Taken from Evagrius of Ponticus (345-399)
Precursor to Gregory the Great’s Seven Deadly Sins
 To Know and love God
 Question to ask: What prevents us from knowing
God?
 The way to love God is to learn to love our
neighbor.
 We develop virtues that redirects our emotions
and passions to that which is good.
 We repent from a life oriented against God and
learn how to see ourselves within the broader
purposes of God’s love
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Eight deadly thoughts have a counter part of
eight godly virtues
If we succumb to any or all of the deadly
thoughts, we create a roadblock that makes pure
contemplation of God impossible.
As we learn to love our neighbor we learn to love
God.
Each of us will be assailed by all eight deadly
thoughts at some time or another.
Question: How will we react to the gravitational
pull of each deadly thought when it arrives?
 The church is raising “strong willed children.”
 Spiritual journey is about “shaping the will
without wounding the spirit”
 God often sends trials and tribulations to break
down our rebellion and build up our faith and
character.
 Western culture often separates the relevance of
spiritual and material realities, thus
handicapping us in developing Spiritual
disciplines.
Gluttony
2. Lust or impurity
3. Greed or avarice
4. Anger
5. Melancholy or depression
6. Indifference or discouragement
7. Envy or vainglory
8. Pride
See Colossians 3:5 & 8; Ephesians 4:17-19,31;
Galatians 5:19-21; Proverbs 6:16-19
1.
Greatest concern: the disorienting effect of the
deadly thoughts. They can throw us off course
to our aim of pursuing life with God.
2. Each deadly thought arrives at a particular
moment in our spiritual journey and its
lingering spiritual effects can last a lifetime.
3. Each deadly thought is interdependent with all
of the rest.
4. Although we face the deadly thoughts
individually, their power is cumulative if left
unresolved.
1.
 Ephesians 4:20-24;
 Colossians 3:5-10
Obedience
 James 1:22-25
Perceptions/images
2. Memories
3. Imagination
4. Thoughts I Pet 5:8-9
Purpose:
1. Blinding us to God
2. Darkening our soul
3. Dull our thinking
4. Arouse passions which dulls our thinking I John
3:8-10; James 4:7-10
1.
Temperance (overcomes gluttony)
2. Chastity (overcomes lust and impurity)
3. Generosity (overcomes greed and avarice)
4. Mildness (overcomes anger)
5. Wisdom (overcomes melancholy and depression)
6. Diligence (overcomes indifference and impatient
discouragement)
7. Happiness (overcomes envy)
8. Humility (overcomes pride)
See Colossians 3:12-17; Galatians 5:22-24; Phil. 4:8
1.
 Community of trust
 Community of vulnerability
 Community of accountability
 Results: Positive resolution as are cumulative.
 Resolution at one level leads to positive resolution
at subsequent levels.
 Negative resolution are cumulative
 Left unresolved leads to defeat
Graham
Campolo
1. Pride
Sloth
2. Anger
Lust
3. Envy
Anger
4. Lust
Pride
5. Gluttony Envy
6. Sloth
Gluttony
7. Avarice Greed
Fairlie
Pride
Envy
Anger
Sloth
Avarice
Gluttony
Lust
Bazyn
Pride
Envy
Anger
Avarice
Lust
Gluttony
Sloth
 Animal Vices – the Irrational-Instinctive
 Gluttony
 Adultery
 Greed
 Emotional Vices
 Anger
 Melancholy/Depression
 Human Vices – the Rational Will
 Slothfulness/Laziness
 Vainglory/Envy
 Pride
1.
What is the goal of the spiritual life?
1.
2.
2.
What is the path to the goal?
1.
2.
3.
To know God and to enjoy God forever
To be Spirit controlled and love our neighbor
Preparation and the purgation of vice
The list of vices may differ according to history
What motivates us to begin the spiritual life?
1.
Fear, remorse, guilt, confusion, loneliness, a
desire for justice, for truth, for understanding,
etc.
4.
What helps us make progress in the spiritual
life?
1.
5.
What hinders us in making progress in the
spiritual life?
1.
6.
Lack of faith, flagrant sins, pride in our progress
How do we measure progress?
1.
7.
Prayer, mediation on scripture, retreats
Are we maturing in our walk?
What are the fruits of the Spirit?
1.
Love, joy, peace, friendship, discernment, selfcontrol and victory over death. See Isa 11:2; Gal
5:22
Five interlocking parts to combat deadly thoughts
1. Reading a passage of scripture to yourself aloud
2. Meditating or thinking aloud what you have
read
3. Praying about what has risen up in your mind
and heart in mediation
4. Contemplation – simply resting silently in God
for a time
5. Responding in action
 Definition: Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume
more than that which one requires. Gluttony is the
insatiable desire to take things in, to consume, and to
attempt to satisfy desire through gorging (subsistence
culture vs unlimited resources). Seduces us into believing
that satisfaction in life can come from sources other than
God. Overindulgence, drunkenness and over eating.
 Root cause: loss of confidence in God’s provision and the
epitome of human selfishness
 Example: fear of loss of a job so we compulsively overwork.
Compensation for poor self-image. OT examples Gen. 25
 Spiritual discipline: fasting – breaking the hold of the all
consuming thing (self-control).
 Scriptural teaching: Lev. 10:9; Num 6:3; Deut. 8:1-3; Prov.
21:20; 25-26; 23:19-21; Dan. 1:8-20; 10:1-3; Matt. 6:16-18; 16:24; I
Cor. 9:27; I Tim 3:2, 11; Titus 1:10-16; I John 3:17;
 Virtue: put on temperance (moderation in action, thought,
or feeling: restraint. Kept or held within limits: not
extreme or excessive). Confidence that there will always be
more to come and God will provide. Take only what is
needed. Starve a habit and live a balanced life (moderation
in all things)
 Trust and a hope in a future that does not presently exist
 Trust that our future needs will be met and that we do not
need to hoard now, so long as we follow God.
 Definition: Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of





the body. Lust ruins lives. Belief in a lie that relationships are
not necessary
Root cause: Egocentrism and the belief that the person after
whom we lust exists only to satisfy our unbridled desires.
Example: Illusion—promises satisfaction but leaves you
empty; Immaturity—unable to chose one; Denial of death—
we become less attractive & desirable. Lust dehumanizes the
person.
Spiritual discipline: Put on chastity or love
Scriptural teaching: Deliverance; I Cor 6:15; I Cor 7:25, 32-34
Virtue: Chastity works to properly balance love with the
capacity to be loved. Chastity is found in relationship, fueled
by fidelity, and endures through time.
 Definition: Greed is the desire for material wealth or
gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also
called Avarice or Covetousness. Greed knows no
limits (never enough). Always grasping for more
money, fame, or filling other’s minds with ourselves.
Greed leads to a lack of respect for the needs of
others.
 Root cause: Self-center on our own needs (Gen 3:6)
 Example: Greed provides for the “what ifs” in life –
aging, famines, sickness, poverty, depending on
others (Jer 22:13-17; I Kings 21:1-19).
 Spiritual discipline: Generosity
 Scriptural teaching: Exodus 20:17; 22:22-23; Eccl.
4:8; Jer 6:13; Matthew 5:3; 6:1-4; II Cor. 8:1-15; I Tim
6:3-10; Luke 3:11-14; 12:20-21; I Cor 6:9-10; Heb. 13:56;
 Virtue: Put on generosity. Our greatest good is
found in sharing with others in community. It
celebrates contributions. It’s not about me but
about others. (Deut 15:10; Ps 37:21, 25-26; Prov
11:25; I Tim 6:18; II Cor 9:6-15)
 Definition: Anger is manifested in the individual who
spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as
Wrath. Anger arises from a sense of violation – a violation
of self, of agreements, of principles. Anger comes when we
feel a threat to our social status or a desire to control other
people’s lives.
 Root cause: Anger is an emotion related to one's
psychological interpretation of having been offended,
wronged or denied and a tendency to undo that by
retaliation.
 Example: Evagrius writes: “the most fierce passion is anger.
In fact it is defined as a boiling and stirring up of wrath
against one who has given injury. It tends to lead to a
preoccupation with the one with whom we are angry. It
ruins our health—both physical and mental.”
 Spiritual discipline: Confession and self-restraint




(Gen 4:3-7; Prov 25:28; I John 1:9-11)
Scriptural teaching: Gen. 4:4-7; Exodus 20:13; Prov.
15:1-2; 27:4; 29:8-11; Matthew 5:5, 21-26, 38-42; Rom.
12:14-21; II Cor. 12:20; Col. 3:8-10; James 1:19-21
Virtue: Put on mildness. The center of our life
should be on God and not others. God needs to
totally satisfy our need to be valued and
recognized.
Forgiveness
Love I Cor 13:5
 Definition: The loss of confidence in the goodness of





the world and our place in it. Our very existence
doesn’t matter.
Root cause: it comes from deprivation of our desires
or deprivation of the things we desire most
Example: How would my life be better if I had ….
Often our opinion about ourselves is affected by
comparing with others.
Spiritual discipline: put on wisdom; who are we in
Christ
Scriptural teaching: Jeremiah 45; Eccl. 8:1
Virtue: the ability to recognize the role our life plays
in the greater affairs of the world.
 Definition: Indifference is the avoidance of physical or spiritual





work. It happens when we lose confidence that the way we spend
our life really matters.
Root cause: the daily affairs of life don’t matter
Example: Too lazy to love in marriage; too lazy to love others; too
lazy to nurture children; too lazy to enjoy life; too lazy to grow in
Christ; too lazy so procrastinate.
Spiritual discipline: put on diligence – through the power of the
Holy Spirit; address the fear of failure.
Scriptural teaching: Habakkuk 3:17-19; Romans 8:11ff
Virtue: the perseverance that helps us get through tough times.
 Belief that the ultimate purpose of our life rests in God’s hands
 Belief that God will eventually reverse our fortune
 Maintaining confidence in the providence of God even when
there is no immediate evidence to justify such confidence
 Have a community of encouragers to help you (Exodus 17)
 Definition: is the desire for others' traits, status,
abilities, or situation. When we feel inadequate about
our own gifts and abilities and begin to resent the gifts
and abilities of others. Fear of losing our place. Envy
ultimately prevents us from seeing our own gifts and
celebrating the role we have to pay in the social
networks and organizations where we find our grater
meaning.
 Root cause: seeking the praise of men, self-centered
insecurity
 Example: see sheet
 Spiritual discipline: put on happiness
 Scriptural teaching: see sheet
 Virtue: celebration of the mutual contribution
that we make together. Recognizing our own
competencies and celebrating the skills and
abilities of others
 Only when our egocentrism is controlled and our
ability to be other-centered is fully developed.
 Definition: is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that
interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of
God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise.
Pride is also known as Vanity. Pride is the result of a
disproportionate sense of our own contribution or
importance
 Root cause: sees the contributions of others as a threat to
the view we want to hold of ourselves.
 Example: Pride can take on various forms: spiritual,
intellectual (Prov 16:18; 16:5; 29:23; I Cor 8:1-2; Romans 12:16;
Prov 3:5,) material (Deut 8:18; I Chron 29:12Psalm 62:10; I
Timothy 6:9; James 1:17) and social (I Cor 1:10-17; Acts 6:1;
James 2:1-13). Ruins relationships, destroys those we love,
and can destroy a nation.
 Spiritual discipline: put on humility
 Scriptural teaching: Matthew 5:5; Romans 12:3-8;
Phil 2:3-5; James 4:6;
 Virtue: seeing ourselves properly in the greater
purposes of God’s design without feeling
threatened by the achievements of others.
 Danger: false sense of humility which masks our
pride or result of our self abasement. Shame
views self as defective and is not humility.
 Warning: God seemingly hates pride the most
(Prov 8:13
 Goal: Being able to discern and respond
appropriately to any physical, mental or spiritual
stimulation. To achieve a full and harmonious
integration of the emotional and spiritual life
under the direct influence of God’s divine love
 Result: A deep calm based on obedience to the
commandments of God and the practice of virtue.
(see Romans 12:21 or Hebrews 12:13)
 Warning: The passions that the eight deadly
thoughts arouse inhibit the work of the Holy
Spirit in our lives and keep us from loving God
and our neighbor.