What does the Expression that only God Cures the Proud Mean?

Schema-archimandrite Abraham (Reidman)

Question to Schema-Archimandrite Abraham (Reidman). Conversation at the St Ignatius’ Skete of the New-Tikhvin Convent, May 1, 2003.

Question. St. John of the Ladder says that “Men can cure the lustful, angels the malicious, but only God the proud”. What does it mean? It seems that only the Lord can heal all passions.

Answer. I think these words should be understood in this sense: pride is such a terrible passion that people cannot help in any way here. If the ascetic strives to overcome his passion, prays, repents, in other words, opposes pride, only then it diminishes. And no wise advice, no restrictions imposed on a proud person will help. For example, a person subject to fornication can be limited in communication with the opposite sex, fasting can be imposed on him, he can be forced to make prostrations and taught to keep away from lusty thoughts. And pride is even very difficult to notice: it seems to a person that in fact this is not pride, but a correct view of things.

Source

Where any Pride is, no Divine Visions Can Appear

Archimandrite Seraphim (Aleksiev). "Homily about self-esteem and about false visions".

Archimandrite Seraphim (Aleksiev) (1912-1993)

There are many dark tricks of Satan that bring him closer to the soul, but the path that Satan prefers to follow and tries to lead the humans is pride. For he knows well that even if God’s commandments are fulfilled, pride alone is enough to make an ascetic perish. He himself, having no other sins, has fallen from God through his pride only.

Sinful people are usually proud. They sin only because of their pride, which prevents them from accepting God’s will and obeying God’s commandments. Devil, a cunning tempter, knows how to make a man have a sense of grandeur about oneself. Those who are not of high intelligence, he tries make proud by telling them that they are smart or that they have some other exceptional qualities. He puts an idea to the mind of clever people that they have unique properties of their minds. To the wicked, he gives a proud persistence against the will of God. The pious, following his hints, begin to put on airs because of their execution of God’s commandments. Thus, all get by pride under the power of Satan – all those who have not stood up against his tricks, believers and unbelievers; clever and stupid; and sinful and righteous.

Where there is pride and there are visions - they cannot be from God, but surely from the evil one. Some say: ‘We know that those who have divine visions are virtuous people as they fast, pray, act honestly, visit the sick, give alms, show great love for their neighbours... Can these people indeed have visions from the Satan?’

When Vainglory is Increased, it Leads to Pride

 

St Barsanuphius the Great (6th cent.)

Saints Barsanuphius the Great and John the Prophet. "Letters".

Letter 460.

Question: “What is a person with vainglory, and what is a person with pride? And how does one come from vainglory to pride?” Response.

One comes to vainglory by seeking to please people; and when this is increased, it leads to pride. Forgive me, brother, and pray for me.

Source

Father John did not Advise Family People to Introduce Elements of Monasticism into their Lives

Elder John (Krestiankin) (1910 - 5.2.2006)

From the memoirs about Archimandrite John (Krestiankin).

Alevtina recalls.

And another letter in which we kept our dream to visit Solovetsky Monastery, and another letter from the father in return.

"You have just begun to embark on the path of Christian understanding of life, so do not deviate into selfishness and egoism from the very beginning. And yet, do not forget that we ourselves, pursuing the best goals, cannot do anything good. And it is impossible now to hide from the human race anywhere, except in your heart, having erected a throne to the living God. Here is the goal. Dismiss the thoughts about Solovetsky Monastery completely. You are family people, and live in a new way, a life blessed by the Lord. Don’t proudly think of bringing elements of monasticism into your life."

I would like to emphasize this phrase once again – “do not proudly think of introducing elements of monasticism into your life”, because this, it seems to me, is the trend of the present time. When many people who come to church, Christians, laymen, begin to bring into their lives these very elements of monasticism. And at that time, I can honestly admit, I did not immediately obey the elder. Only over the years, only after “getting hit hard on the head”, having gone through some trials, did I understand what I was told a long time ago, that the main thing is that these are two completely different paths, and there is no need to mix anything here. Not even to play - it was not a game, it was a sincere desire, but coming from inability and inexperience.

Source

If we do not See Pride in Ourselves, this is a Sign that we Have it

Saint Macarius of Optina (1788-1860)

Venerable Macarius of Optina. "Edifying Teachings" (from letters).

You also write that you do not see vanity and pride in yourself and would like to know the signs of these. The very fact that you do not notice these passions in yourself is a sign that they wrap your soul, covering it with darkness and gloom, which, both in visible objects and in mental ones, equally prevent you from seeing what is present. There is clear evidence of this in the 23rd Step of the Ladder, how the wise elder taught spiritually his brother not to be proud, and he, blinded in his mind, answered: forgive me, father, I have no pride. The elder continued: yes, child, how can you prove your pride more than with these words that “I have no pride.” Darkness, according to Basil the Great, is the absence of light. And in spiritual things, in the absence of the light of humility, the darkness of pride covers the soul (I, 446, 755).

When one does not notice anything bad in oneself, isn’t he led by the spirit of pride? But the humble see their sins like the sand of the sea (V, 145, 240).

I heartily rejoice at the change in your disposition, that is, keeping away from laughter, idle talk and blasphemy; but you should control that with it, arrogance, vanity, conceit and the most fierce pride do not creep into the heart, which blind the person and do not allow “to see one’s sins” and “to have a contrite and humble heart” (III, 280, 498).

Source

What Pride of Mind and Pride of Will Are

Archimandrite Cleopa (Ilie). "What pride is and what it is born of".

Archimandrite Cleopa (Ilie)

Brother: Rev. Father, please tell me what pride is and what kinds of it are there in the world?

Elder: Let it be known to you, brother John, that pride is the beginning, root and source of all sin and all lawlessness. And since you have asked what kinds of it are there, then let it be known that, as St. Gregory the Dialogist says, “pride has five stages, and to understand these steps, you should first understand that there are five kinds of benefits to be proud of, namely:

natural benefits, that is, quick wit, beauty, courage, and the like;

the second type is the acquired benefits, such as knowledge, wisdom, skill, and the like;

the third type includes random goods, such as wealth, fame, position, and the like;

the fourth is the benefit of strong will;

the fifth is spiritual blessings, that is, the gift of prophecy, miracles and the like.”

So, brother John, at the first stage of pride is peculiar to the person who, possessing any of these benefits, does not recognize that he has received them from God, but believes that he has them by himself, in a natural way.

The second stage of pride is when a person admits that these benefits were given to him by God, but not for nothing, but because they befit him as supposedly worthy of them.

The third stage of pride is when someone thinks that he has some talents, which he, however, does not have.

The fourth stage of pride is when someone defames others and wants to be revered by all as more worthy than them.

The fifth, and last, step of pride is when a person comes to the point that he defames the holy laws and does not obey them as the holy fathers prescribed.

Let it be also known to you, brother John, and remember that pride has twelve daughters: vanity, curiosity, arrogance of mind, boasting, laziness, insolence, a hypocritical confession, self-justification, apostasy, self-will, willfulness, and getting completely accustomed to the sin.

The Novice Escaped Perdition Only through the Prayers of the Elder

Archimandrite Ioannicius (Kotsonis). "Athonite Paterikon".

Many years ago, on the southern outskirts of Katunaki, there lived a very reverent elder with his novice named Spyridon. At first, Spyridon was diligent and obedient in everything. However, over time, the invisible worm of vanity began to corrode his monastic living. He performed excessive deeds, increased number of bows, the number of prayers with the prayer rope, kept vigil for more time without taking permission and blessing from his spiritual father. He began to consider himself much higher than other monks and, little by little, doing his own will, reached the point that he was completely possessed by the spirit of pride.

One night, he heard someone knocking on his cell, saying: “Through the prayers...”. He opened the door and saw an Angel in front of him. But it was an Angel only in appearance, and not in essence.

On Living According to the Advice

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov). "On Prelest". On Living According to the Advice.

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

The previous chapter compares spiritual life, provided by the Divine Providence to our time, with grains. Such life is based on the guidance to salvation by the Holy Scripture and the works of the Holy Fathers, with advice and edification borrowed from modern fathers and brethren. In the proper sense, this is the obedience of the ancient monks, just in a different form adapted to our weakness, mainly spiritual. Spiritual guides announced the will of God to the ancient novices immediately and directly; currently, the monks themselves must seek the will of God in the Scriptures, and therefore they must face frequent and prolonged perplexities and errors. Previously, success was achieved quickly according to the properties of the activity: now it is inert, again according to the properties of the activity. Such is the favor of our God for us: we must obey Him, and worship Him with thanksgiving.

Our modern monastic life according to the Scripture and the advice of fathers and brethren is consecrated by the example of the head of monasticism, the Venerable Anthony the Great. He was not in obedience to the elder, but being novice, he lived separately, and borrowed the guidance from the Scripture and from different fathers and brothers. He obtained temperance from one person; meekness, patience, humility were gained from the other, from one more person he got strict vigilance over himself, in silence, trying to embrace the virtue of every virtuous monk, obeying everyone as much as possible, humbling himself before everyone and praying to God unceasingly (Menaion Reader, January, 17th).

Psychologist Vyacheslav Borovsky, about Pride

Psychologist Vyacheslav Borovsky speaking of pride as the cause of neurosis (TV program “First Nature”).

Vyacheslav Borovsky

Part 1.

Hello. This is again the mental health program. So we are talking about pride. What kind of problem is this and how do we recognize it?

As a doctor, I have recently been most often visited by people suffering from neuroses. Neuroses are such a mental pathology that few people now know in psychiatry. This includes various kinds of fears, anxiety, obsessive states, obsessive thoughts, obsessive actions. This includes astheno-depressive disorders, when a person gets tired very quickly, and his mood drops, and he becomes indifferent, he falls into apathy. Neuroses are the most common mental pathology for today. However, not understanding the true cause of these neuroses, psychiatry is trying to make itself distant from them. They are called “neuroses” - in my opinion, quite unsuitably, and this name suggests that the nervous system is unsound. It is unsound, of course, but secondarily. And this whole group of diseases itself was referred to the so-called borderline pathology, artificially separated from psychiatry, because there are no psychoses, there is no psycho-production, the person thinks critically, he understands that some kind of trouble is happening to him, but he cannot do anything – the man has lost his composure; he is not his own master. And the newly emerging science of psychotherapy has actively taken up this pathology and is trying to help these people. But as far as we can see, the secular approach of psychotherapy is also ineffective. It can temporarily relieve the condition of a neurotic. But no psychotherapy based on a rational approach to a person can save him from this problem, heal, replenish this deficiency, which was formed in the human will and in human feelings.

So, the whole problem is pride as the initial spiritual state of a person. This is our main pathology. And the whole diverse palette of the so-called neuroses is the manifestation of pride. Well, how can it be otherwise? After all, what is a neurosis? Here in all these manifestations that I have listed. Yes, this is a person’s loss of self-control. Yes, man ceases to be his own master. He really has no power over his thoughts, nor over his desires, nor over his actions. Moreover, with a healthy rest of his mind, he adequately reflects over the situation and understands that he is sick, that something terrible is happening to him, something destructive, but he cannot resist it. And why did this happen?

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."

Delusion is a Result of Pride and Self-conceit; Delusion is Reduced Through Menial Jobs

Letters of St. Joseph of Optina

St. Joseph of Optina

Your Mavra, as it can be seen from your description, is in delusion. - What to do? It happened and is happening sometimes here as well. Our deceased elders recommended menial jobs for such deluded persons. As delusion is a result of pride and conceit, the damned pride is reduced, at least to some extent, through menial jobs. You should make Mavra help in your kitchen with anything she can, for example, cleaning potatoes or washing the dishes, and so on. She should not be allowed to lead a solitary life under any circumstances. For, as you have noticed, she will become crazy. She should not take the Holy Communion often as well. Let the confessor first to persuade her to humility and self-abasement.

***

Novice Evstolia, a prayerful person, is afraid of falling into delusion. - Let her keep the God-pleasing humility, believing herself in her heart to be the most sinful of all the persons, and then she will not fall into delusion. For, according to the remark of Holy Fathers, "humility cannot fall".
http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/how-to-avoid-or-get-rid-of-spiritual-delusion/618-delusion-is-a-result-of-pride-and-self-conceit-delusion-is-reduced-through-menial-jobs

Elder Joseph Revealed that a Nun Had a False Gift of Prophecy

Elder Joseph the Hesychast

Elder Ephraim of Philotheou. "My life with elder Joseph".

(translated from Russian)

In those days when Elder Joseph lived near Drama, he was told:

- There is one nun here in Drama, who prophesies and solves all the problems.

- I'll go to have a look at her, - said the Elder.

This nun allegedly communicated with the All-Holy Mother of God, Who was said to have predicted to the nun even what people would visit her. There were many people visiting her. The Elder came to her and asked:

- How did you get this grace?

- This is from God, from the Holy Spirit.

- And you see thoughts, don’t you?

- Yes.

- I will conceive one thought in my heart, and if you guess it, it's all right, and if not - then close your mouth.

The elder conceived a curse on the Devil in his mind, for he understood that it was the Devil who had revealed everything to her.

- Well, tell me my thought.

She became speechless and could not say anything.

- Speak!

She could not.

- If you repent and stop prophesy from the Devil, I'll cross you and it will go away.

She nodded that she agreed. The elder made the sign of the cross over the nun, her lips were resolved and the Elder said:

- You were deluded because of pride and haughtiness. Pay attention to your sins and no longer do what you did.

The nun asked for forgiveness, but, unfortunately, soon fell into the same delusion.
http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/what-is-spiritual-delusion/598-elder-joseph-revealed-that-a-nun-had-a-false-gift-of-prophecy 

Pride after Praying - a Sign of Help from the Demons

Saints Barsanuphius and John. "Guidance Toward Spiritual Life: Answers to the Questions of Disciples.".

Letter 421.

Question: "When I am afflicted in regard to something and am praying, if the ineffable goodness of God assists me, my thought is elated as having been heard. So what should I do?"

Response. When you have been praying and feel that your prayer has been heard, if indeed you are elated, it is clear that you have neither prayed according to God nor have you received the help of God, but rather the feeling that worked in you was from the demons so that your heart might be elated. For whenever assistance comes from God, the soul is never elated; instead, it is always humbled.

The soul will be amazed at how the great mercy of God condescends to show mercy on sinners, who are unworthy and who always irritate him. And that soul offers exceeding thanks to his glorious and ineffable goodness; for he has not handed us what accords with our sins, but rather, in his great forbearance, he shows long-suffering and mercy. And so the soul is no longer elated, but [only trembles] and gives glory.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/kinds-of-spiritual-delusion/136-healing-ability-from-demons/382-pride-after-praying-a-sign-of-help-from-the-demons

One True Vision Was Followed By a Number of False Ones

Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain. "Spiritual counsels." Volume 3. Spiritual struggle.

(translated from Russian)

Attention to visions.

Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain

- Geronda, what should we answer to the people who tell us about their visions, that they had seen such and such a Saint, or about something similar? - It is better to advise such people to be cautious, restrained. Such attitude to visions is more reliable, because not all people are able to discern whether it was a vision from God or from the Devil. 

But even if the vision is from God, a person should not accept it the first time. God, seeing that His creation – a man - does not accept the vision [is not upset, but on the contrary], in some way, is touched. Indeed, such an attitude to the vision shows that the person has humility. If the Saint who appeared to a person was a real Saint, and the man did not accept this vision, God knows way to notify the soul of the man and lead it wherever He wants. Attention is needed, because the Devil [instead of the Saint] can come, which will turn on [demonic] "television" and begin his transmission...

I remember one woman who did not receive any help from people, and therefore had the right to the Divine help. God, wanting to help this woman, gave her a vision. However, after this vision, the Devil suggested her the following thoughts: "Who knows, maybe God has honored you with this vision because He destines you to some higher mission!" 

Since that moment when she believed in such diabolic suggestions, the Devil started his work and she fell under his power. But after all God had mercy on her. She had a vision, and she heard a voice saying to her: "Write a letter to father Paisios and describe all the visions that you had." She wrote me a letter and told about all previous visions. The Devil utterly tormented her. Yes, all her visions were real, but almost all of them were from the tempter. Only the first and last of her visions were from God. Wanting to bring her to life and to help her to get rid of delusion, God allowed this last vision to happen. Finally, the miserable woman obeyed my advice and managed to get out [of the net] of the Devil visions that she had.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/kinds-of-spiritual-delusion/134-false-visions/398-one-true-vision-was-followed-by-a-number-of-false-ones 

Pride is the Source of Sin

Archimandrite Sofronii. "Saint Silouan, the Athonite".

'The enemy fell through pride.' Pride is the source of sin, comprising every aspect that evil can assume - conceit, ambition, indifference, cruelty, disregard of the suffering of others; day-dreaming, over-fantasising, a demented expression in the eye, in every other feature; gloom, melancholy, despair, animosity; envy, an inferiority complex, carnal desires; wearisome psychological disturbance, rebellious feelings, fear of death or, on the contrary, wanting to put an end to life; and, lastly and not seldom, utter madness.

These are the indications of demonic spirituality. But until they show up clearly, they pass unnoticed for many.

It does not need all these symptoms to denote someone who has let himself be seduced by satanic thoughts or visions or revelations. In some people megalomania predominates, or ambition. With others, nostalgia, despair, hidden anxiety. In still others, it is envy, gloom, hatred. With many it is the desires of the flesh. But they all suffer from unbridled imagination and pride — masked, maybe, by an air of false humility.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/what-is-pride/316-pride-is-the-source-of-sin

On Pride Saint John Climacus

Saint John Climacus. "The Ladder of Divine Ascent". Step 23.

Pride is a denial of God, an invention of the devil, contempt for men. It is the mother of condemnation, the offspring of praise, a sign of barrenness. It is a flight from God's help, the harbinger of madness, the author of downfall. It is the cause of diabolical possession, the source of anger, the gateway of hypocrisy. It is the fortress of demons, the custodian of sins, the source of hardheartedness. It is the denial of compassion, a bitter pharisee, a cruel judge. It is the foe of God, It is the root of blasphemy.

Pride begins where vainglory leaves off. Its midpoint comes with the humiliation of our neighbor, the shameless parading of our achievements, complacency, and unwillingness to be found out. It ends with the spurning of God's help, the exalting of one's own efforts and a devilish disposition.

Listen, therefore, all who wish to avoid this pit. This passion often draws strength initially from the giving of thanks, and at first it does not shamelessly urge us to renounce God. I have seen people who speak aloud their thanks to God but who in their hearts are glоrifying themselves, something demonstrated by that Pharisee with his "O God, I thank You" (Luke 18:11).

Pride takes up residence wherever we have lapsed, for a lapse is in fact an  indication of pride. And an admirable man said once to me: "Think of a dozen shameful passions. Love one of them, I mean pride, and it will take up the space of all the other eleven."

A proud monk argues bitterly with others. The humble monk is loath to contradict them.

The cypress tree does not bend to the ground in order to walk, nor does the haughty monk in order to gain obedience.

Holy Fathers on Pride

Gleanings from Orthodox Christian Authors and the Holy Fathers on Pride

Whenever you want to subdue your high and proud thoughts, examine your conscience carefully: Have you kept all the commandments? Have you loved your enemies and been kind to them in their misfortunes? Have you counted yourself to be an unprofitable servant and the worst of all sinners? If you find you have done all this, do not therefore think well of yourself as if you had done everything well but realize that even the thought of such things is totally destructive. Abba Or, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers.

The chief cause of criticism and slander is pride and egotism, for man thinks himself better [than others]. For this reason it is very beneficial for a person to think of himself as smaller than all, so that he sees the brother as better, in order that he may, with the help of God, be delivered from this evil. Elder Ephraim of Philotheou Mount Athos, "Counsels from the Holy Mountain"

On the Spirit of Pride Saint John Cassian

Saint John Cassian. "Institutes".

BOOK XII.
OF THE SPIRIT OF PRIDE.

CHAPTER I.
How our eighth combat is against the spirit of pride, and of its character.

OUR eighth and last combat is against the spirit of pride, which evil, although it is the latest in our conflict with our faults and stands last on the list, yet in beginning and in the order of time is the first: an evil beast that is most savage and more dreadful than all the former ones, chiefly trying those who are perfect, and devouring with its dreadful bite those who have almost attained the consummation of virtue.