detained by some business, and he promised to come later. The monks departed without him.

On the road they came across a traveler bitten by beasts. The poor old man could no longer move from severe loss of blood and lay near the forest path. The brethren approached him, talked, questioned, sympathized and... they went on, leaving him lying in the forest.