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Evergetinos Hypothesis 30: Origin and Remedy of Blasphemous Thoughts
15:30
The Evergetinos, Hypothesis 30, gathers teachings on the origin and cure of blasphemous thoughts. From the Gerontikon, a brother visited Abba Poemen repeatedly but left in sorrow each time because he could not confess his blasphemous thoughts from shame. The elder discerned the struggle and urged him to speak. When the brother finally admitted that the devil wars against him to make him blaspheme, he felt immediate relief.
Poemen instructed him to answer the thought: "I am not responsible for this thought. May your blasphemy be upon you, Satan. My soul has no desire for this."
Another father explained that blasphemous thoughts arise from maligning others, pride, self-will, neglected prayer, and anger, and can hand a person over to the demon of fornication and perdition. Saint Anastasios the Sinaite added that these thoughts often assault the devout involuntarily during prayer and communion, driving some to despair and even suicide because they fear they have committed the unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit.
Anastasios said God permits the temptation to humble the proud, while demons envy those who advance in devotion; the thoughts are not the person's own, so the believer is not condemned. He noted that because no one dares confess these thoughts, people waste away or exhaust themselves with asceticism to no avail. The remedy is to despise the thought and rebuke the demon: "May your toil return upon your own head, you wicked and unclean demon...
I worship the Lord my God, and him alone shall I serve." Saint Maximos noted that the demon of blasphemy attacks when the mind progresses in love of God, and that the struggle makes the soul more steadfast and genuine in its love for God.
Key moments
- Abba Poemen discerns the brother's hidden blasphemous thoughts and urges him to confess, saying he leaves in sorrow each time because he keeps them to himself.
- The brother confesses the devil wars against him to make him blaspheme, and as soon as he speaks the thought to the elder he feels relief.
- Abba Poemen instructs him to say when the thought comes: "I am not responsible for this thought. May your blasphemy be upon you, Satan. My soul has no desire for this."
- An elder teaches that blasphemous thoughts come from maligning others, pride, following one's own will, neglecting prayer, and anger, and can lead to the demon of fornication and perdition.
- Saint Anastasios describes how souls involuntarily utter blasphemous words during worship and communion, causing some to despair of salvation and consider suicide.
- Anastasios explains the thoughts come either from pride (God permits Satan to humble) or demonic envy of the devout, and no one dares confess them, so people waste away or exhaust themselves with asceticism to no avail.
- Anastasios gives the remedy: when the devil whispers blasphemy, say "May your toil return upon your own head, you wicked and unclean demon... I worship the Lord my God, and him alone shall I serve."
- Saint Maximos says the demon of blasphemy tempts the mind when it progresses in love of God, but the attack makes the soul more steadfast and genuine in its love for God.