“The demons start their warfare in the imagination; they cultivate it with thoughts; they defile the nous; they take it down into the heart; and they make both the soul and body filthy. What decides a person’s entire progress or failure is whether he gives in to or resists the attacks of the imagination. If he makes the mistake of beginning a dialogue with the simple assault and accepting the devil’s garbage by his own consent what will follow are falls of the soul, mind, heart and body. As a result the passion will take him captive.”
Elder Joseph
~ My Elder Joseph the Hesychast