Hieromonk Savatie Baștovoi
The spiritual war about which the saints spoke and wrote is not a metaphor, but a term which reminds us that any personal or political war or crime had its start in a thought in an inner invention. We are at war in any moment of our life. Where two people are, there is also the temptation of war.
Cain and Abel were brothers but war found place between them and Cain killed Abel. Any passion which finds shelter in our heart is a messenger of war. Any passion is a killing angel. The seven deadly passions are called so not only because they kill our soul, but also because immediately, when an opportunity arises, they swoop against our neighbor and kill him.
The guard of the senses, of mind and judgment of the mouth must protect us of this all-encompassing war. Everything we hear has the role to be believed by us but only the Word of God is the truth.
Everyone should think how much from what he hears is from and about God and how much is from people troubled by anger and discontent. In this way we will know in what measure we are facing war.
It is not enough to run of evil and war, but also to seek inner peace, about which prophet David says that it is a living guide and about which we think that it is a Person, namely the Holy Spirit: Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (Psalm 33).
