Overcoming Obstacles to Interior Freedom:
Maladies of the Soul or the Eight Evil Thoughts
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute: Father John A. Klockeman
A Christian is called to the heroic task of witnessing to the world the life of a soul cured by God.
The Battle for Our Redemption is the Lord’s:
Luke 4:1,13: “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was lead by the Spirit for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from
Him until an opportune time.”
Matthew 26: 38-39: “Then He said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’ And going a little farther
He fell on His face and prayed, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’”
He has Won for Us Victory:
John 19:30: “When Jesus had received the vinegar, He said, ‘It is finished’; and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
Matthew 28: 18-19: “And Jesus came and said to the, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
As Members of His Body, He Calls Us to Continue the Work of Redemption:
Colossians 1:24: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church . . ..”
1 Peter 1:13-16: “Therefore gird up your minds, be sober, set your hope fully upon the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 | P a g e

Overcoming Obstacles to Interior Freedom:
Maladies of the Soul or the Eight Evil Thoughts
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute: Father John A. Klockeman
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct: since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’.”
Philippians 3: 10-11: “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like
Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
Romans 12:1-2: “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to
God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
“You are called to be other Christ’s with Him and like Him.” John Paul II
“As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” John 20:21
“Acquire the Holy Spirit and thousands will be saved.” Saint Seraphim of
Sarov
The more you contemplate your life, the more you will begin to awaken that you deal, to some degree or another, with all the Eight Maladies of
the Soul: Our battle is one of constant vigilance and self-knowledge:
1.
knowledge of the tactics of the demonic,
2.
ordered use of our human nature to our proper end (ie. beatitude of God)
3.
with the goal of being possessed by the Holy Spirit
God is the object of our pursuit (unification)
Love is the means of that pursuit (illumination)
Purity of Heart is the vehicle of that pursuit (purgation/asceticism)
2 | P a g e

Overcoming Obstacles to Interior Freedom:
Maladies of the Soul or the Eight Evil Thoughts
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute: Father John A. Klockeman
The Eight Evil Thoughts = Pride, Vainglory, Acedia (Sloth), Anger,
Sadness, Gluttony, Lust and Avarice (Greed)
Three Categories of the Eight Evil Thoughts: (cf. Tools Matter for
Practicing the Spiritual Life by Mary Margaret Funk, p. 7)
1.
Thoughts of the Body → Gluttony, Lust & Avarice
2.
Thoughts of the Mind → Anger & Sadness (Dejection)
3.
Thoughts of the Soul → Pride, Vainglory & Acedia
The Western List reduced the Eight Evil Thoughts to Seven Capital Sins (Saint
Gregory the Great combined Pride and Vainglory together, Acedia (sloth) and Sadness together, and added the Capital Sin of Envy since many of the attributes of Acedia and Sadness appear closely related in affect on the soul ):
† They are capital because they engender other sins, other vices
(CCC 1866)
† The repetition of sins – even venial ones – engender vices, among which are the capital sins (CCC 1876)
Maladies of the Soul cloud the immediate knowledge of God and a person’s baptismal call to glorification in communion with the Holy Trinity. In practice, the (the maladies) are idols one is tempted to serve – a cheap substitute robbing the fulfillment of a legitimate human desire -- whose effect is to cloud and weaken the faculties of the human soul and thereby limit the true freedom of
man – a freedom bought by the price of Christ’s own blood, and, by right, an inheritance of all the baptized.
After His baptism in the Jordan, Jesus Himself went into the desert and there was confronted by a triple temptation to worship Satan. Through the ascetical method, Christ resisted, and after this confrontation began His proclamation of the Kingdom of God until He put to death on the cross the bondage of sin and resurrected the fallen nature of man.
3 | P a g e

Overcoming Obstacles to Interior Freedom:
Maladies of the Soul or the Eight Evil Thoughts
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute: Father John A. Klockeman
Baptism (and by extension the other sacraments to deliver, heal, & strengthen)
Active Asceticism
Passive Asceticism
Proclamation of the Kingdom (word and witness)
Transfiguration (a foreshadowing of the resurrection)
“Egyptian monasticism [and by extension, the Desert Fathers] understood its spirituality as the continuation of the fight begun by the Lord in the desert.” (cf.
Three Stages of the Spiritual Life by Paul Evdokimov, p. 143)
[Therefore,] the Christian is called to an “interiorized monasticism” by taking in one’s own state in life the equivalent of the monastic vows – poverty, chastity,
and obedience – the triple freedom in the answers of Christ in spiritual combat with Satan and his triple temptation to slavery.” (cf. Three Stages of the Spiritual
Life, pp. 144 & 145)
One can more easily understand the Fathers when we move or mature beyond a solitary, fixated image of holiness as perfectionism and/or remain preoccupied with our own imperfections . . . we need to encounter “ecstatis,” a going out of self into a revitalized relationship with the Holy Trinity.
Spiritual Warfare & the Use of Logismoi (Gr.) = “inner thoughts or suggestions”
Sources of Logismoi or Thoughts: Three principle sources sorted by the fruits they produce
1.
From our own memories, desires, or past experiences
2.
From God as inspirations of the Holy Spirit
3.
From evil sources outside oneself
(cf. Tools Matter , p. 7)
4 | P a g e

Overcoming Obstacles to Interior Freedom:
Maladies of the Soul or the Eight Evil Thoughts
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute: Father John A. Klockeman
Discernment of Spirits may also be defined more broadly: such spirits as our fallen nature, our redeemed nature, another person who can lead us toward or away from God, angelic spirits, the Holy Trinity, the demonic, fallen creation, and the beauty of the created world.
Example of logismoi from the life of Saint Augustine: “I was held back by mere trifles, the most paltry inanities, all my old attachments. They plucked at my garment of flesh and whispered, “Are you going to dismiss us? From this moment we shall never be with you again, forever and ever.
From this moment you will never be allowed to do this thing or that, for evermore . . .” These voices . . . no longer barred my way, blatantly contradictory, but t heir mutterings seemed to reach me from behind, as though they were stealthily plucking at my back, trying to make me turn my head when I wanted to go forward. Yet in my state of indecision, they kept me from tearing myself ways, from shaking myself free of them and leaping across the barrier to the other side, where you were calling me.”
(Saint Augustine Confessions, R.S. Pine-Coffin, pp. 177-178)
Progression of Thoughts:
Unsolicited thoughts , permitted to remain, form into feelings ; feelings attended to coalesce into desires ; desires evolve and arouse the passions ; and the passions aroused lead to a question to the soul: will you consent?
(cf. Tools Matter, p. 6)
The aim of the demonic , knowing one’s susceptibility to certain weaknesses, seeks, through a suggestion or thought, to stir the passions
(the eight evil thoughts) and weaken the will to give permission for one to enter into sin.
Evil thoughts (logismoi) are suggested by elemental forces (demonic) that move → into a passion that serve → idols who seek to → enslave humanity, keeping one bound and unhealed, diminishing our human dignity and our call to theosis of communion with the Trinity.
“The demonic assaults everything that is true.”
(Father Chirovsky)
Way to Master Thoughts:
“The way to master thoughts is to notice them early, often, and consistently, and respond to them deliberately.” (cf. Tools Matter, p. 7, emphasis mine)
5 | P a g e

Overcoming Obstacles to Interior Freedom:
Maladies of the Soul or the Eight Evil Thoughts
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute: Father John A. Klockeman
2 Cor. 10:5:
“We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
“Do not let the enemy seduce you by the suggestion: ‘Let go just for an hour.’ Very well, [you say,] just for an hour. But what will become of you, if you relinquish your life in God, and abandon yourself to the world and its comforts, and to bodily enjoyments? You will be a renegade from God; which is terrible for a single moment, let alone for an hour. And, is it likely to be but an hour? Is it not more probable that hour after hour will pass in this ungodly life, then day after day, and year after year? And beyond this, what? Even if the Lord takes pity on you and gives you time to come to yourself, to get free of this net of the devil and awake from your sinful sleep, you will still have to rejoin the same battle, from which you flee now to seek an easy life, with the only difference that then the fight will be incomparably harder, more acute, more painful, and, in addition, less successful. . . . [all for “just
an hour”].” ( Unseen Warfare, p. 115, as edited by Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain and revised by Theophan the Recluse)
“This is indeed the hardest of all struggles; for while we strive against self, self is striving against us, and therefore is the victory here most glorious and precious in the sight of God.” The Spiritual Combat, Lorenzo Scupoli .
6 | P a g e

Overcoming Obstacles to Interior Freedom:
Maladies of the Soul or the Eight Evil Thoughts
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute: Father John A. Klockeman
Part II
Saint Ignatius of Loyola: “There are few people who realize what God would make of them if they abandoned themselves into His hands, and let themselves be formed by His grace.”
Freedom & Transfiguration Wrought in Spiritual Warfare:
The irony in the spiritual life → the closer we get to God the further away we feel because Faith, Hope, and Love has a face
“The closest times with God can be the most embarrassing, because overwhelmed by His love we see ourselves most honestly.”
Father Jeff Huard
Galatians 2:20:
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Christ Defines Himself and Our Vocation:
Mark 10:45:
“For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Asceticism enlarges the life of a Christian to live freely, and willingly, by bearing witness of a soul cured by the grace of God . . . and, thereby, drawing others toward salvation in Him.
The journey of the Christian life is from baptism to transfiguration in Christ
“The Glory of God is Man Fully Alive” (Saint Ignatius of Antioch):
Saint Augustine:
“For the just man to be made from a sinner is greater than to create heaven and earth. For heaven and earth shall pass away, but the [justified] shall endure.”
On John , tract. LXXII, super XIV.
Saint Thomas Aquinas: “The good of grace in one is greater than the good of nature in the whole universe.” ST I-II, q. 113, a. 9.
7 | P a g e

Overcoming Obstacles to Interior Freedom:
Maladies of the Soul or the Eight Evil Thoughts
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute: Father John A. Klockeman
“
Repentance has two aspects: (1) turning away from sin; and, (2) turning away from preoccupation with the past” Saint Clement of Alexandria
Philippians 3:13-14: “Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one this I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward calling of God in
Christ Jesus.”
A Call to Mature Discipleship:
“The Fathers do not categorize people as moral and immoral, good or bad, on the basis of moral laws. At [its] depth humanity is differentiated into: (1) those in need of healing (the sick in soul); (2) those being healed; and, (3) those healed.”
Orthodox Psychotherapy: The Science of the Fathers, Metropolitan of
Nafpaktos Hierotheos, p. 30
Romans 8: 18-21: “The sufferings of the present are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed in us. Indeed, the whole created world eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God. Creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but by him who once subjected it; yet not without hope, because the world itself will be freed from its slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.”
James 4: 8, 10: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you.”
Psalm 116: 15:
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful.”
Why is it that those who seems to give up everything for God seem to possess everything in the end? Why, because they saw the need to suffer the honest coming of truth about their own character; to suffer unto their own salvation.
Combating the Eight Evil Thoughts:
1.
Pride = an affliction of preoccupation with self ( idol = self/self-sufficiency)
2.
Vainglory = an affliction of preoccupation with what others think that governs what I do ( idol = others/their reaction determines self-acceptance)
8 | P a g e

Overcoming Obstacles to Interior Freedom:
Maladies of the Soul or the Eight Evil Thoughts
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute: Father John A. Klockeman
3.
Anger = an affliction to boil or stir up wrath . . . against one who has given injury, or is thought to have done so ( idol = preoccupied with control)
4.
Acedia = an affliction of motivation and intention resulting in a lack of satisfaction and consolation . . . a temptation to remain satisfied or discontinue the path of virtue ( idol = comfort/false freedom or license)
5.
Sadness/Dejection = an affliction due to deprivation of one’s desires or sensible pleasures (self-pity) ( idol = preoccupied with fulfillment/wholeness)
6.
Gluttony = an affliction to give up asceticism in the short order, even with small desires (to covet food, etc.) ( idol = food or drink/overly preoccupied with one’s health) . . . 1 John 2:16
7.
Lust = an affliction to lust (covet) after bodies ( idol = preoccupied with sex or relationships). . . 1 John 2:16
8.
Avarice (Greed) = an affliction of concern, or shame, over potential future outlooks and worry over things (to covet things) ( idol = preoccupied with security or wealth) . . . 1 John 2:16
In practice, when one consents to the passions, he/she forms supposed coping mechanisms, or habits of living, to meet an emotional defense or need that can easily mutate into compulsions and addictions . . . forming a condition of attachments with various degrees of severity.
It is not ironic that the Greek word for “passion” is the basis for the English word
“pathetic.”
Ways to Combat in Spiritual Warfare (or Enter into Desert Asceticism):
Frequent practice of the sacraments/sacramentals
Ceaseless Prayer, ie. “The Jesus Prayer”
Daily prayer and daily Examen prayer
Recollection of day’s/past events & roots of thoughts
Saint Theresa of Avila: “Commit yourself never to stop praying and someday you will stop sinning.”
Manual labor . . . a means to extinguish the flames of desire
Awareness of thoughts . . . permits distance from the thoughts settling in the heart, and is the first step in discerning their origin
James 5:7-8: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
9 | P a g e

Overcoming Obstacles to Interior Freedom:
Maladies of the Soul or the Eight Evil Thoughts
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute: Father John A. Klockeman
Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind.”
Watchfulness . . . remaining sober and alert (cf. 1 Peter 5:6-9)
Use of silence!!! -- in outward activity & inner stillness/simplicity of life
Blasé Pascal: “I have often said that the sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.”
-- a diversion from self, of reaching interior awareness, and resistance to living “within.” You find it difficult to hear your heart, your legitimate needs, and need for healing, much less discern the voice of God or the those movements of the heart moving you away from God.
Use of righteous anger against one’s sin and the enemy
Practice of the ascetical life – aided by contemplation
Fasting, Almsgiving, Spiritual Reading, and Prayer Vigils
“The works of asceticism do not suffice to heal the powers of the soul completely. They must be complemented by a contemplative activity which is appropriate to these faculties . . .” (
The Praktikos , p. 4)
Practice of Penthos . . . a recognition and compunction over our choices of sin and our tendency to sin over the pursuit and love of God – practices such as: sorrowful mysteries of the rosary, acts of contrition, penitential prayers at Mass, the Way of the Cross, the gift of tears, meditation on the wounds of Christ before a crucifix, etc.
Cf. The Praktikos, p. 24, footnote 42: God is the object of our pursuit and love is the means of that pursuit: purification of the passions supposes love. Love fully flowers only when the passions are put in order (ie. subdued in asceticism and in the maturation of the virtues).
Specific Tools for each of the Eight Evil Thoughts:
Pride: To exercise humility, to renounce undue competition, to practice the mercy of Christ speaking truth motivated by charity
Vainglory: Love God for His own sake, practice asceticism of thought, pray the litany of humility
10 | P a g e

Overcoming Obstacles to Interior Freedom:
Maladies of the Soul or the Eight Evil Thoughts
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute: Father John A. Klockeman
Acedia: Practice works of mercy/service, manual labor, do the opposite of the promptings of acedia, avoid grumbling, help others in need, avoid too much leisure time alone/numbing activities, practice moderation in speech.
Anger: Reconcile with others, forgive and let go of a memory, guard your heart by prudent vulnerability, practice almsgiving, pray for others
Dejection/Sadness: Stay in relationship with others, relate, correct our faults, avoid destructive/spiraling thoughts and emotions, avoid selfabasement and self-pity, resist morbid suffering/victim mentality, catch the thought quickly, practice detachment
Gluttony: Practice intentional fasting/”offer it up,” exercise and training of the body, practice moderation, slow down your eating and drinking
Lust: Practice honesty/transparency with yourself and/or spiritual director/ confessor/ spouse/ trusted friend, seek company that draws out what is good and fruitful, incorporate other forms of legitimate intimacies in your life, practice humility, follow the opposite course
Avarice: Remember that God is our goal in life, live with gratitude and practice renunciation, be in the world but not of the world, be intentional to practice simplicity, refrain from envy of another’s goods, be eased and directed by the life of daily prayer
Final Thoughts:
Theodore Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly . . . who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.”
Ephesians 6:10-12: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For, we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore, take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
11 | P a g e

Overcoming Obstacles to Interior Freedom:
Maladies of the Soul or the Eight Evil Thoughts
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute: Father John A. Klockeman
Further Reading:
Cloud, Henry and Townsend, John, “Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No, to
Take Control of Your Life,” Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1992.
Colliander, Tito, “Way of the Ascetics,” Saint Vladimir Seminary Press, Crestwood, NY,
1998.
Cook, Jeff, “Seven: The Deadly Sins and the Beatitudes,” Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI
2008.
Funk, Mary Margaret, “Thoughts Matter: The Practice of the Spiritual Life,” The
Continuum International Publishing Company, Inc., NY, NY, 1998.
Funk, Mary Margaret, “Tools Matter for Practicing the Spiritual Life,” The Continuum
International Publishing Company, Inc., NY, NY, 2001.
Gallagher, Timothy, “The Discernment of Spirits,” Crossroads Publishing Company, NY,
NY, 2005.
Hierotheos, Metropolitan of Nafpaktos and translated by Esther Williams, “Orthodox
Psychotherapy: The Science of the Fathers,” Birth of the Theotokos Monastery, Greece,
1994.
Hierotheos, Metropolitan of Nafpaktos, “The Illness and Cure of the Soul in Orthodox
Tradition,” Birth of the Theotokos Monastery, Levadia, Greece, 1997.
Keating, James, “Listening: Praying Our Way to Virtue,” Liguori, Liguori, MO, 2002.
LaGrange, R. Garrigou, “The Three Ways of the Spiritual Life,” Tan Books and
Publishing, Inc., Rockford, IL, 1977.
Lewis, C.S., “The Screwtape Letters,” Bantam Books, NY, NY, 1982.
Lozano, Neal, “Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance,” Chosen Books, Grand
Rapids, MI, 2001.
Maturin, Basil, “Christian Self-Mastery: How to Govern Your Thoughts, Discipline Your
Will, and Achieve Balance in Your Spiritual Life,” Sophia Institute Press, Manchester,
NH, 2001.
12 | P a g e

Overcoming Obstacles to Interior Freedom:
Maladies of the Soul or the Eight Evil Thoughts
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute: Father John A. Klockeman
Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain and revised by Theophan the Recluse, “Unseen
Warfare,” Saint Vladimir Seminary Press, Crestwood, NY 1978.
Philippe, Jacques, “Time for God,” Scepter Publishers, Inc., NY, NY, 1992.
Ponticus, Evagrius, “The Praktikos & Chapters on Prayer,” Cistercian Publications,
Kalamazoo, MI, 1981.
Sheen, Fulton J., “Victory Over Vice,” Sophia Institute Press, Manchester, NH, 2004.
13 | P a g e