Saint Maximos the Confessor. "Four Hundred Texts on Love". Second Century. From Philokalia, Vol. 2.
67. There are said to be five reasons
why God allows us to be assailed by demons. The first is so that, by
attacking and counterattacking, we should learn to discriminate between
virtue and vice. The second is so that, having acquired virtue through
conflict and toil, we should keep it secure and immutable. The third is
so that, when making progress in virtue, we should not become haughty
but learn humility. The fourth is so that, having gained some experience
of evil, we should ‘hate it with perfect hatred’ (cf. Ps. 139:22). The
fifth and most important is so that, having achieved dispassion, we
should forget neither our own weakness nor the power of Him who has
helped us.
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