CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER TWO
First Temptations
BUT the devil, the hater and envier of good, could not bear to see such resolution in a young man, but attempted to use against him the means in which he is skilled. First he tried to draw him back from the religious life by reminding him of his property, of the care of his sister, his intimacy with his kindred, the love of money, the love of fame, the manifold pleasures of the table and the other relaxations of life—and lastly the hardness of virtue and how great is the labor thereof, suggesting that the body is weak and time is long. So he raised in his mind a great dust cloud of arguments to drive him aside from his straight purpose. But when the enemy saw himself powerless in face of Antony’s resolution and that rather he was himself overthrown by his firmness and routed by his faith and beaten by Antony’s constant prayer, then placing his trust in “the weapons that hang at his waist” (cf. Job 40:11) and glorying in these (for these are his first snare against the young), he advanced against the young man, disturbing him by night and so besetting him by day that even onlookers could see the struggle that was going on between the two. He suggested evil thoughts, and the other turned them away by his prayers. He roused feelings, and Antony, ashamed, defended himself by faith and prayers and fastings. The wretched fiend even stooped to masquerade as a woman by night, simply to deceive Antony; and he quenched the fire of that temptation by thinking of Christ and of the nobility we have through Him, and of the dignity of the soul. (Cf. 1 Cor. 6:15). Again the enemy suggested the delight of pleasure; but he, angered and grieved, thought over the threat of the fire and the torment of the worm. (Cf. Mark 9:43). These he opposed to his temptations and so came through them unhurt. So all these things turned to the confusion of the adversary, for he who thought to be like to God was now mocked by a youth, and he who gloried over flesh and blood was now defeated by a man clad in the flesh. For with him wrought the Lord, who for us took flesh and gave to the body the victory over the devil, so that those who truly strive can each say, “Not I, but the grace of God with me.” (1 Cor. 15:10).
As neither by this means could the serpent conquer Antony, but saw himself thrust out of his heart, at length, gnashing his teeth as it is written (cf. Ps. 111:10), like one in a frenzy, he showed himself in appearance as he is in mind, coming to Antony in the shape of a black boy and as it were flattering him. He no longer assailed him with thoughts, for the deceiver had been cast out, but using now a human voice, he said, “Many have I deceived, and very many have I overthrown; yet now, when I attacked you and your works as I have attacked others, I was not strong enough?’ Antony asked, “Who are you that say such things to me?” Then at once he answered in piteous tones, “I am the lover of uncleanness; I take charge of the ensnaring and the tempting of the young; and I am called the spirit of fornication. How many have I deceived who meant to be careful! How many that were chaste have I drawn away with temptations. I am he through whom the prophet reproaches the fallen, saying: You were deceived by a spirit of fornication, for it was through me that they were tripped up. I am he that so often beset you and as often was defeated by you.” Then Antony thanked God, and taking courage against him, said to him, “Then you are much to be despised, for your mind is black and your strength as a child’s. I have not one anxiety left on your account, for ‘the Lord is my helper, and I will despise my enemies.’ ” (Cf. Ps. 117:7). Hearing this, the black spirit instantly fled, cowering at his words and fearing even to approach the man.
This was Antony’s first victory over the devil; or rather, this was the triumph in Antony of the Saviour, who condemned sin in the flesh, that the justice of the law may be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. (Cf. Rom. 8:3, 4).
But thereafter Antony did not grow careless and neglect himself, as though the devil were beaten; neither did the enemy cease his wiles, as having failed. For he wandered round again like a lion seeking some chance against him. And Antony, having learned from the Scriptures that the craftinesses of the enemy are many (cf. Luke 10:19), gave himself earnestly to the religious life, deeming that, though the foe had not been able to beguile his heart with bodily pleasures, he would surely try to ensnare him by other means—for the devil is a lover of sin. More and more, therefore, did he repress the body and bring it into subjection, lest after winning at one point, he should be dragged down at another. He decided, therefore, to accustom himself to harder ways. And many wondered, but he easily bore the hardship, for the eagerness of the spirit, long abiding with him, wrought in him a good habit; so that a small occasion given by others led him to a great exercise of zeal. For such was his watching that often he passed the whole night unsleeping; and this not once, but it was seen with wonder that he did it most frequently. He ate once in the day, after sunset, and at times he broke his fast only after two days—and often even after four days. His food was bread and salt, his drink only water. Of meat and wine it is needless to speak, for nothing of this sort was to be found among the other monks either. For sleep a rush mat sufficed him; as a rule he simply lay on the ground. The oiling of the skin he refused, saying that it were better for young men to prefer exercise and not seek for things that make the body soft—rather to accustom it to hardships, mindful of the Apostle’s words: When I am weak, then am I strong. (Cf. 2 Cor. 12:10). For he said that when the enjoyments of the body are weak, then is the power of the soul strong.
He had also this strange-seeming principle: he held that not by length of time is the way of virtue measured and our progress therein, but by desire and by strong resolve. Accordingly, he himself gave no thought to the bygone time, but each day, as though then beginning his religious life, he made greater effort to advance, constantly repeating to himself St. Paul’s saying: Forgetting the things that are behind, and reaching out to the things that are before (cf. Phil. 3:13); keeping in mind, too, the voice of Elias the Prophet saying, The Lord liveth, before whose sight I stand this day. (Cf. 3 Kings 17:1). For he observed that in saying this day, he did not count the bygone time; but as though always making a beginning, he was earnest each day to present himself such as one ought to appear before God: clean of heart and ready to obey His will and none other. And he used to say within himself that from the way of life of the great Elias a religious man must always study his own way of life, as in a mirror.