… Why do you run after pride and lust? And so, stop these things my soul,
and repent for the sake of the Kingdom of God! (Cannon of Repentance, Song 4)

The Worldliness of our culture is after the death of our souls and it has sided with a powerful ally, the demon of lust. Some of the Holy Fathers say that this demon is the worst of all and among the ancient desert dwellers it has been said that this demon “will boast before all the princes of darkness that he provided hell with more spoils than all the rest” (Saint Anatoly). In these last times, it seems that the fame of this demon is growing more and more, specifically in America. Ignoring the rise in rapes, molestations, and sex offenders, the world seems to be making quite a lucrative living off of such an alliance. The virgin heroines of ancient times (Mary of Egypt, Fevronia, Marina, and especially Mary, the mother of Christ our God) have been forgotten, even in modern day christianity. New heroines have been established for us, ones that, although they corrupt our sisters and daughters, are praised for their ‘rebellious’ attitudes and revealing clothing. And, even though, these new “women of praise” are slaves to be exploited by the pornographic machine, they “set us free from and inspire our everyday life” when we read their interviews in magazines or watch them on the TV. And although this demon has been banned by Kingdoms of old, it seems he has made himself very much at home in this present day. The rise of new popular luxuries, i.e. the internet, ipods, and now cell phones, has given even the youngest of teenagers the access to this doorway that leads to death. And so, now we are in a time where this act has become normal and to do anything else would be ‘old fashioned’ and crazy, fulfilling the words of Saint Anthony, “A time will come when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him saying, ‘You are mad, you are not like us!’”


“The stomach is the cause of human disaster… Let us then ask of this archfoe: Who is your mother? Who are your children?...And gluttony… furiously raving at us answers: …Why do you try to separate yourself from me? I am bound to you by nature. I gain entry through the very nature of food. The cause of insatiability is habit. The foundation of my passion is repeated habit, insensitivity of the soul, and forgetfulness of death… NOW LEARN THE NAMES OF MY FIRST-BORN AND BEST LOVED CHILDREN: 1. FORNICATION, 2. HARD-HEARTEDNESS, 3. DROWSINESS”
(The Ladder)

America has become the nation of gluttony and has made a home for its children. It is now normal to order ‘Super Size’ and eat more than we can fit into our stomachs. We have been taught that this is only “natural” and nothing is wrong with eating as much as you want. Therefore, it is not surprising to say that America, the ‘Fat Nation’, has fallen in love with the demon of lust. Without the self-control that the Holy Fathers speak of, America will never get rid of this demon, for “he who wishes to defeat the demon of fornication through gluttony is like a man who tries to put out a fire with oil” (Saint John Climacus, The Ladder). We need to take control of our stomachs and “not eat with savage gluttony, but in all things that have to do with pleasure we are to maintain moderation, quiet, and self-control. Nor may we omit thinking of God while we eat… bethinking us how various sorts of food are suitable for the needs of our bodies are the result of the great Steward of the universe” (St. Basil the Great, Letter to Gregory). Saint John Chrysostom says that in order to defeat the demon of lust we must “not fatten the body… He who throws food into the belly is just like someone who tosses it down a drain, only much worse. For the one who throws it down a drain does so without harming himself, while the one who puts it into his stomach generates innumerable diseases (passions)… for what is over and above our need, not only does not nourish but gives rise to such passions as lust” (Homily 29 on Hebrews).


Drive away the enemy and those who bring temptations of evil thoughts with prayer:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
(St. Nektary)

When the demon of lust and fornication approaches you with temptations and every unchaste thing, cross yourselves with the sign of the Holy Cross and say “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” This is the prayer that the ancient desert dwellers used to become dead to this world. When the things of this world would tempt or approach them they would cry out for Christ’s help and the demons would fly from them. We must struggle keep this ancient prayer on our lips so that we will be victorious in battle against the archfoe, rejecting earthly things. Through this, the world will reject us and the demons will flee from us in shame. In this prayer we will stare death in the face and prevail over him through the mercy of Christ. Death to the World only truly comes through calling upon Christ to help us focus our minds on otherworldy things. This is how we will defeat this world’s new powerful ally and stop him from dragging us into eternal torment with him.


"Just as the Lord is concerned about our salvation, so does the devil, the slayer of men, concern himself about bringing the soul of man to despair.” (Saint Seraphim of Sarov)

When you fall into the snares that this demon lays before you, get back up and trust in the Mercy of God. Once you have sinned it is good to turn to your Creator, but it is death to fall into the sin of despair. The demons will come to you and try to persuade you that God will not forgive you. When they do this they are trying to tell you that God’s mercy has limits, but it does not. Come to God with a sorrowful heart and a will to never commit the sin again. If you do commit the same sin again, remember that you are only human, and run back to God’s mercy and ask Him to give you the knowledge to do His will. Despair is a very effective tool that the demons use to draw people closer to spiritual death. “Judas the betrayer was faint-hearted and inexperienced in struggle, which is why the devil, seeing him in a state of despair, attacked and persuaded him to hang himself. Peter, the formidable rock, falling into great sin and experienced in struggle, did not despair and did not lose the presence of the spirit, rather he shed bitter tears from a warm heart and, seeing that, the devil fled from him as though burned by fire. Thus, brethren, the Venerable Antiochus teaches that when despair befalls us, we should not succumb to it but, strengthened and enveloped by Holy Faith, say with great bravery to the cunning spirit [the devil]: 'what have you to do with us, O apostate from God, fugitive from heaven and a slave of evil! You are unable to inspire us to do anything; for Christ, the Son of God, has authority over us and over all. And you, O murderer, depart from us! Strengthened by His Honorable Cross, we trample upon your serpent's head.' "(Saint Seraphim of Sarov

This world is committing suicide running after what this demon has to offer, raising addicts and even serial killers. The grip that this demon takes upon people can lead some into the darkest hell. Some become so desensitized and addicted that they need more and more, doing anything they can to get it. Relationships are ruined, childhoods are ended, and lives are even ended. The notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy, on his way to electric chair stated, “You are going to kill me, and that will protect society from me. But out there are many, many more people who are addicted to pornography, and you are doing nothing about that." Bundy also admitted that pornography was the first step on the path to murder 31 young women. Gary Bishop, a man who killed 5 boys in Salt Lake, explained in graphic detail how his addiction to pornography fueled his passion to murder these innocent children. Bishop said, “My conscience was desensitized and my sexual appetite entirely controlled my actions."
Women are no longer looked at with respect; the world has turned them into an object. The womb has become some sort of twisted playground, not a place that God has sanctified. Sociologist Diana Russell states, “Pornography is vicious, anti-woman propaganda. It tells lies about us. It degrades women…” Legal Scholar, Catherine MacKinnon says “Look at the rape rate. Look at the rate of child sexual abuse…About 38% of all young girls are sexually molested before they reach the age of maturity.”
There are “experts” who now deny these claims, even the ones made by the serial killers themselves, saying that pornography has no effect on a person, fearing for their ‘First Amendment rights’. Some fear the ‘tyranny’ that the moral minority will take away their rights to view such obscene things. Others are addicts themselves with hidden agendas behind their public statements. This is somewhat similar to the repeated denial of effects caused by the exposure to extreme violent media made by TV and movie executives, despite the massive evidence to the contrary—especially concerning children. Just as the tobacco institute scientists deny that there is no health risk linked to smoking, after 30 years of researched evidence, the world continues to deny the terrifying effect this demon has on people, fearing the loss of money and interruption of their own obsessions.