Bishop Vasily of Kineshma. "Conversations on the Gospel of Mark."
If, without considering his own strength, a Christian takes on excessive prayerful labor, the usual consequence is either despondency and complete slackening, with even the simplest prayer rule seeming incredibly difficult and not being fulfilled; or, conversely, fanaticism, spiritual pride, and its worst expression—the so-called demonic delusion, that is, spiritual self-delusion, which subjugates an overly zealous ascetic to the spirit of wild conceit and the power of the enemy.
How, however, can one distinguish "demonic delusion" from the spirit of sincere, ardent zeal for God? By these signs, one can detect its inception in the soul, but what are the means to combat it?
This is a very important question, for it always poses a great danger to zealous beginners. Many have perished in this temptation, which the devil skillfully exploits, ensnaring especially talented, ardent, and enthusiastic natures.
Holy ascetic writers in their ascetic works point out the following manifestations of "delusion."
1). An ascetic in delusion, after fervent prayer, or an enthusiastic reading of the word of God, or a sermon, or a good deed, instead of the expected calmness and inner peace, feels an incomprehensible restlessness and vague doubts, or irritation, or judgment of others—in general, an inner disorder, not accompanied, however, by a spirit of self-reproach and repentance.
2). A person in delusion often undertakes such feats that, while pleasing himself, only cause grief to his neighbors and arouse in them, and then in himself, malice and strife.
Such are, for example, harsh denunciations of others from the very first steps of spiritual life, immoderate fasting, which produces irritability, family quarrels, and so on.
3). A person in delusion usually delights not in the content of prayer, but only in its duration, seeing in it proof of the strength of his will and regarding prayer as a merit before God, contrary to the words of Christ.
4). A person in delusion, considering himself above the church norm, proudly invents arbitrary feats and his own rules for prayer. It is well known that the cunning enemy, when he seduces zealous novices, does so precisely by instilling in them lengthy but arbitrary prayer rules instead of those prescribed by the elder. Sometimes, such ascetic labors are performed with a particularly unparalleled zeal, but it is sustained not by a clear conscience, but by the subtle thought of pride.
Such are the main signs of "demonic delusion."
To avoid falling into this temptation and utter destruction, it is necessary to strictly measure the duration of prayer and the intensity of spiritual labors according to one's own strength; to strive with all one's might not to stand out in one's outward way of life from that of other spiritual brothers and sisters (it goes without saying that aligning one's life with that of this world is completely impossible: here, distinction is inevitable); to perform one's special ascetic labors, if any, in deep secrecy; and, most importantly, to cultivate within oneself a spirit of humility by all means possible.
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