'Thus it is clear that our whole fight is against the
passions within. Once these have been extirpated from our heart by the
grace and help of God, we will readily be able to live not simply with
other men, but even with wild beasts, Job confirms this when he says:
'And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you' (Job 5:23). But
first we must struggle with the demon of dejection who casts the soul
into despair. We must drive him from our heart. It was this demon that
did not allow Cain to repent after he had killed his brother, or Judas
after he had betrayed his Master. The only form of dejection we should
cultivate is the sorrow which goes with repentance for sin and is
accompanied by hope in God. It was of this form of dejection that the
Apostle said: 'Godly sorrow produces a saving repentance which is not to
be repented of (2 Cor. 7:10). This 'godly sorrow' nourishes the soul
through the hope engendered by repentance, and it is mingled with joy.
That is why it makes us obedient and eager for every good work:
accessible, humble, gentle, forbearing and patient in enduring all the
suffering or tribulation God may send us. Possession of these qualities
shows that a man enjoys the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, goodness, faith, self-control (cf. Gal. 5:11). But from
the other kind of dejection we come to know the fruits of the evil
spirit: listlessness, impatience, anger, hatred, contentiousness,
despair, sluggishness in praying. So we should shun this second form of
dejection as we would unchastity, avarice, anger and the rest of the
passions. It can be healed by prayer, hope in God, meditation on Holy
Scripture, and by living with godly people.'
