Unseen Warfare from the Venetian original of Lorenzo Scupoli ‘Il Combattimento spirituale’ http://www.monasterovirtuale.it/scupoli.html enhanced by Saint Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, and Saint Theophan the Recluse Unseen Warfare T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Unseen Warfare ......................................................................................................................................................................1 PART ONE ............................................................................................................................................................................6 CAP 1. WHAT IS CHRISTIAN PERFECTION?—WARFARE IS NECESSARY TO ACQUIRE IT — FOUR THINGS INDISPENSABLE TO SUCCESS IN THIS WARFARE ...........................................................................................................................................................................................6 CAP 2. ONE SHOULD NEVER BELIEVE IN ONESELF OR TRUST ONESELF IN ANYTHING..............................................................................................7 CAP 3. ON HOPE IN GOD ALONE AND ON CONFIDENCE IN HIM ..............................................................................................................................9 CAP 4. HOW TO RECOGNISE WHETHER A MAN ACTS WITHOUT SELF-RELIANCE AND WITH PERFECT TRUST IN GOD..................................................9 CAP 5. ON THE WRONG OPINION OF THOSE WHO DEEM EXCESSIVE GRIEF A VIRTUE ............................................................................................10 CAP 6. SOME INDICATIONS ON THE SCOPE AND LIMITS OF DISBELIEF IN ONESELF AND OF COMPLETE TRUST IN GOD.............................................10 CAP 7. ON HOW WE SHOULD EXERCISE OUR MIND, LEST IT BE SICK WITH THE DISEASE OF IGNORANCE ................................................................10 CAP 8. ON REASONS FOR OUR WRONG JUDGMENT OF THINGS AND HOW TO FORM A RIGHT JUDGMENT OF THEM ..................................................11 CAP 9. ON PROTECTING THE MIND FROM TOO MUCH USELESS KNOWLEDGE AND IDLE CURIOSITY ........................................................................11 CAP 10. HOW TO TRAIN ONE’S WILL TO HAVE BUT ONE ULTIMATE AIM IN ALL THINGS, BOTH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL— TO PLEASE GOD ............12 CAP 11. SOME REMINDERS THAT CAN IMPEL OUR WILL TOWARDS DESIRE TO PLEASE GOD IN EVERY ACTIVITY ...................................................14 CAP 12. ON THE MANY DESIRES AND TENDENCIES EXISTING IN MAN AND ON THEIR STRUGGLE WITH ONE ANOTHER............................................14 CAP 13. ON HOW TO FIGHT AGAINST THE DUMB SENSORY WILL, AND ON THE TRAINING NECESSARY FOR THE WILL TO ACQUIRE EXPERIENCE IN VIRTUES ...........................................................................................................................................................................................15 CAP 14. WHAT TO DO WHEN THE HIGHER, INTELLIGENT WILL SEEMS TO BE ENTIRELY OVERCOME BY THE LOWER WILL AND BY THE ENEMIES.......17 CAP 15. WAR SHOULD BE WAGED CEASELESSLY AND COURAGEOUSLY ............................................................................................................18 CAP 16. HOW A WARRIOR OF CHRIST SHOULD PREPARE FOR BATTLE IN THE MORNING .....................................................................................19 CAP 17. IN WHAT ORDER SHOULD YOU FIGHT YOUR PASSIONS? .......................................................................................................................20 CAP 18. HOW TO FIGHT SUDDEN IMPULSES OF PASSIONS ................................................................................................................................20 CAP 19. HOW TO STRUGGLE AGAINST BODILY PASSIONS .................................................................................................................................21 CAP 20. HOW TO OVERCOME NEGLIGENCE .....................................................................................................................................................23 CAP 21. ON THE CONTROL AND RIGHT USE OF THE OUTER SENSES ..................................................................................................................24 CAP 22. THE SAME SENSORY OBJECTS WE WERE SPEAKING OF CAN BE MEANS AND INSTRUMENTS FOR A RIGHT CONTROL OF OUR SENSES, IF FROM THEM WE PASS TO REFLECTIONS ON THE INCARNATION OF GOD THE WORD, AND THE MYSTERIES OF HIS LIFE, PASSION AND DEATH 26 CAP 23. HOW TO TRANSLATE SENSORY IMPRESSIONS INTO PROFITABLE LESSONS ...........................................................................................27 CAP 24. GENERAL LESSONS IN THE USE OF THE SENSES .................................................................................................................................29 CAP 25. ON CONTROL OF THE TONGUE...........................................................................................................................................................30 CAP 26. HOW TO CORRECT IMAGINATION AND MEMORY...................................................................................................................................31 CAP 27. A WARRIOR OF CHRIST SHOULD USE ALL MEANS TO AVOID WORRIES’ AND AGITATIONS OF THE HEART, IF HE WISHES REALLY TO OVERCOME HIS ENEMIES ...................................................................................................................................................................34 CAP 28. WHAT TO DO WHEN WE ARE WOUNDED IN BATTLE ..............................................................................................................................35 CAP 29. THE ORDER OF BATTLE PURSUED BY THE DEVIL IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE AGAINST US ALL AND HOW HE SEDUCES PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT INNER STATES ..................................................................................................................................................................................36 CAP 30. HOW DOES THE DEVIL CONFIRM SINNERS IN THEIR SLAVERY TO SIN?...................................................................................................36 CAP 31. HOW THE ENEMY KEEPS IN HIS NETS THOSE WHO HAVE REALISED THEIR PERILOUS POSITION AND WISH TO BE FREE OF IT, BUT MAKE NO MOVE. AND THE REASON WHY OUR GOOD INTENTIONS ARE SO OFTEN NOT FULFILLED..........................................................................37 CAP 32. ON THE WILES OF THE ENEMY AGAINST THOSE WHO HAVE ENTERED THE RIGHT PATH ..........................................................................38 CAP 33. HOW THE ENEMY DIVERTS A MAN FROM RIGHTEOUS DEEDS AND SPOILS THEM.....................................................................................39 CAP 34. HOW THE ENEMY TURNS THE VIRTUES THEMSELVES AGAINST THOSE WHO PRACTISE THEM..................................................................40 CAP 35. SOME INDICATIONS USEFUL IN THE WORK OF OVERCOMING PASSIONS AND ACQUIRING VIRTUE.............................................................42 CAP 36. ON THE ORDER OF ACQUIRING VIRTUES .............................................................................................................................................43 CAP 37. WHAT DISPOSITIONS ARE NEEDED TO ACQUIRE VIRTUES IN GENERAL AND HOW TO UNDERTAKE TRAINING FOR ANY ONE OF THEM..........44 CAP 38. VIRTUE SHOULD BE PRACTISED CONSTANTLY AND WITH ALL DILIGENCE ...............................................................................................45 CAP 39. A MAN SHOULD NOT AVOID OPPORTUNITIES HE MEETS FOR GOOD ACTIONS.........................................................................................45 CAP 40. ONE SHOULD LOVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES OF PRACTISING VIRTUE WHICH ARE PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT ............................................46 CAP 41. HOW TO PROGRESS IN ONE AND THE SAME VIRTUE IN DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES .............................................................................47 CAP 42. HOW LONG SHOULD ONE EXERCISE ONESELF IN EACH VIRTUE AND WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF PROGRESS IN IT? .....................................47 CAP 43. ONE SHOULD NOT DESIRE TOO STRONGLY TO BE FREE FROM THE ATTACK OF AFFLICTIONS, BUT SHOULD WHOLLY ABANDON ONESELF TO GOD’S WILL ......................................................................................................................................................................................49 CAP 44. WARNING AGAINST EVIL COUNSELS OF THE DEVIL IN RELATION TO GOOD ACTIONS...............................................................................49 CAP 45. OUR SEVERE JUDGMENT OF OTHERS COMES FROM A HIGH OPINION OF OURSELVES AND THE INSTIGATION OF THE DEVIL. HOW TO OVERCOME THIS TENDENCY ..............................................................................................................................................................50 CAP 46. ON PRAYER ......................................................................................................................................................................................51 CAP 47. WHAT IS MENTAL OR INNER PRAYER, AND OF WHAT KINDS CAN IT BE?.................................................................................................53 CAP 48. HOW TO LEARN TO PRAY IN THIS WAY ................................................................................................................................................53 CAP 49. ON PRAYING IN ONE’S OWN WORDS ...................................................................................................................................................55