"The devil has success with the indifferent, but he prepares crowns for the prudent." (Saint Ephraim the Syrian)

The devil has success with the indifferent, but he prepares crowns for the prudent.

he evil devil, after he was decisively vanquished by the holy saints and ascetics restrained by God’s grace, sat down and railed against himself, weeping and saying:

Woe is me who am miserable! To what have I been subjected? How did it happen that I lost the struggle and ceded victory over myself? But it is I who have become the author of mine own shame, for I started this lengthy battle with them.

After being defeated at the first two battles I should have retreated immediately, seeing that Christ is with them. But since I pursued victory over them, I only increased their reward, to mine own disgrace.

I should have realized mine error before, when I suffered at Christ’s hands, when He overthrew all my power. For I did all I could to ensure His crucifixion, but it was His very death that conquered me.

I have suffered the very same at the hands of the martyrs. I have raised up kings and prepared torments that the martyrs might see these things and become terrified and renounce Christ. Not only have they not been terrified by various forms of torture, but they have confessed Christ right up until their death.

And now again, when I wanted to defeat these strugglers in warfare, I had to retreat defeated and with great shame. I boasted of my clever schemes, but they are all torn to shreds like a spider’s web. I wanted to overpower them with various passions, but they have made me turn back and flee by the power of the Cross. And now at last I do not know what to do.

I will leave these courageous strugglers and go to my friends who have chosen a carefree life. Among them I will not have to labor, nor will I need to use any deception.

I can take up bonds and tie them up. And after I tie them with the bonds of which they are so fond, I will have them under my control like slaves who always do my bidding voluntarily.

Thus shall they fling themselves into the abyss, and I will rejoice at their ruin and keep them there, that I might have company in the inextinguishable fire.

In a like manner do we, who are foolish, give authority over ourselves to the enemy by cutting ourselves off from God through our rejection of His commandments. Having found us thus stripped of grace, he freely takes possession of us, and unopposed he leads us along his path — the path of ruin.

O Lord! Grant that we might escape from the evil one, having torn to shreds the bonds with which he has tied us up according to our own choosing. Lay upon us Thy good and easy yoke and send us the strength to carry it, that, traveling along the good path of Thy commandments, we might reach the city which Thou hast prepared for them that love Thee.

From A Spiritual Psalter or Reflections on God, compiled from the works of Saint Ephraim the Syrian