Section 40

“Once a demon appeared in extraordinary size and with great display. He dared to say, ‘I am the power of God, and I am Providence. What do you want me to give you?’

“I breathed against him all the more, spoke the name of Christ, and moved as though to strike him. It seemed that I did strike him, and immediately that enormous figure disappeared together with all his demons at the name of Christ.

“Another time, while I was fasting, he came deceitfully in the appearance of a monk carrying what seemed to be loaves of bread. He advised me, ‘Eat, and stop all this labor. You too are human, and you are going to become sick.’ But I recognized his scheme, rose to pray, and he could not endure it. He departed, seeming to pass out through the door like smoke.

“How often in the desert has he displayed something resembling gold, hoping that I would only touch it or look at it! But I sang psalms against him, and it vanished.

“Often the demons beat me with blows, and I kept repeating, ‘Nothing will separate me from the love of Christ.’ At this they began striking one another instead.

“It was not I who stopped them or destroyed their power. It was the Lord, who said, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.’

“But I, children, have applied the Apostle’s example to myself and told you these things so that you may learn not to grow weary in ascetic discipline and not to fear either the devil or the apparitions of the demons.”