Repulsing Pride

Εἰ δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ δαιμονιώδους πάθους τῆς κακίστης ὑπερηφανίας σεαυτὸν ὀρᾷς πολεμοὺμενον, ὀφείλεις μηδένα λοιδορῆσαι, ἢ κρῖνα, ἢ ἐξουδενῶσαι τὸ σύνολον, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν περίψημα πάντων λογίζεσθαι, καὶ ἐννοεῖν συνεχῶς, ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ Κύριος οἰκοδομήσῃ οἶκον, εἰς μάτην ἐκοπίασσαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες· καὶ πάντοτε χρεωφειλέτην λογίζεσθαι ἑαυτὸν, καὶ ἐξουθενεῖν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πάντων ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ μὴ θάρσει, ἕως οὗ τὴν ἀπόφασιν δέξῃ· ὀρῶν εκεῖνον, τὸν καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐν νυμφώνι κατάκλισιν, χεῖρας καὶ πόδας δεσμούμενον, καὶ εἰς τὸ σκότος αἰώνιον ἐξοριζόμενον· ἀλλὰ κᾶν νηστεύῃς, κἂν ἀγρυπνῇς, κἂν χαμαικοιτῇς, κἂν ψάλλῃς, κἂν διαμονῇς, κἂν μετανοίας πολλὰς ποιῇς, κἂν ἄλλο τι καλὸν ποιῇς, μὴ λέγου, ὅτι ἐξ ἰδίου μου κόπου, ἤ ἀπὸ ἰδίας προθυμίας γεγένηται, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς Θεοῦ βοηθείας καὶ ἀντιλήψεως γίνεται, καὶ οὐχὶ ἐκ τῆς ἐμῆς σπουδῆς. Σπούδασον πάντοτε, ἀδελφὲ, ἵνα ὑπάρχῇς ἀεὶ ἁπλοῦς καὶ ἄμωμος· καὶ μὴ ἔχε ἄλλα ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ, ἄλλα ἐν τῷ στόματί σου· τοῦτο γὰρ δόλιόν ἐστι· καὶ συνεχῶς μετὰ δακρύων προσεύχου· καὶ οὕτω ποιῶν ἀπαλλαγήσῃ τοῦ ὀλεθρίου καὶ πονηποῦ παραπτώματος. Άγιος Ιωάννης ο Δαμασκηνός, Περι Των Ὀκτώ Τῆς Πονηρίας Πνευμάτων Source: Migne PG 95.81d-84b

If you sense that you are being assaulted by that demonic passion of wicked pride, instantly resolve not to scorn anyone, or condemn them, nor disregard them, but rather reckon yourself to be the foulest of all, and think always: 'Unless the Lord builds the house, in vain they labour who build it.' 1 You must judge yourself to be a debtor to all, and humble yourself before God and every man. Do not be confident in yourself until you hear the sentence, when you shall see him, who even if he reclined at the wedding feast, bound hand and foot and cast out into the eternal darkness. 2 But even if you fast, or keep vigils, or sleep on the bare earth, or sing Psalms, or cultivate patience, or frequently repent, doing whatever good you do, do not say to yourself: 'This is my own labour!' or 'This is a work of my own eager will!' But ascribe it all to the aid and help of God, not to your own effort. Have care always, brother, to live simply and blamelessly, not having one thing in your heart and another in your mouth. For that is deceit. Pray always with tears. If you do this, you shall escape the fatal and worst evil. Saint John of Damascus, On The Eight Wicked Spirits 1 Ps 126.1 2 Mt 22.1-14