He who anoints his intellect for spiritual contest and drives all impassioned thoughts out of it has the quality of a deacon. He who illuminates his intellect with the knowledge of created being and utterly destroys false knowledge has the quality of a priest. And he who perfects his intellect with the holy myrrh of the knowledge and worship of the Holy Trinity has the quality of a bishop. (Maximos the Confessor)

Who anoints? Who illuminates? Who perfects?

We have an essential role, but we are not alone. On our own we would struggle to qualify for sexton.

The garden of our soul benefits from cutting back epipothe'sis.  It can be fertlized and watered.  The blossoms of the soul are more likely to flourish under the care of a knowledgable gardener.

But the gardener depends on God for soil and rain and sun and much more.

We are not - ought not be - engaged in lonely self-perfecting.