by Archbishop Averky (Taushev) –
For a Christian, if he is truly a Christian and not a charlatan, can never indifferently and calmly observe the triumph of evil and cannot accept evil in whatever form it may appear. It is not in vain that the Church of Christ on earth is called “militant” nor every Christian called a “warrior of Christ.”
The struggle against evil in all its forms is the principal task of every Christian. A Christian is worthy of his name only if he, with every possible means and in every possible measure, battles with evil for the triumph of the good, for the triumph of God’s one eternal truth in the world.
It is true that the primary and fundamental task of a Christian is to battle with evil in his own soul and to suppress all evil impulses and yearnings therein. However, at the same time, we should battle with evil with all possible means when it manifests itself.
We Christians can never remain indifferent to evil wherever and in whatever form it appears. It is necessary only that the battle with evil be free from a personal component. This battle with evil should always be based purely on principle and not on considerations of personal profit or gain.
Furthermore, our battle, a principled battle with evil, should be free from vindictiveness, from the desire to revenge ourselves upon someone disagreeable to us, or one who is our enemy. The above-mentioned words of the Saviour must be understood in just this way. Without referring to the battle with evil in general, these words only warn us against vindictiveness, against striving to take revenge for ourselves for a personal offense.
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Excerpts from the book The Struggle for Virtue by Archbishop Averky (Taushev). (Minor organizational edits to optimize readability and emphasize key points made by Chris Banescu.)
