Fighting Demons

Ἠρώτησεν Ἀβραὰμ, ὁ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀγάθωνος, τὸν ἀββᾶν Ποιμένα, λέγων· Πῶς οἱ δαίμονες πολεμοῦσί με; Καὶ εἰπεν ἀυτῷ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ποιμήν· Σὲ πολεμοῦσιν οἱ δαίμονες; Οὐ πολεμοῦσι μεθ' ἡμῶν, ἐφ' ὅσον τὰ θελήματα ἡμῶν ποιοῦμεν. Τὰ γὰρ θελήματα ἡμῶν δαίμονες γεγόνασι· καὶ αὐτοί εἰσιν οἱ θλίβοντες ἡμᾶς, ἵνα πληρώσωμεν αὐτά. Εἰ δὲ θέλεις ἰδεῖν μετὰ τίνων ἐπολέμησαν οἱ δαίμονες μετὰ Μωϋσέως, καὶ τῶν ὁμοὶων αὐτοῦ. Ἀποφθέγματα Των Ἁγίων Γερόντων, Παλλαδιος Source: Migne PG 65.337c

Abraham, the disciple of Father Agathon, questioned Father Poemen, saying, 'How do the demons fight against me?' Father Poemen said to him, 'The demons fight against you? They do not fight against us as long as we are doing our own will. For our own wills become demons and they attack us so that that we may fulfil them. But if you wish to see those with whom the demons do fight, it is with Moses and those like him.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia