Imitating The Serpent

Φρονίμους ἡμᾶς εἶναι κατὰ τὸν ὄφιν κελεύει ὁ Κύριος, ἐν παντὶ πειρασμῷ συντηροῦτας τὴν κεφαλὴν ἡμῶν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν, εὐμαθέστατε. Ὅσαις γὰρ ἂν περιστάσεσι καὶ πληγαίς ὁ ὄφις συνέχηται, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ φυλάττει κεφαλὴν ἀβλαβῆ. Καὶ πάλιν σοφισμῷ τὴν παλαίωσιν ἀποδύεται ἐν στενωπῇ τινι παρεισδύσει θλιβόμενος, καὶ τὸ γῆρας ἀποτιθέμενος. Βούλεται τοίνυν καὶ ἡμᾶς διὰ τῆς στενῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ κακώσεως τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀπεκδύεσθαι, καὶ τὸν νέον ἀνταμφιέννυσθαι, τὸν κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ εἰκόνα ἀνακαικούμενον.  Ἅγιος Ἰσίδωρος Του Πηλουσιώτου, Ἐπιστολὴ Ἡρμινῳ Κομητι

The Lord calls us to be wise like the serpent, in every trial keeping our heads, which is our faith, know well. For through trials and blows it keeps its head unharmed. And again with old cunning, when confronted by a narrow and difficult way, it strips itself and the old it casts off. It is wished, then, that even we strip off the old man through the narrow way and through suffering, and put on the new one according to His restored image. Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Letter to Count Herminos