Understand How the Evil One Works
Our main struggle is against the demon of the grief. It darkens our soul’s ability to grow spiritually. It strays and prevents it from doing and wanting to do good deeds. When this evil demon takes control of our soul and thus completely darkens it, that discourages us. It pushes us away from the fiery prayer and from reading the holy books. Also, it weakens our kindness and compassion towards our neighbor.
He pours out all kind of hatred on our mind, our daily activities, and on our lifes. Depriving the soul of any sound judgment and weakening its perseverance and persistence, it makes it insensitive and paralyzed. Therefore, it becomes tied and bound with desperate thoughts
Ignore All Negative Thoughts
If our goal is to lead a spiritual battle and, with God’s help, defeat the demons of evil, we should guard our hearts from the demon of the grief in every way. Like a moth eats clothes, and the worm eats wood, so the grief can eat the soul of man. It prevents us from having any useful relationships and meetings with people, having friends and accepting their advises. and from being calm. It puts negative thoughts in our minds. Overwhelms the soul with sadness filled with bitterness and negligence.
Then the demon of grief takes control and suggests to our souls that it should be separated from other people because they are the cause of their agitation. He does not allow the soul to realize that her illness does not come from outside but that it lies inward, hidden. He convinces the soul that the illness only comes out when temptations attack the soul because of her ascetic labor and attempts to live Christian life.
Go to Church and Partake in Seven Holy Sacraments
A person is hurt only by the causes of sins and sinful passions that lie within him or her. For this reason, God, the Creator and the doctor of our souls who knows all our mental wounds, does not tell us to abandon the society. He doesn’t want us to stay away from our loved ones, but tells us to root out the causes of evil in ourselves. To recognize that mental health is not achieved by separation from the near ones. But, is achieved by the prayer, attending the holy Liturgy in an Orthodox church, fasting, confession, Holy Communion and the company of good people.
Estranging ourselves from people and our loved ones out for some, at that moment seemingly to us useful reason, doesn’t help us eradicate the motives of the grief. It only replaces them with different motives. This means that the disease, which is hidden in us, will appear again in some other form and in other occasions.
Stop Sinning and Eradicate all the Sinful Passions
So, it is clear that the battle should be fought against our own sins and passions. When, with the help and grace of God, the sins are rooted out of the heart, we will soon be ready to live not only with other people, but also with wild beasts. Truthful Jov affirms it with words: “and the beasts will be in peace with you” (Jn 5, 23).
However, first we must deal with the demon of sorrow and grief that leads to despair. We just have to pull it out of our minds and hearts. It was the demon of grief that did not allow Cain to repent after his killed his brother, or Judas after the betrayal of his Lord.
Determine from Whom the Sadness Comes From
A sadness can only be beneficial if it brings repentance for our own sins, followed by our confidence in God. That is why the blessed apostle says: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10) This grief that is by God is mixed with joy. It keeps the soul full of hope resulting from repentance. This means that it makes us obedient, quick to every good work, accessible, modest, mild, abstinent and enduring in every affliction or tribulation that God permits on us.
The possession of such qualities shows that man carries the fruit of the Holy Spirit in him.” Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, faith, restraint” (Gal. 5, 22).
On the contrary, sadness, which is not God’s, brings only the fruits of the evil: indifference, intolerance, anger, hatred, contempt, despair, laziness in prayer… Therefore, this form of sorrow should be avoided, as well as blasphemy, greed, anger and other sinful passions. They can be healed by prayer. Also, by trusting in God, thinking about God, and by being in company of good people.