Will Power by Pope Shenouda III

In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy spirit, One God Amen.

Last time, I spoke to you about man’s heart and the importance of its attachment to God. A person’s heart should be filled with love for God and love for Good. Yet, one might say “I love God” but can’t follow his path. I love Good, but can’t make it, and I sin. In Romans 7, we read, “For will is present with me but how to perform what is good I do not find, for the Good that I will do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do that I practice, now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” so, not only should man love Good, but also should have the strong will via which he can do Good. He shouldn’t just abhor sin theoretically, but should have enough strong will with which he resists sin. For a person might love Good, yet he can’t do it. Why? Because he is weak willed. He has no strength to resist sin and find it difficult to do Good. Should he wish to strengthen his will, he exerts a lot of effort. One example is, man’s stance towards repeated sins, or preferred ones! He knows so and so is wrong, but he has no will to stop sinning. What then? How can man strengthen his will?

First, man has to believe emotionally and mentally with all his capacity in God and in Good. That’s why the bible says “You should love the Lord your God with all your heart” Whoever loves good, yet does evil, is not fully convinced. He loves God with his heart but apart from God. He loves something else against him. So, it’s not all his heart. Thus, it was well said by the Chanter “With my whole heart, I have sought you” hence, a weak-willed person heart is not whole with God. If his heart is wholly with God, then not a part of his heart loves sin or makes him commit it. He tries to grow. His conscience doesn’t rebuke him for it’s completely alert, sin scares him. So, the conscience is a guide, but the will is the implementer. The conscience is light a street sign. When it’s red, you should stop. Yet, it doesn’t compel you to stop. A person might find the street sign red and he violates traffic rules and drives on. He doesn’t care. It tells him to stop but never compels him to do so. Thus, at midnight, and there is no policemen, and the light flashes red but everybody violates it. The whole thing is messy. Abroad, and in the U.S.A, the street sign flashes red, and the street is quite empty. No cars are seen. Car drivers stop until they see the green light, for they are used to following the street signs whether the road is empty, it’s none of their business. They have to follow the sign. Such a person enjoys great commitment. He is not an opportunist. Whether the policeman sees him or not, he is committed. Even if there is no policeman, he is committed. For a person to strengthen his will, he has to be committed, and have an alert conscience. If not, he should train himself.

A weak-willed person has to look into the reasons of weakness and how to overcome them. One of these reasons is lust. If a person lusts for something, any sort of lust, not necessarily a physical one, Lust will direct him. Before Lust his will becomes feeble. To strengthen your will, you should resist lust. To resist your sinful lusts, you have to avoid their reasons. As long as reasons exist, you get weak. But should they disappear, you’ll be cautious. Avoiding the reasons of sin, its media, the media of lust strengthens man’s will. During Fast, a person’s favorite food shouldn’t be served. If he is served something he likes, then temptation starts. For the media exists. If more than one dish is served, he’ll be unable to resist. Same apply for all media of sin. A student wants to succeed. If he finds a chance to cheat, and thus, succeed, he’ll grasp it. When you are away from media of sin, you’ll just have internal warfare. But should media of sin exist before you then you’ll suffer from both internal and external warfare, which will be hard for you. To strengthen your will, at least in the beginning, avoid the media of sin. Avoid warfare. Stay away from offenses. Stay away from bad company. Avoid everything that has a negative effect on you lest you will weaken before outward pressures, for if you don’t avoid them, you’ll suffer. One might suffer from reading certain books or magazines, watching films. He can’t do all this then say I am suffering. Stay away from media of sin. When lust attacks a person, he can resist it. But should it endure, he’ll get wear with time. So, avoid time lengthiness. Certain sins need man’s immediate resolution. So do some virtues. “I will arise and go to my Father” Joseph the righteous escaped from the place. He had stayed longer, something bad could have happened to him. We never know. He just left. He didn’t mind results even if his cloth were torn. Most important is stay away from sin. As long as, you are in the vicinity of sin, your downfall is near. As times passes, your susceptibility increases. So, stay away. Thus, your will remains strong as nothing will enfeeble it. “Shall I continue escaping?” No, this is just a beginning. When God’s love increases in your heart, you will be disgusted from sin and if you encounter it, nothing will happen to you. This concerns beginners. It’s as if he’s in gypsum, so his bones don’t move and stick to each other. Afterwards, the gypsum will be removed for it is no more needed. It was needed at first until bones healed. So, you need to keep away from the media of sin until you heal. The spirit leads the flesh. The love of God sticks to and leads your heart. But as long as you are unstable, you have to stay away. Hence, you strengthen your will. As for Lot, the reason for his weak will and suffering is his presence in vicinity of sin all day long in Sodom. When he went to Sodom, he was away from Abraham and from the Altar. Thus, he got perplexed. He existed in the very vicinity of sin. That’s why we read, “The just man used to torture himself everyday by seeing the wicked” Why should you torture yourself? Lot, because he was just, tortured himself, yet, didn’t fall, though his wife and daughter did. But you can fall. So, stay away. When you stay away, your will gets stronger. As your will becomes strong, you can, if faced by sin, stand against it, so you might not fall. But in case of beginners, they have to stay away. Indeed, lest they will suffer. They have to stay away from the vicinity of sin as well as its long duration. If mental warfare attacks you, you’ll just kick it out. But if you wait for a while and start considering it. If you try to repel it, you fail. Why? Due to lengthiness of duration. It is ruling over you. Just like upon hiring a doo keeper for our house. He says, “I have no other place” Okay, you can stay here until we find you a place. Later, he brings his wife and kids after which we can’t dismiss him. They just take the room by force. So does an idea that endures for quite a while. It acquired your mind by force. It stayed for a long time therein. You need speed. If a thought attacks you, be very strong willed. If you wait, you will fail. If you wait more, you won’t make it. That thought will rule over you. Not only will it rule over you, it will change to a desire. Desire acquires authority. It is you who are in need not the thought.

Repel all lusts from the beginning, before they get bigger and stronger. Someone said “if you cut a plant, it will come out, but if you wait, until it becomes a tree with a huge stem, you won’t be able to cut it. We read “O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, happy the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock!” Lust here is still young. It hasn’t matured yet. Stay away from the media of sin. Stay away from all sinful relations. Avoid bad company or any other media that weakens your soul, brings you thoughts or lusts. Keep your eyes, ears, senses and mind away. As for will, it faces a fierce warfare at first but the longer the duration, the weaker the ill gets. We are reminded of Cain’s sin. God said to him “sin lies at the door, but you should rule over it” So, Cain had a thought which he could yet control. The longer he waited, the better the thought took of him, his heart started boiling, so he couldn’t resist it. But at first, when God spoke to him, he said “You should rule over it” you can still control that sin.

Resisting thoughts and lusts require speed before the will weakens. “Zacchaeus. Make haste and come down” The prodigal son said “I will arise and go to my Father” This applies to resisting lusts as well as hurrying to virtues. When the midnight bell tolls at a Monastery and a monk wakes up quickly, he’ll be able to pray, If he waits, he’ll sleep and wake by the third watch or maybe not. So, if virtue knocks your door, don’t tarry. If resistance of sin knocks your door, don’t tarry either, for will does weaken. Will weakens with prolonged duration and the devil’s intervention. If you act fast before the devil interferes, you will be saved. But if you wait for your human weakness, outward warfare, the devil will say “don’t make haste, it’s too early!” Many times does our will weaken due to tardiness and heedlessness. Many times does our will weaken due to tardiness and heedlessness as well as carelessness, lack of caution. A spiritual person who strives for a strong will should be careful. “He shouldn’t (do) the work of the Lord deceitfully. He should neither be tardy nor heedless. All who perished were like that. When God created man, his will was disposed to goodness. Weaknesses of will did but intrude for you tarried at saving yourself. When you find your will weakening, before your sin, say “I should take care of myself. What has become of me? Have I changed? In the past I was never affected. But now, I get affected. I have to be careful” “Happy the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock” “In the past, this word never affected me. It never made me furious. Now I get angry. No way, I should be careful” Be alert. Take care of yourself. Christ said “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning” “Blessed are those servants whom the Master when he comes, will find watching” To have a strong will, your conscience must be vigil. You should be careful. You should take care of yourself, the changes that come upon you, and the things that weaken you. All those you should head.

Two things weaken one’s will; living in the media of sins, offenses as well as lengthiness of duration. Samson was quite strong at first. He was able to control himself. Whenever Delilah asked him about his secret, he’d trick her. As duration prolonged, his will started to weaken. He started to get frail. He decided to tell her about it, though he knew the consequences. Yet his will began to fail. For sin perpetually pressed him. Joseph the righteous finding sin pressuring him, escaped quickly. But Samson slept on sin’s lap and raised it after his hair was gone. Then his head was shorn! Samson, think reasonably. She told you before and did the same thing, all in vain. Long duration weakens one’s will.

The third thing; human senses are so sensitive. They are affected by good and evil. The senses are sensitive. Thoughts are also sensitive, so are emotions. They are easily affected by external and environmental elements. You know if you keep looking at the Saints’ pictures and pondering their biographies, you’ll be spiritually sensitive. When you behold sensitive images, sin will sneak in your heart. Your senses are sensitive. They are instinctive. They may follow good or bad. When Adam looked to God, he was always happy. Then he started to consider the tree, his mind changed. He saw it good for food and pleasant to the eye. Guard your sensitive senses. To strengthen your will, you shouldn’t only keep away from sin and long duration. Guard your sensitive senses and keep away from indifference and sluggishness. Your will is also weakened as you keep away from the media of Grace. Those who fall are remiss in enjoying the media of grace. When satan wages war against you with sin. He doesn’t show you sin. He first keeps you away from the bible, the agpeya, prayers, meetings, the Liturgy or from your Father confessor. Then he would find you disarmed. He would then strike you dead. Why? He controlled you. So, you couldn’t escape. Your will weakened. Your will weakens since you get unbalanced. The world feeds you while you are spiritually unfed, so worldly matters possess you. If you want your will to be strengthened, when sin tries to weaken you, strengthen yourself with the spiritual media to make a balance. As much as you increase such spiritual media, God abides in your heart and in your mind. Your senses will run after Good. You can’t then get away. You would say “For the love of Christ compels us” We can’t escape it. At least when sin attacks you, you would come back to yourself and refuse to go behind it and oblige yourself to be steadfast. But he who keeps away from spiritual media gets weakened spiritually. Just like Lot. Satan didn’t command him to live with Sodom’s adulterers. He never did so. First, he gave him riches, then he told him why should your shepherds keep quarrelling with Abrahams’. Better get away from Abraham. Then you will be away from Abraham’s altar, prayers and his good example. Go to the fertile land. So, he fell down. He hunted him bit by bit.

If you want to strengthen your will, you should abide by the media of Grace. Don’t ever be remiss in praying, reading the bible, attending meetings, chanting hymns, praises, contemplations and spiritual gatherings. Always keep yourself under guard. When sin comes to you, she should find you shielded like injection toward typhoid, diphtheria. One is immunized. Don’t let Satan find you disarmed. Always stay in a spiritual atmosphere. As in enkindles your heart for God. A spiritual atmosphere increases your resistance against Satan. It immunizes you, increases your inclination to good and stops your inclination to sin. In a spiritual atmosphere, you wouldn’t be attracted to sin. So, if sin attacks you, it would find you resistant. You won’t be led to it till God’s Grace supports you. The spiritual atmosphere raises the inner voice. It tells you not to sin. The spiritual atmosphere strengthens your will. Therefore, the media of Grace are so significant. This is written in psalm 1. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of the scornful” This is the passive action: to keep away from sin. What’s the positive action? “But his delight is in the law of the Lord. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water” That’s it. He passively doesn’t sit with the wicked. He’s positively like a tree planted by the river nourished by the media of grace. “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night” when can sin attack! But how can you say your will is weak while in Sodom or in Gaza beside Delilah? Don’t claim your will is weak while watching on the roof just like David! If so, it must weaken. What can you say then?

You should be strengthened by the media of Grace. I want to explain the effect of environment whether good or bad. Consider Peter the apostle. When he was with Christ and apostles, his will was so solid. If all of them denied you, I will never do. I am ready to die for you. How strong! When he got away from the spiritual media before the maidservant, he said, “I do not know this man” In the spiritual atmosphere, his will was so mighty. While when he went away, and fear possessed him, he began to fall. Are you then better than Peter the great apostle? If you want to be strong, get away from sin and be strengthened spiritually. Don’t let sin take time. Don’t adopt sinful thoughts or have an evil look. If at first, it appeared to be evil, get away immediately. Don’t wait to know the end as you know it pretty well. You know it. By being on guard, I don’t mean only from people. Such environment can be embodied in people, books, magazines, amusements, audio material or anything. Consider the whole environment. If you read a book and found it not good, don’t read till the end. If the offset of a story shows it’s sinful, don’t continue reading it. Be on guard. But if you continue reading, you will weaken more and more till you lose your will and the enemy controls you. He sneaks bit by bit till he possesses you completely.

To have your will strengthened, heed gradual steps. Heed gradual steps. Take heed of gradual falling. Be also gradual while ascending. So don’t give the enemy the chance to possess your heart. Since, the first step, be on guard. Perhaps the first step is easy. The second is more difficult. The third needs struggling. By the fourth, you raise the white flag in surrender. Be on guard of gradual falling, even if the pace is slow. Take heed! Someone might be very cautious in his talk. He can never utter an evil word. Then, a harsh word slips out of his mouth. He would notice a harsh word or a violent one. He would be on guard lest he fall down. He chastises himself completely. “This is the last time I do so. If I can’t utter nice words, I’ll keep silent” Be careful. To have strong will, you should control yourself. Take head of everything and never let sin possess you gradually. Safeguard your thoughts and your senses. For your will to be strong, follow the principle of obligation. Oblige yourself and get away from sin. Oblige yourself since warfare might be mighty which you can’t resist. You need struggling. Your will is strengthened by struggling and obliging yourself. What about doing good joyously? This comes later. Bur at first, oblige yourself. And you do so, it means you refuse Satan and sin too. Satan pushes you. Tell him “No, I won’t follow you” At a certain time, he’ll get bored and leave. But to have strong will, you should oblige yourself.

To strengthen your will, practice spiritual exercises provided that you practice them seriously, with commitment and wisdom. It’s a must. Train yourself. St Paul says “I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need” Always train yourself. Find out your weaknesses and refuse them. Fight till death. As for obliging oneself, St Paul blames the Hebrews “You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin” Resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. It’s a renowned verse. Hebrews 12,4. Try to memorize it. “Resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin” This is obligation. One should oblige oneself, resisting to bloodshed till one’s will is strengthened. At first, he obliges himself, then he compels himself, but later it would be natural. He won’t exert an effort to prevent himself from sinning. He got used to prevention. This applies to Fasting. You oblige yourself to Fast, then, it would become normal. So, the one trained to Fasting doesn’t get tired. There, in the monastery, those who would abstain from Thursday till Easter eve were capable of Fasting. They enjoyed good health. While those who Fasted till sunset were weak. As long as you train yourself, you get strengthened. It would be ordinary then. You won’t crave for food. You’ll endure it. It’s like someone being trained to walking. He walks a kilometer, then he gets exhausted. So, he trains himself. After two kilometers, he gets tired. So, he trains himself and finds himself able to walk several kilometers. He won’t get tired then. I remember once, I walked. The distance between my cave and the monastery was twelve kilometers. I needed to fetch something from my cell. I walked twelve kilometers to my cell, fetched that thing and walked back so they are twenty four kilometers. Then, someone came from the monastery, so I walked with him four kilometers and returned. I didn’t get tired. Now as I don’t walk a lot, but go by car, if I walk a few steps, I get tired. Not to that extent! But training oneself makes it easy. If you train yourself to do something difficult, it’ll become easier. Train yourself. Your will is controllable. I want to add something: As you separate yourself, you proclaim you refuse sin and love good. As you proclaim love for good, God’s Grace will support you. Everything will be good. As this is your will, God helps you. But if you refuse God, God won’t be with you, against your will? He won’t oblige you to love him. God doesn’t do so. But if you follow his way, He’ll walk with you. If you start struggling, He’ll help you. Oblige yourself. What does this mean? Someone paid the tithes. If he took his salary and gave God the tithes, he would be comfortable. If he started debating or bargaining with God, “I’ll pay in installments” “I won’t pay this month but on the next month, I’ll give you twofold” He thinks he can escape, but God is omniscient. This is because, he started bargaining. He who wants his will to be strong should never do so. Never debate concerning the commandments. Don’t philosophize sins, or find justifications. To strengthen your will, don’t ever resort to excuses, Justifications or compromises. Be strong. Be committed to your pledges. Perhaps you decide to fight sin and declare this decision. After making this decision, the peaceful solution appears on the horizon. What does this mean? Should I relent? You should be serious. A serious person has a strong will. However, he who changes his mind and negotiates daily. How can his will be strong? Follow one way. Don’t get left and right. Follow one way to reach God. If Satan offered you an easier way, thank him reluctantly, and refuse his solutions. Keep following your way.

Commitment and principles strengthen the will. If you want to have a strong will, try to overcome obstacles. If you follow the way of good, Satan will lay obstacles. Try to triumph. Trust you’ll enjoy your triumph over obstacles. David beheld Goliath, a great obstacle on his way, an armed giant. The army feared him. These are obstacles. But due to strong will, and insistence on victory, he insisted on confronting and killing him. He didn’t have but a stone while the other had a spear resembling a loom, but he insisted. He would never relent. As for wars during the days of Moses and Joshua, he told them, the newly married shouldn’t join the battle. The newly engaged shouldn’t join either. He who rented a house and didn’t live in it shouldn’t join. We want people not preoccupied by anything else. They should be dedicated. A hesitant man never finds the way. If you pledge before God, follow the way. When you walk with God, Satan would be afraid of losing you. He sets obstacles before you. But tell him, NO. St Anthony was going to the wilderness. He met with enticements, thoughts about his sister, and money thrown before him. He never responded. Just like an arrow. An arrow is shot. It goes one way, till it reached one goal. An arrow never deviates right or left. It goes very quickly, one way to realize one goal. It never goes right or left. That’s it. Try to evaluate yourself on a regular basis