If a soul loves God

Temptations, then, test souls, to see if they love God or not, and it’s these temptations that make souls worthy or unworthy of God.

If a soul loves God, He will not allow it to fall into a temptation which is greater than it can handle and then fall into despair.

Those who have fallen away from virtue strive to take others with them, so that they won’t be alone in their unseemliness.

» Saint Ephraim the Syrian