What did Jesus say about blasphemous thoughts? Sinful thoughts and the fight against them

Prodigal thoughts

If you obey the thoughts that draw you into the world and bring you pleasure from carnal pleasures, then what is crazier than that? Be sure that you will not receive consolation for a short time, but you will always find torment and torment of conscience; when you resist, then with the help of God the enemy will run away from you (St. Macarius).

When you happen to fall through the accumulation and captivity of thoughts into mental darkness and captivity, then, without becoming rigid, fall to the Lord with repentance, humility and contrition of heart, and do not give in to despair, which is even worse than passion itself. Look for guilt, where did this come from that you suffered so much? And the guilt is: pride, opinion about oneself, humiliation and condemnation of others, sweet eating, excessive rest, association with the opposite sex, and try to avoid all of this as much as possible, and even more so try to humble yourself, for, according to the word of the Holy Climacus : where there is a fall, pride preceded it (Degree 23). Do not become rigid in revelation, and this leads to humility, exposing yourself to others; Do you remember when you hid the fact that you were hurt? (Venerable Macarius).

Do not betray your autocracy to the first thoughts of excuses, which, when added to them, kindle sweetness in the body (St. Macarius).

From thoughts that you don’t like and, according to at least, which you try to get rid of, you will not die. Just repent and humble yourself. And God will forgive you. What does the enemy draw for you? worldly life and marriage is his usual business. Both in ancient times and in modern times fornication and imaginary worldly peace are the very first weapons of the devil against monks. But when you get carried away by them and then repent, God will not make you sin (Venerable Anatoly).

The remedies for lustful thoughts are: humility, self-reproach, abstinence, and most of all - love for your neighbors - for the weak, infirm, sick, sisters captive to passions (Venerable Anatoly).

The most severe battles of thought: fornication, despondency. We must humble ourselves. Humility attracts God's help. The corrupting effect of lustful thoughts from enjoying them - the grace of God recedes for a long time, which can be attracted again only by sincere repentance and abstinence from these thoughts (Venerable Nikon).

Passionate waves and<бури>through thoughts and sleepy dreams they overwhelm your soul, and in them you find yourself guilty of negligence, laziness and other things. It is fair that you give guilt, but in all your attempts, always bring repentance to God with a contrite heart and constant self-reproach, and God will not allow the enemy to dominate your heart, only you yourself, as much as possible, resist passionate thoughts, do not allow them to the heart, but resort to God through prayer and awareness of your weakness.<Хорошо и>have no conversations about passionate matters other than revelation<духовной>mother, which would be very useful for you, but I see that you will stiffen in front of her with shame, and this is a form of pride (Venerable Leo).

You mention that sometimes you are overcome by lustful thoughts and the love of money; not having such thoughts at all is characteristic only of angelic nature, and not of human nature. For us, if and when something happens and we crawl, we immediately run with repentance, and reproach ourselves to the Heavenly Doctor; The man-loving Lord not only forgives our countless falls into sin, but also accepts those who truly repent as sons. For this reason, He, who came to earth, began to call sinners first, so that none of us would despair of our salvation (Rev. . A lion).

Humble yourself before those younger than you, live a temperate life, do not eat to the point of satiety, for this multiplies your thoughts. If you hold yourself very boldly and freely, then you will not escape the fierce carnal struggle (St. Joseph).

One should not understand passionate and sinful thoughts, but use the spiritual sword against them. I’m telling you and V., but thinking about passionate thoughts and analyzing them only strengthens them. May the Lord protect everyone from addiction. You must confess your thoughts with heartfelt contrition, with awareness of your sinfulness, with repentance, and you must also listen to confession with prayer, then there will be no harm. And there is no need to make unnecessary conversations or detailed explanations (Venerable Joseph).

This means that the evil one is deceiving you and flattering you. When there are times of lustful thoughts, place bows according to your strength. And without war, not a single soul entered heaven. The winners get married (Venerable Anatoly).

Use the spiritual sword against unclean thoughts—the name of God. Repentance must be brought to the Lord; One should not hide it from one’s spiritual father. The declared scabs will soon be healed (St. Joseph).

Suicidal thoughts

Your brothers Vladimir and Vasily and sister Vera are free-thinking people. - I feel sorry for them. But what to do? Pray for them more diligently with this prayer: “Organize, O Lord, for my brothers and sister (names) something useful and saving according to Your Holy will.” — Your sister Vera, who is prone to suicide, could greatly benefit from a sincere and humble confession to her spiritual father of her errors (Venerable Joseph).

Blasphemous thoughts

I am very sorry for your embarrassment, which comes from the enemy. You consider yourself such a sinner that there is no such thing, not understanding that the enemy is attacking you with blasphemous thoughts, putting his inappropriate and inexplicable words into your thoughts, and you think that they come from you, but you, on the contrary, do not you have them, but you are horrified, grieved and embarrassed, while they are not yours at all, but the enemy’s; you don’t have the slightest participation in them, and you shouldn’t even impute them to sin, but you need to be calm, not paying any attention to them and imputing them to nothing, they will disappear. And when you are embarrassed about this, grieve and despair, this consoles the enemy and he rebels against you even more with it. Don’t consider them a sin at all, and you will calm down; What need do you have to grieve for the sins of the enemy, he even blasphemed the Lord in heaven... But this is what guilt and sin on your part: you think a lot about yourself, are carried away by pride, despise others, condemn them and the like, and care little about this, That’s why this scourge is being unleashed on you, so that you humble yourself and consider yourself the last one of all, but don’t be embarrassed, for embarrassment is the fruit of pride. Stop judging, don’t think too much about yourself, don’t despise others, then blasphemous thoughts will go away (St. Macarius).

The Holy Fathers generally consider blasphemous thoughts not ours, but the enemy’s excuses, and when we do not agree with them, but also grieve that they creep into our minds, then this is a sign of our innocence in them. There is no need to be embarrassed that they are coming. For if a person is embarrassed, then the enemy will rise up against him, and when he does not heed them, imputes them to nothing and does not consider them a sin, then his thoughts disappear. Saint Demetrius of Rostov clearly writes about this in “Spiritual Medicine.” But although these thoughts are not a sin, they are found with God’s permission from the enemy for our exaltation, for our opinion about ourselves or about our corrections and for the condemnation of our neighbors. When a person, having recognized his sins, humbles himself and does not condemn others, but brings repentance for this, he receives liberation from them... (Venerable Macarius).

There is no sin for you in blasphemous thoughts, they are not yours, but the enemy’s, this is proven by the fact that you do not want them, but you also grieve when they creep into your mind. The enemy, when he sees that you are embarrassed by his suggestion, rejoices at this and attacks you more... That there is no sin in them, everyone knows, but they expose our sin of pride, which we do not recognize as a sin, and this one is very close to us. If we do something well, no matter what, we are consoled by it and, at the instigation of the enemy, we are deceived into having something good, and although like a poppy seed it increases, it increases, but we must always remember the word of the Lord: “and you, when fulfill everything commanded to you, say: we are worthless slaves” (Luke 17:10), and our whole life should be imbued with humility and repentance. Humility crushes all the snares and machinations of the enemy (St. Macarius).

Try not to accept blasphemous thoughts and do not believe them, and the Lord will forgive you. When thoughts come to you, do not accept them or reflect them, much less adjure them and do not contradict them - this is not your measure! And run to the Lord with prayer and humility. Fornication and fear are allowed for our pride. Reproach yourself and try not to look at the tempter - and temptation will pass (Venerable Anatoly).

And when blasphemous thoughts confuse you, don’t fight them, but simply despise them, that is, don’t pay attention to them: they are not our thoughts, but the devil’s, and therefore we will not answer for them. And we, monks, love God, for for the sake of the Lord we left the world. And it is the devil who will bring blasphemies, not us (Rev. Anatoly).

And if bad thoughts creep in, don’t be embarrassed. They even go after old women. Yes, since they know that God does not punish for repentant thoughts, they are not afraid of them (Rev. Anatoly).

Doubts, just like lustful thoughts and blasphemies, must be despised and ignored. Despise them - and the enemy the devil will not stand it, he will leave you, for he is proud and will not tolerate contempt. And if you enter into conversations with them, because all lustful thoughts, blasphemies and doubts are not yours, then he will throw you down, overwhelm you, and kill you. Believer, loving God, cannot blaspheme, but nevertheless notices two threads in himself: he loves and he blasphemes. It is obvious that there is still some evil force that casts doubts. Notice that this is the seraphim mind. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that it can arouse and raise doubts, and what kind of doubts too! Don't pay any attention to them. How many sincere believers were there who suffered greatly because they accepted these doubts, considered them, reasoned... Therefore, you must despise these doubts, and blasphemies, and prodigal thoughts, then they will not harm you at all, especially if you open them to the elder -mentor. But they should not be opened in detail, otherwise you may harm both yourself and the elder. Especially to cover up lustful thoughts, you need to cover this stinking hole with a canopy, and not dig into it (Venerable Barsanuphius).

You were frightened by the thought that whispered to you that you would be a saint: what’s terrible about that, but it’s even very good. And then we would begin to honor you. But just know that real saints, who accomplished all the virtues, considered themselves in the depths of their hearts to be the worst of all, worse than creatures, worse than demons. And you and I have not yet begun good deeds. And there is nothing to be afraid of. This is the work of the devil - a blasphemous thought. Just don’t accept it, that is, don’t linger in it and don’t get carried away by it, but there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, we know that you’re not a saint yet (Venerable Anatoly).

Do not be embarrassed by blasphemous thoughts, but try to despise them. God will not punish them for them, they are from the devil (Rev. Anatoly).

Blasphemous thoughts multiply and strengthen from pride and condemnation of others. Therefore, beware of both, and blasphemous thoughts will fade away. Despise them as much as barking puppies, because they are not yours, but the enemy blasphemes, and you will not answer to God for them (Rev. Anatoly).

Especially do not be disturbed by blasphemous thoughts, which clearly arise from the envy of the enemy. On the part of a person, the reason for them is either a proud self-opinion or condemnation of others. Therefore, in the invasion of blasphemous thoughts, first of all, reproach yourself for judging others and proud opinions, for the present or the past, without worrying at all that we hear the unspeakable blasphemies of the enemy. And at the right time, sometimes pronounce against them the words of Saint John of the Climacus: “Follow me, Satan! I will worship the Lord my God and serve Him alone, and let your illness and this word turn on your head, and let your blasphemy rise on top of you in this and in the future” (Venerable Ambrose).

It is necessary for you at this time to keep in mind and firmly remember the advice of Isaac the Syrian; he writes in the 56th Word: “when a person, caring about inner cleansing, by the grace of God approaches the first degree of spiritual intelligence, that is, the understanding of the creature, then the enemy, out of envy, strongly arms himself with blasphemous thoughts against him. And you... may you not be without weapons in this country, lest you soon die from those who seduce you and deceive you. Let your weapons be tears and frequent fasting. And be careful not to read heretical dogmas; This is something that is weaponizing against you, as it is the greatest spirit of blasphemy. When you have satisfied your belly, may you not be satisfied with the experience of divine things and understandings, may you not repent. In the womb there is a filling of the mind with the mysteries of God.” Heeding these words of this great father, try to have strong abstinence in food and drink and a contrite and humble heart before everyone, in order to gain saving crying for past and present sins and thereby preserve yourself harmlessly in your present temptation from spirit of blasphemy. Know that the enemy, if he cannot harm someone, then out of his malice tries at least to confuse him, to annoy him with various thoughts and evil suggestions (St. Ambrose).

You cannot recognize yourself as more sinful and worse than others. This feeling is clearly proud, from which blasphemous thoughts and blasphemous verbs are born and strengthened, as Saint Climacus testifies, saying: “the root of blasphemy is pride.” If you want to humble yourself, then always remember the word of one saint, who says that the most correct life of a Christian man is like only a font, and the commandments of God are like an immeasurable sea, as the psalmist said to the Lord: “Your commandment is very wide” (Ps. 118, 96). If you compare the great sea with a small tub of water, then there will be nothing for the ascendant to ascend with. The Apostle does not say in vain: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace” (cf. Rom. 3:23-24). To humble yourself, take for help the words of St. Gregory of Sinai, written in the 115th chapter, and repeat them to yourself often. Know that apart from humility and tears, it is impossible to get rid of blasphemy (St. Ambrose).

And blasphemous thoughts know what they fight for: first, for exaltation, second, for condemnation. Humble yourself, do not think about yourself that you are better than others, do not despise anyone, but reproach yourself for sins and attempts, then blasphemous thoughts will subside. However, in any case, do not be embarrassed - the Holy Fathers do not consider involuntary blasphemous thoughts a sin, and their causes are a sin (Venerable Ambrose).

Know that blasphemy inspired by the enemy against someone is completely sinful, harmful, and offensive to repeat (Venerable Ambrose).

Do not be embarrassed by blasphemous thoughts, but only reproach yourself at this time for the proud disposition of your soul and for condemning others. The first without the last are not imputed to sin (St. Ambrose).

If blasphemous thoughts come and condemn others, then reproach yourself for pride and do not pay any attention to them (Venerable Ambrose).

Blasphemy

If you are considered proud for your solitude, rejoice. If they interfere with your prayer, do not be discouraged, but humble yourself (Venerable Anatoliy).

For God’s sake, I went to the monastery, to endure everything for the Lord’s sake, for the sake of the Bridegroom Jesus, who laid down His life for us and died a dishonorable death on the cross. So He is preparing His glory for you through sorrows and reproaches. And you will be with Him forever: I assured you, and I assure you with the true word. Not my sinful word, but the word of His, the Lord Jesus: “Where I am, there will My servant also be” (John 12:26). “If only we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him” (Rom. 8:17) (Rev. Anatoly).

God's permission

What tempts you is that, perhaps, due to the machinations of the enemy, Mother Abbess does not force the lamp to light in front of the relics. The Apostle Paul was taller than the Mother Superior, and even he writes about himself: “we wanted to come to you once and twice, but Satan prevented us” (1 Thess. 2:18). Therefore, do not be surprised at anything, but consider it God’s permission. And don’t be offended by anything, but rather follow the advice of the holy Climacus, who writes this: if you want to have anger and resentment, then have them not against people, but against the demons who tempt people. Also, give up inappropriate jealousy, why this or that is not done in order, as you think, but better... pay attention to yourself, and doing this will be enough for you, according to what has been said: everyone will be glorified or disgraced by his own deeds (Venerable Ambrose ).

Blasphemous THOUGHTS

We should not be embarrassed by blasphemous thoughts, they are not from us, but from the enemy

I am very sorry for your embarrassment, which is coming from the enemy. You consider yourself such a sinner that there is no one like you, not understanding that the enemy is fighting you with blasphemous thoughts, putting into your thoughts inappropriate and inexplicable words; and you think that they come from you, but you, on the contrary, do not have them, but you are horrified, grieved and embarrassed, while they are not yours at all, but the enemy; there is not the slightest part of your participation in them, and you should not even impute them to sin, but you must be calm, not paying the least attention to them and imputing them to nothing; they will disappear. And when you are embarrassed about this, grieve and despair, this consoles the enemy and he rebels against you even more with it. Don’t consider them a sin at all, and you will calm down; what need do you have to grieve for the sins of the enemy; he even blasphemed the Lord in heaven... But this is the guilt and sin on your part: you think a lot about yourself, are carried away by pride, despise others, condemn them and the like, and you care little about this, and that’s why this scourge is unleashed on you So that you humble yourself and consider yourself the last one of all, but do not be embarrassed, for embarrassment is the fruit of pride. Stop judging, don’t think too much about yourself, don’t despise others, then blasphemous thoughts will go away (VI, 154, 252-253).

The Holy Fathers generally consider blasphemous thoughts not ours, but the enemy’s excuses, and when we do not agree with them, but also grieve that they creep into our minds, then this is a sign of our innocence in them. There is no need to be embarrassed that they are coming. For if a person is embarrassed, then the enemy will rise up against him, and when he does not heed them, imputes them to nothing and does not consider them a sin, then his thoughts disappear. St. clearly writes about this. Dimitri Rostovsky in “Spiritual Medicine”.

But these thoughts, although they are not a sin, are found with God’s permission from the enemy for our exaltation, for our opinion about ourselves or about our corrections and for the condemnation of our neighbors. When a person, having recognized his sins, humbles himself and does not condemn others, but brings repentance for this, he receives liberation from them... In St. Isaac the Syrian in the 79th Word, among other types of allowances, as a punishment for pride, there is this: “blasphemy against the name of God.” In the book's foreword Reverend Neil Sorsky... it is written like this: “there is no servility and unreasonableness, and not exactly not having in itself a single feeling, lower than the one gift from those foretold (i.e., those written above in that superposition), but lower than those who know when such: they were jealous of fasting and the labors of the saints, not with good reason and proposal, imputing this, like virtue, pass away. The devil, crouching like a catching dog, plunges into their womb the seed of a joyful opinion, from which the inner Pharisee will be nurtured; and thus, increasing day by day, betrays such to perfect pride, and for its sake the regions of Satan are allowed from God” (II, 112, 165-166).

There is no sin for you in blasphemous thoughts; they are not yours, but the enemy’s; this is proven by the fact that you don’t want them, but you also grieve when they come to your mind. The enemy, when he sees that you are embarrassed by his suggestion, rejoices at this and attacks you more... That there is no sin in them, everyone knows, but they expose our sin of pride, which we do not recognize as a sin, but it is very close to us. If we do something well, no matter what, we are consoled by it and, at the instigation of the enemy, we are deceived into having something good; and although according to the poppy seed it increases, it increases; and we must always remember the word of the Lord: even if you do all that is commanded, say, “We are unworthy servants” (Luke 17:10), and our whole life should be imbued with humility and repentance. Humility crushes all the snares and machinations of the enemy (V, 575, 774-775).