I do not say that in this life thou canst recover so whole and so perfect a cleanness and innocency, knowing and loving of God, as thou hadst at first, and shalt have hereafter, neither mayest escape all the wretchedness and pains of sin; nor that thou living in mortal flesh canst wholly destroy and kill within thee all false vain loves, nor eschew all venial sins, but that they will (unless they be stopped by great fervour of charity) spring out of thy heart, as water doth out of a stinking well. But I wish that if thou canst not fully quench it, yet thou mayest somewhat slack it, and come as near as thou canst to cleanness of soul. For our Lord promised to the children of Israel, when He led them into the land of Promise, and in them by a figure to all Christians, saying: All the land which thy foot shall tread upon shall be thine. That is to say, so much land as thou canst tread upon with thy foot of true desire, so much shalt thou have in the land of Promise, namely, in the bliss of Heaven, when thou comest thither. (John Climacus)

Do our passions motivate us to sin or do we mistake the object of our passions? Climacus references our "false vain loves."

We may strive for wealth; but doesn't this begin in a search for security?

We may strive for recognition; but doesn't this begin in a desire to be truly known?

We may strive for sexual conquest; but doesn't this begin in an urge for true intimacy?

God invites us into an intimate relationship where in coming to know ourselves as God knows us we will find true security.