In The Spiritual Combat, Lorenzo Scupoli devotes chapter 17 to “the order to be observed in the conflict with our evil passions.”

Scupoli pointed out a basic truth about the spiritual life: no one can fight every fault with equal force at the same time. Human attention is limited; spiritual warfare requires strategy.

Scupoli teaches that a Christian must identify the passion that most dominates him and focus his primary effort there.

He wrote, “Among all your passions, choose the one that most frequently assaults you and gains the greatest victories over you. Against this vice you must direct your principal attack.”

This focus does not mean ignoring all other faults. Scupoli pointed out that while one should wage the main battle against the dominant passion, one must still meet other passions courageously when they arise.

The Desert Father Evagrius Ponticus (345–399) identified eight principal thoughts which generate countless temptations: gluttony, lust, avarice, sadness, anger, listlessness, vainglory, and pride.

He taught: “Not all the demons attack all the monks with equal intensity. Rather, each person faces particular struggles according to his temperament, circumstances, and the progress he has made in virtue.”

Evagrius recognized that different individuals are afflicted by different dominant passions. Each person has a particular weak point requiring particular vigilance.

St. John Cassian taught that it is impossible for a man to be purged of all faults at once; we must first resist our predominant vice with all our strength. Reform is possible only when the will is concentrated rather than dispersed.

Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange also taught that in each person there is ordinarily a predominant fault which must be especially combated. Until it is addressed, true progress is impossible.

We often try to work on many things at once and succeed at none of them. It is better to focus our efforts on one or two concrete areas where we really need to grow. God’s grace is particularly available when we are working on something specific and concrete, not vague general improvement.

In chapter 18, Scupoli talks about the sudden impulses of passion. He recognizes that some temptations strike without warning and require immediate response.

Scupoli advises that when such impulses arise, one must “immediately and forcibly turn away from the temptation… and cry out to God for help.”

The Desert Fathers insisted that evil thoughts must be rejected at their onset. St. John Cassian, citing Psalm 137:9, teaches that the monk must “dash [the thoughts] against the rock, that is, Christ,” as soon as they appear.

Sudden temptations, when met with immediate vigilance, lose much of their power. When assaulted suddenly by temptation, one must immediately turn to God, rather than trying to reason with the disturbance.

Holy watching (guarding one’s thoughts) is the extermination of the passions. Here is some advice from the Desert Fathers:

“Though the demons send thoughts to you, they do not force you to accept them. It is up to you to receive or reject them.”

“When temptations start to speak in your mind do not answer them but get up, pray, do penance, and say ‘Son of God, have mercy upon me.’”

St. Francis de Sales advises that when tempted, one should run “into the arms of the Father,” just as a frightened child runs to a parent.

Father Jacques Philippe emphasizes that we should not be discouraged by our emotional reactions and temptations. God permits these struggles to keep us humble and dependent on his grace. The key is not to consent to temptation while recognizing our weakness.

In chapters 17–18, we learn from Scupoli two important principles in the spiritual combat: (1) identify and combat the dominant passion with focused effort, and (2) resist sudden impulses with immediate recourse to God.

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