Discourses of Dorotheos of Gaza

by Dorotheus of Gaza

After self-will, death is the fitting and expected judgment. What a great danger. It is a thing to be greatly feared. Then sometimes the poor man falls. Who can convince such a one that another man can see better than him what is good for him, and that he would give up fully following after his own will and his method of thinking? But no, the foe prevails and turns him into a corpse. So it says, "The evil one does evil when he mingles it with righteousness. He loathes the whisper of caution. It is said that on account of the evil one hating caution not only can he not hear its sound, he hates even the echo of it, which is, the mere mention of caution. So, for example, if a man plans to do something, he asks if it is beneficial before he puts together an opinion on if it is the foe who suggested it - that is on if he should keep what he hears, for that is what the devil abhors. He inquires from someone else and hears what those who share his life have to say about it. The mere sound or echo of such talk the devil abhors and runs away from. And why do I say these things? Because the devil knows that his enmity is brought to light by by these questions and by the discussion about the benefit of doing something, and there is nothing he detests and fears so much as to be revealed, because then he discovers that he is incapable of putting traps as he wants.