Many people recognize certain sinful habits in themselves and sincerely want to change, yet the same patterns keep returning. What are we to do?
First, stop identifying yourself with your sin. The sin that dwells in us tries to persuade us that it is part of who we are. Once we accept that lie, we start defending the sin as if we were defending our very self. In that mindset, there can be no real struggle. Sin is not inherent to us; it is an enemy within, a parasite lodged in the soul that poisons our life and damages our relationship with God and with our neighbor. What harms sin will ultimately bring us healing. Tearing a leech from the skin hurts, but parasites must be removed for health.
One of the chief means here is frequent, regular confession. Confessors often hear: “I find myself repeating the same sins.” I want to be free of them, but nothing changes.” When asked how they are actually fighting, people fall silent and then say, “Well, I tell myself I won’t do it again.” But is that a fight? Is that work? No one with a serious illness simply declares, ‘I refuse to be ill,’ and considers the problem solved. That is not enough. Many Christians see little progress because they wage war on sin irregularly and haphazardly. You cannot tidy even a room that way, much less a soul. Below are several straightforward rules that can help.
1. Dig down to the root of the sin
Find the underlying passion that fuels it. Irritability, doubt, judging others, and despondency often grow out of pride. We tend to notice only the sins that are symptoms, not the deeper disease that produces them. It is like a weed: you can keep plucking the leaves, but unless you pull the root, it will sprout again. As a person with a chronic illness studies its causes and treatments, so we must study our spiritual ailments no less carefully. Read reliable guides: Discourses and Sayings by Abba Dorotheos, The Ladder of Divine Ascent by St John Climacus, and the teachings of St Paisios of Mount Athos. They explain what the passions are, where they arise from, what feeds them, and how they are expelled from the soul.
2. Choose one battleground and concentrate
Yes, we struggle with many things and must refrain from all sin. Yet a novice fighter cannot prevail at once against several seasoned opponents. Focus your primary attention on one passion. Later, when by God’s help you overcome it, the experience gained will strengthen you in other battles.
3. Study your temptations’ patterns
Analyze when, where, and with whom you most often fall. That knowledge tells you what to avoid, and sometimes whom to avoid. A person trying not to catch tuberculosis will not share a dish with someone infected. So too with sin. If you battle alcoholism and your time with a certain friend revolves around drinking, however sad it may be, you must distance yourself from that social pattern. If your weakness is judging others and a particular conversation partner always steers talk toward gossip and refuses to change, withdraw from that dynamic. Do it without scenes, sermons, or any sense of superiority.
4. Fight systematically
Keep a dedicated notebook. At the top, write the name of the spiritual ailment you intend to battle seriously. At the bottom, list practical guidance drawn from the books mentioned above. Put them into practice. Reread your notes regularly, so the noise of life does not pull you off course. Mark which advice actually helps you. Select the remedies that work best, the way patients sometimes discover which medicine helps them most.
5. Ask for God’s help constantly
The Lord said, “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). If we expect to conquer sin by our own strength and do not ask for divine help, we should not be surprised when nothing changes. Ask with diligence, even in your own words. It is also wise to consult your spiritual father about the struggle.
6. Receive Holy Communion regularly
In the Eucharist, partaking of the Body and Blood of the Lord, we receive the power to be changed. Left to ourselves, we may want to change and even know what to do, yet remain the same. With Christ, everything becomes possible: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
7. Do not expect instant results
Lazy people imagine that once they begin, they should see fruit tomorrow. The spiritual life is not for the lazy. Our adversary does not surrender quickly. We need stubborn perseverance and patient endurance. This is the path all the saints walked, and it is the path the Lord Himself set before us.
Translated by the Catalogue of Good Deeds
Source: https://dzen.ru/a/YZpGT9KpGzLLGlxe
