The Shepherd, March 2005
FASTING AS PRACTISED IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH, 3
Furthermore, if steps are not taken to banish sin, there follows what is now a voluntary and therefore sinful act of compliance with the acceptance into the soul of the image of the temptation, a so-called condition of “soslozheniya” (coupling). Here the seed of sin, having found favourable ground, plants itself in the very depths of the soul, and so the sin is begun. This condition also has its stages. Here is what the holy fathers have to say about conflicting thoughts, about yielding and about going over to the side of the idea: at times, someone among the vigilant, although he is defeated in thought, remains firm in the root of his mind and in the depth of his heart - so that he avoids any sinful action or committing any iniquity. This is the first aspect of coupling. The second aspect of it, according to the words of St. Gregory of Sinai, consists of the following: Whenever one willfully accepts thoughts dispensed by the enemy, and having agreed and made friends with them, is conquered by them and not only does not resist passions, but decides to follow all their suggestions, then if in fact he does not fulfil this decision, it is for no other reason than not finding the time or place for it, or because of something else which does not allow him to commit what he intended. Such a condition of the soul is wholly guilty and subject to a penance by the Church.
If we remain in such a state, if we do not cry to God for help, if we do not try with tears of repentance to cleanse ourselves from the sin rooted in our soul, then the latter quickly begins to permit the roots to permeate the entire essence of the soul and thus to penetrate the mind and heart, take possession of them, suck from them the very sap of faith and fear of God, enslave the will, and after having thus taken control over the soul, subjugate our entire being to sin. Remaining in such a condition of captivity, the mind is already compelled and unwillingly drawn toward evil thoughts, which disturb the peaceful ordering of the soul. Only with the help of God can a man then return to himself.
The consequent condition, into which the soul and with it the body falls, is called passion, and people do come into this state of their free will. Passionate thoughts are affirmed by frequent welcome and encouragement in the heart, and finally become a habit. A complete slavery to sin appears, and in order to escape from it a great intensive struggle is needed, as well as special grace and help from God. But, if a man does not reject this sinful passion, he cannot rely on the mercy of God (1 Cor. 6:10), and eternal suffering awaits him in the future life (Matt. 25:41 & 25:46; Luke 13:27-28; 1 Cor. 6:10; James 1:15; Rev. 21:8).
It is indispensable firmly to grasp that the inner, and consequently also the outward, downfall occur with us not only because of our weakness, carelessness, inattention, or lightness of mind, but mainly because we do not know the process by which thoughts lead us into passion, from our lack of desire and lack of knowledge to cope with them, finally because we forget our purpose in life (Numbers 15: 40; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 2 Cor. 6:17-18 & 7:1; Eph. 1:4; Col. 5:23; Heb. 12:14; .Col. 4:7; 1 Tim. 4:12; Rom. 6:22).
But regardless of what fallen condition a man may have reached, or what kind of passion he may be enslaved to, nevertheless He, Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of truth (1 Tim. 2:4; Ezek. 18:32 & 33:11), is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He gives a man the possibility to drive out the sin that prevails and overpowers him, showing him the way to prayer and fasting (Matt. 17:21; Mark 9:29) which raises him from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom. 8:21).
The greater the slavery to sin in which we abide, the greater the struggle required of us to be set free from these bonds of sin and to receive freedom, weakening our flesh by fasting and abstinence, and curbing our spirit by repentance.
Ye have been called unto liberty, the Apostle reminds us, only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, says he (Gal. 5:13), for the flesh lusteth against the spirit and attacks it so strongly that if you do not yearn for the triumph of the spirit, if you do not go out and battle with it, then the flesh resists the spirit so firmly, that ye cannot do the things that ye would (Gal. 5:17-18). This constant battle with the desires of the flesh and the danger of having the spirit enslaved by the bonds of sin, causes us continuously to remain in a state of fasting and temperance in order that we may weaken the power of the passions working within us and thus preserve the highly prized gift given to us by God, namely liberty. 
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