Fighting demons: Bede’s Life of Cuthbert: Chapter XIII
Both Cuthbert and the Desert dwellers seem to have similar ideas about “demons”. They are illusory – but even the illusion of them is enough to entangle, frustrate, frighten or even defeat us. C603 acknowledges these as “spiritual struggles”. The common-sense advice of all three is heartening.
HOW HE FORESAW A VISION OF A FIRE COMING FROM THE DEVIL WHILST HE WAS PREACHING, AND HOW HE PUT OUT THE SAME
ABOUT the same time, as he was preaching the word of life to a number of persons assembled in a certain village, he suddenly saw in the spirit our old enemy coming to retard the work of salvation, and forthwith began by admonitions to prevent the snares and devices which he saw were coming. “Dearest brethren,” said he, “as often as you hear the mysteries of the heavenly kingdom preached to you, you should listen with attentive heart and with watchful feelings, lest the devil, who has a thousand ways of harming you, prevent you by superfluous cares from hearing the word of salvation.” As he said these words, he resumed the thread of his discourse, and immediately that wicked enemy, bringing supernatural fire, set light to a neighbouring house, so that flakes of fire seemed to fly through the air, and a storm of wind and thunder shook the sky.
Nearly the whole multitude rushed forward, to extinguish the fire, (for he restrained a few of them himself,) but yet with all their real water they could not put out the false flames, until, at Cuthbert’s prayer, the author of the deceit was put to flight, and his fictitious fires dispersed along with him. The multitude, seeing this, were suffused with ingenuous blushes, and, falling on their knees before him, prayed to be forgiven for their fickleness of mind, acknowledging their conviction that the devil never rests even for an hour from impeding the work of man’s salvation. But he, encouraging them under their infirmity, again began to preach to them the words of everlasting life.
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...The vocation of the hermit is to remain with God alone, the Unum necessarium, through paths of liberation, of evangelical conversion, in which the fatigue of the spiritual struggle is experienced to reach the purification of the heart. HLPC 11
The fact of remaining on the margin recalls the imagery of the desert. understood by the ancient desert-dwellers as an emblematic place above all to express the separation from the world and the harshness of spiritual combat, which hermits often experience. HLPC 25
… life in solitude, while providing advantages from the point of view of meditation and inner concentration, can be the occasion of trials, discomforts, unforeseen events, which require to be approached with balance and responsibility. HLPC 30
One of the earliest tropes of ancient hermitage as they headed off into the desert, was the desire “to fight demons”. In contemporary parlance “demons” would probably indicate our personal shortcomings, foibles, frustrations, obsessions, preoccupations and passions (also a word frequently wielded by the desert dwellers). Although the imagery in the desert stories around the “demons” was quite vivid – and, indeed, presented itself as fire in the story about Cuthbert’s preaching, it is these (often minor, but insidious and persistent) personal temptations and infractions that they were primarily concerned with. How to stay focussed on Unam necessarium (the one thing necessary – God!) when beset by all these distractions and unhelpful proclivities?
The answers it seems are straight forward and forthright. Here is St Anthony despairing of getting-it-right, and being taught by an angel:
When the holy Abba Anthony lived in the desert he was beset by accidie and attacked by many sinful thoughts. He said to God, ‘Lord, I want to be saved but these thoughts do not leave me alone; what shall I do in my afflictions? How can I be saved?’ A short while afterwards, when he got up to go out, Anthony saw a man like himself sitting at his work, getting up from his work to pray, then sitting down and plaiting a rope, then getting up again to pray. It was an Angel of the Lord sent to correct and reassure him. He heard the Angel saying to him, ‘Do this and you will be saved.’ At these words Anthony was filled with joy and courage. He did this and he was saved. AC Anthony 1
And very similar advice to Abba Arsenius:
“Someone said to Abba Arsenius, ‘My thoughts trouble me, saying, ‘You can neither fast nor work; at least go and visit the sick, for that is also charity.’ ‘ But the old man, recognising the suggestions of the demons said to him, ‘Go, eat, drink, sleep, do no work, only do not leave your cell.’ For he knew that steadfastness in the cell keeps a monk in the right way.” AC Arsenius 11
The desert dwellers had learnt that the only way to deal with these obstacles was to stay where you are, and focus on what-you-are-doing. There is a lovely story of the old man who engaged with his distractions, running after them, trying to control them. It is a thankless task and will overwhelm us:
“Abba Elias said, “An old man was living in a temple and the demons came to say to him. ‘Leave this place which belongs to us’, and the old man said ‘No place belongs to you.’ Then they began to scatter his palm leaves about, one by one, and the old man went on gathering them with perseverance. A little later the devil took his hand and pulled him to the door. When the old man reached the door, he seized the lintel with the other hand crying out, ‘Jesus, save me!’ Immediately the devil fled. Then the old man began to weep. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Why are you weeping?’ and the old man said, ‘Because the devils have dared to seize a man and treat him like this.’ The Lord said to him, ‘You had been careless. As soon as you turned to me again, you see I was beside you.’ I say this because it is necessary to take great pains, and anyone who does not do so cannot come to his God. For he himself was crucified for our sake.” AC Elias 7
Ultimately, what-you-are-doing is being in the presence of God. If your body and mind are occupied with your tasks, then your heart is present with God. This doesn’t mean sitting in rapt ecstasy for days on end – that is the fire that Cuthbert points out to the villagers – and extinguishes. Doing ordinary things, in the place given to you, without seeking novelty, and with focus. This is how to be present with God.