arrows and each person should have faith against those arrows so that he catches them, as on a shield. If some woman puts a man in danger, he should not look at or speak much with her; and also a woman with a man! Desire and susceptibility to men also lies within a woman and the devil also strikes through a man and from very far away. She will only hear the name of a man to whom she is attached, and when she hears about him the sound of his name will gravely afflict her heart with unrest, thoughts, and sometimes indecent desires, even though she is among twenty dear people. That is a fiery arrow, since it is wrapped up in the name of a man heard in a woman’s heart and coming from far away. It sometimes sets the heart ablaze with longing and the flesh ablaze with fornication. Therefore, they can both be afflicted through one another, for the devil always seeks to shoot with fiery arrows in order to enflame the heart and the flesh with wickedness.
That is why faith like a shield is necessary for everyone, so that they do not perish because of his blows. We are situated just like in paradise, where the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is. That tree from paradise is not here with us today, but good and delectable things are here in the world–nice to look at and delicious to taste. That is why God has given His prohibitions, so that a person does not grab at that which is pleasant and delicious to taste. There are many such things everywhere, and the beauty and pleasure of women are among them. These kinds of things are also endearing in pure spiritual things, where there are many deceptions. Suppose that a person is inclined to a material or spiritual life and desires that which is good for the life he loves. The devil considers that, sees how he esteems those things, and approaches him behind or through those things, whether they are spiritual or material. Because the things that we love for life are clothed with good names, they are called a holy state of being, an honorable position, necessary, useful, appealing, nice, and proper. The desire of Eve seeks out that which is pleasing to look at and enjoyable to listen to when those who enjoy those things live in honor, pleasure, and fortune. For that reason, the devil feeds and shoots people in the heart with such things. He gives people a pleasant hope in them and closes in around them in that which is called good, necessary, useful, virtuous, proper, and honorable. The devil intoxicates people so that they do not fear harm in that which is called holy, virtuous, fitting, proper, appealing, and pleasing. Such things are obviously not forbidden by God to enjoy, because all that God created and made is good. But when they are fine to look at and enjoyable to listen to, then the desire for them is enticing so that, having seen them, a person tries everything within his power to feed on desires or make them pleasurable. Even though God does not refrain from preserving his life, that desire is inclined to want to test the power of those things and he right away forsakes God by that. The devil strikes in the heart with that which has a good outer appearance and a virtuous name.
That is why faith is necessary, so that people are not caught by any of these things which are virtuous, useful, and respectable in themselves, but which do not pertain to salvation. Through faith one should avoid some things even though they are virtuous and good, because a violation of God’s commandment immediately follows. It is good that God created a beautiful woman, but it is not safe to gaze on her beauty because her beckoning stands close behind it. And so it is, in many things that are beautiful, honorable, good, useful, respectable, and of a good name. Therefore, great faith like a shield is necessary so that a person recognizes that it is fitting to turn away from such things and not to partake of them. We should only enjoy that which is honorable and proper in the measure that our existence is not possible without it, and not clutch at everything that is pleasant and profitable according to improper desires. We should wisely watch ourselves before the devil in such things so that he does not shoot us down with that which has a good name and is honorable and profitable for our lives, but which conceals death.
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