With what Attitude toward Pride should one Deliver Sermons?

Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain (1924 – 12.7.1994)

Elder Paisios the Athonite. "Words." Vol. 5.

Only humble thoughts bring humility, and only humility makes pride go away. One preacher told me that he once prepared a very good sermon. He ascended the pulpit and began to speak, speaking very beautifully. Suddenly, a proud thought flashed through his mind, and he lost his train of thought. He burst into tears and descended from the pulpit, disgraced. Afterward, he was unable to deliver sermons for a long time—he had become ineffective. I said to him: “This happened to you because of pride. You became arrogant, and therefore the Grace of God departed. Now, start all over again with humility. When the time comes to ascend the pulpit, tell yourself: “If I lose my train of thought, it means that for spiritual benefit I must again become a laughingstock.” And if you suddenly begin to weep again, people will think you are crying from tenderness, and they will not be offended, but will benefit. So do not be afraid.” And indeed, he returned to his work and began to deliver sermons with humility, always prepared for humiliation.

Source 

Headaches because of Unconfessed Sin

Elder Paisios the Athonite. "Words". Vol. 3.

Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain (1924 – 12.7.1994)

One time, a middle-aged man came to my Hut with a suspicious air about him...  From a distance, when I first spotted him, I could tell he was under a demonic influence. 

"I came here so you can help me", he said. "Pray for me, because I've been having terrible headaches for a whole year, and doctors can't find what's wrong."  

"You've got a demon", I said to him, "because you've given rights to the devil". 

"But I didn't do anything!"

"You didn't do anything?" I replied. "Didn't you cheat on a young woman? Well, she went and had a spell put on you.  Go and ask her to forgive you, then go to confession, ask to have Exorcisms read over you, and you will regain your health.  If you can't perceive your error and don't repent, even if all the spiritual fathers in the world get together and pray for you, the demon won't leave you."

When people like him come to me, with such an air, I speak to them openly. They need to be shaken up in order to come to realization.

Source

An Ordinary Person Cannot Bear True Visions from God

Question to Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov in the Radonezh radio studio. October 29, 2006.

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov

Question.

The servant of God Sergius asks: In the life of the elder Paisios of Mount Athos there are examples of how the enemy can lead a person into delusion with false visions. The elder, of course, coped with it. But how can we, Orthodox Christians, avoid falling into this delusion? May the Lord save you.

Archpriest Dimitry answers.

There is nothing easier. All visions must be rejected. And that’s all. Because you and I are not elders, we are not of Mount Athos, we are not the men of fervent prayer, we are not saints, we are ordinary sinful people. Therefore, all visions to us - if any - come from the evil. Very simple. And there is no need to philosophize here somehow for a long time. Because a person is blessed with some kind of spiritual vision only in one case - when he can bear it. That’s it. However, an ordinary average person immediately becomes arrogant. Therefore, from God, who knows everything, there can be no such visions that put a person into such terrible conditions.
http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/how-to-avoid-or-get-rid-of-spiritual-delusion/784-an-ordinary-person-cannot-bear-true-visions-from-god

A Priest Became Demon Possessed Because of Conceit

Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain. "Athonite Fathers and Athonite Matters"

Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain

Hieromonk N, the victim of temptation because of his pride

(translated from Russian)

Once there lived a monk in a monastery, who outwardly seemed to be pious, but there was hidden pride inside. He was exemplary all over, polite, he worked with zeal and gave spiritual instructions to others, because, among other things, he was educated. But he did not receive anyone's instructions himself, since out of respect for him no one dared to tell him about something bad that noticed in him. Not only others, but he himself had a false opinion that he was the most pious monk in the monastery.

Once a demon-possessed man was brought to the monastery and the abbot ordered this hieromonk to read a prayer of exorcism over him and said to the brethren to pray with prayer beads for him. Naturally, the demon was curled up because of all this, and he cried out "Where are you sending me, unmerciful!"

The demon said it deceitfully, so that the monk thought that it is him who expels the demon. And he said to the demon: "Come inside me."