Before we enter into battle, we should always first find out when to act aggressively, when to act defensively, and when to simply walk away. Besides the fact that we use one or another method of warfare corresponding to our degree of spiritual maturity, at first it is always best to walk away, that is, to place ourselves under God’s protection without trying to fight.

Later on, when we know our enemies through experience and have studied their attacks, we can repel them without losing any time.

—St. Theophan the Recluse, The Path to Salvation: A Manual of Spiritual Transformation