The passions lying hidden in the soul provide the demons with the means of arousing impassioned thoughts in us. Then, fighting the intellect through these thoughts, they force it to its assent to sin. When it has been overcome, they lead it to sin in the mind; and when this has been done they induce it, captive as it is, to commit the sin in action. Having thus desolated the soul by means of these thoughts, the demons then retreat, taking the thoughts with them, and only the spectre or idol of sin remains in the intellect. Referring to this our Lord says, "When you see the abominable idol of desoloation standing in the holy place (let him who reads understand) ..." For man's intellect is a holy place and a temple of God in which the demons, having desolated the soul by means of impassioned thoughts, set up the idol of sin. That these things have already taken place in history no one, I think, who has read Josephus will doubt; though some say that they will also come to pass in the time of the Antichrist. (Maximos the Confessor)

In The Screwtape Letters and other writings, C.S. Lewis describes how we can be incrementally undone. A modest pride, just a bit of fear, only a touch of avarice is a sufficient start.

Thought is powerful. Words are powerful. The distance between conceiving and doing need not be far, regardless of the conception or consequence, good or bad. Demons exploit the possibilities.

Maximos prescribes a life where the ascetic's inner world is focused tightly on the direct experience of God. For some, such discipline and purpose is surely a good prescription. I am not - yet - convinced it is right for me.

In the ninth letter of Screwtape to his nephew it is explained, "The attack has a much better chance of success when the man's whole inner world is drab and cold and empty."

In my own life the demons seem to be dissuaded by beauty. This morning's rising crescent moon, a Bach cantata, a wonderful meal, a sparkling dialogue, a shared effort to create...

These sensualities are, at least it seems to me, how I move closer to God. Maximos seeks an inner world filled with the transendent light of God-in-God. I find something very close to transcendence when my inner world is filled with the natural light that God has made and the man-made illumination that God empowers.