Carnal Warfare - Elder Ephraim & Saint Joseph

Orthodox Wisdom

Elder Ephraim writes, "Immediately say the [Jesus] prayer with pain of soul and at once you will be delivered from the warfare." This recording includes the following two excerpts: 1) My Elder Joseph the Hesychast by Elder Ephraim of Arizona, p. 339-343 -BUY HERE: https://stanthonysmonastery.org/products/my-elder-joseph-the-hesychast 2) Counsels from the Holy Mountain: Selected from the Letters and Homilies of Geronda Ephraim of Arizona, p. 165-169 -BUY HERE: https://stanthonysmonastery.org/products/counsels-from-the-holy-mountain 0:00 Intro From “My Elder Joseph the Hesychast” by Elder Ephraim 0:26 Advice on Carnal Warfare 3:57 Chastity 6:10 Facing Carnal Warfare From “Counsels from the Holy Mountain” by Elder Ephraim 10:04 Be patient--with the grace of God everything will pass 11:02 God knows how to deliver us from fornication 11:21 Carnal warfare stems from pride…so humble yourself 12:48 Be very careful with filthy fantasies 13:07 Do not lose heart, have courage 14:13 A letter from Athos, June 30, 1958 18:16 The weapons of demons and the weapons of Christ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ NOTE: A word regarding St. Joseph’s practice of fighting carnal warfare with a cane: A general principle of Orthodox life is that we imitate the saints. We look at the way they lived and seek to learn how to better love God and man by imitating their example. However, if we try to imitate each specific detail of the lives of one or more saints, then we are very prone to falling into prelest (spiritual deception), or worse. Our imitation must apply to our current spiritual state and be spiritually therapeutic for us now. The cancer patient and the man with a broken leg need very different treatment. When we see St. Joseph inflicting pain on himself with his cane, and even advising another monk suffering from carnal warfare to do the same, it would be exceedingly ignorant to quickly assume we should do the same. Certainly, both St. Joseph and the rest of us must apply the Lord’s command, “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you” (Matt 5:30) but we must do so in the way that is best for us, according to our abilities. This is not done alone; it is done under the guidance of an experienced spiritual father. If you desire to imitate St. Joseph in the details of his life, first speak with an experienced spiritual father and humbly submit to his guidance. _______ ---From "My Elder Joseph the Hesychast"--- Elder Joseph: “My child, carnal warfare is not set aflame so much by excessive eating, drinking, wine, and sleep, as it is by judging others.” Elder Ephraim: “Why, Geronda?” “So that we learn that we all have the same nature, the same devil fights us, and that we are all liable of being judged. Would you like to hear something even more amazing? “What, Geronda?” “A person who does not judge his neighbor gives evidence that he is saved. Whoever does not judge will not be judged, as the Word of God verifies: ‘Judge not, that ye be not judged.’” That is why he told us: “Has a judgmental thought about someone come to you? Don’t just sit there, debating with yourself whether that person is to blame or not. Justify everyone and take all the blame yourself. As soon as you start having negative thoughts about someone else, there is a danger that you will judge him. Just interrupt the thoughts and say to yourself: ‘What he is saying and doing is right. My ego is making me think evil about my brother, and so there’s no point trying to analyze it.’ If you don’t face the assaults of judgmental thoughts in this manner, whether you express them outwardly or cultivate them within you, you will have carnal warfare. And if you still don’t come to your senses then, then grace will abandon you, and you will fall. And if you do not repent after your fall and continue to judge others, your falls will have very serious consequences.”

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