One of those abbesses was Sarah, who lived in Pelusium, and her sayings were mentioned in the “Apothegmata”,7 from which I quote the following texts: 

• It was said about Abbess Sarah that for thirteen years she was fiercely attacked by the demon of lust; and she never prayed deeply that the battle should cease, but all that she used to ask of God was, “O God, grant me strength!” 

• Once the same spirit of lust attacked her more insistently, reminding her of the vanities of the world. But she gave herself up to the fear of God and maintained the rigor of her fasting and went up to the roof to pray. Then the spirit of lust appeared to her in a bodily form and said to her, “Sarah, you have overcome me.” She replied, “It is not I who have overcome you, but my Lord, Christ!”

EARLY MONASTICISM AMONG WOMEN IN THE COPTIC CHURCH
Father Tadros Y. Malaty

Coptic Church Review
Vol. 1 Num. 4

the chief form of moral perfection which belongs to one who has preserved himself whole in the years of youth is a certain unshakability in virtue for his whole life.

St. Theophan the Recluse

19. Let, then, holy Mary instruct you in the discipline of life, and Thecla teach you how to be offered, for she, avoiding nuptial intercourse, and condemned through her husband’s rage, changed even the disposition of wild beasts by their reverence for virginity. For being made ready for the wild beasts, when avoiding the gaze of men, she offered her vital parts to a fierce lion, caused those who had turned away their immodest looks to turn them back modestly.

20. The beast was to be seen lying on the ground, licking her feet, showing without a sound that it could not injure the sacred body of the virgin. So the beast reverenced his prey, and forgetful of his own nature, put on that nature which men had lost. One could see, as it were, by some transfusion of nature, men clothed with savageness, goading the beast to cruelty, and the beast kissing the feet of the virgin, teaching them what was due from men. Virginity has in itself so much that is admirable, that even lions admire it. Food did not induce them though kept without their meal; no impulse hurried them on when excited; anger did not exasperate them when stirred up, nor did their habits lead them blindly as they were wont, nor their own natural disposition possess them with fierceness. They set an example of piety when reverencing the martyr; and gave a lesson in favor of chastity when they did nothing but kiss the virgin’s feet, with their eyes turned to the ground, as though through modesty, fearing that any male, even a beast, should see the virgin naked.

St. Ambrose, Concerning Virginity (Book II)

How can one be a virgin who cherishes a harlot? How can one be a virgin who loves adulterers? How a virgin if she seeks for a lover? It is preferable to have a virgin mind than a virgin body.

St. Ambrose, Concerning Virginity (Book II)

And our merciless foe, teacher of fornication, says that God is very merciful towards this passion as it is a natural one. But if we observe the guile of the demons we shall find that after sin has been committed they say that God is a just and inexorable Judge. They said the former in order to lead us into sin, and now the latter to drown us in despair.

—St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

(…) Touch alone is sufficient for bodily defilement, for nothing is so dangerous as this sense. Remember him who wrapped his hand in his cassock when about to carry his sick mother, and deaden your hand to natural or unnatural things, whether your own or another’s body.

(…) Let no one get into the habit of thinking over during the day-time the phantasies that have occurred to him during sleep; for the aim of the demons in prompting this is to defile us while we are awake by making us think about our dreams.

Let us listen again to another wile of our foes. Just as food bad for the body produces sickness after a time or some days, so this often happens in the case of actions which defile the soul. I have seen some give way to luxury and not at once feel the attacks of the enemy. I have seen others eat with women and converse with them and at the time have no bad thoughts whatsoever in their mind. They were thus deceived and encouraged to grow careless and to think that they were in peace and safety, and they suddenly suffered destruction in their cells. But what bodily and spiritual destruction comes to us when we are alone? He who is tempted knows. And he who is not tempted does not need to know.

On these occasions the best aids for us are: sackcloth, ashes, all-night standing, hunger, moistening the tongue in moderation when parched with thirst, dwelling amongst the tombs, and above all humility of heart; and if possible a spiritual father or a careful brother, an elder in spirit to help us. But I shall be surprised if anyone will be able to save his ship from the sea by himself.

(…) Let us by every means in our power avoid either seeing or hearing of that fruit which we have vowed not to taste. For it is absurd to think ourselves stronger than the Prophet David—that is impossible.

Who has conquered his body? He who has crushed his heart. And who has crushed his heart? He who has denied himself. For how can he not be crushed who has died to his own will?

St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

It seems that many wicked women were unintentionally a source of blessing and learning to many saints. As the Bible says, “Out of the strong came something sweet” (Judges 14:14). We have learned how St. Antony benefitted spiritually from a word spoken by a woman who did not hesitate from taking off her clothes before him.

…

The person who wants to benefit spiritually will use every resource to his advantage — even a sinful woman’s words as the Bible says, “to the pure, all things are pure” (Titus 1:15).

Contemplations on the Life of St. Antony the Great
H.H. Pope Shenouda III

What are the most common things that mess up our heart in? Sexual desires, lust. That’s why the next verse right away says, for harlot is a deep pit, and as a seductress is a narrow well.

When I don’t protect my heart and give it to God, I will be stressed, but I also have a lot of desires. How do I deal with this? It turns to lust, and here he’s giving you a metaphor of a deep pit.

It almost traps people. People who are struggling with lust and sexual sins, it could last for years, and they have a hard time to escape that pit. Why? Because the heart is not fully turned to God.

So also interesting, because the deep pit is also referenced to the well where people get water.

So he’s giving you a beautiful analogy. It says, like people go to that deep pit thinking it’s a well where they can get water and refreshment to satisfy themselves, but then they end up being trapped inside that well.

Why? Because the heart is not with God.

Don’t come until I wanna, how can I overcome sin?

And abouna asks you, how is your prayer, your Bible reading? Abouna it’s okay, but help me out to stop the sin. Dude, how is your prayer, your Bible reading?

That’s what helps you to stop the sin. Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, but what other practical ways it could help you to stop the sin? Your heart is not with God. That’s the problem. You don’t believe it. You don’t believe that God will transform your heart. You don’t believe the Word of God will change your heart. That’s why you’re asking these stupid questions, because you think it’s something else outside God’s word and spending time with him that will transform you.

It’s not right.

It shows a lack of wisdom and understanding.

…

What St. Augustine is saying, is that these sins of lust, they not only trap us, they try to destroy us.

It takes a lot from us. Takes a lot about how we view God, how we view ourself, how we view other people, how we deal with stress, how we deal with how we deal with our free time. It distorts so many things, she also lies in wait for as for a victim, and increases her unfaithful among men.

So she is depicting her as conspiring to plunder her victims in cold, calculated, ruthless way.

And many people have felt a prey to lust, and it has impacted their life.

So he’s saying, be very careful, give your heart to God.

What worries you is what makes you run to lust. What makes you not productive in your free time is what makes you run to lust. Give your heart to God.

—Fr. Mina Dimitri

How can I overcome the lust of the flesh? I think the best way to go about it is to focus on how beautiful it is the life of purity. If you really realize its worth, you will fight for it.

—Fr. Luke Istafanous, MD, Spirit Over Body: Overcoming the Lust of the Flesh