And it was as if a physician had been given by God to Egypt. For who in grief met Antony and did not return rejoicing? Who came mourning for his dead and did not forthwith put off his sorrow? Who came in anger and was not converted to friendship? What poor and low-spirited man met him who, hearing him and looking upon him, did not despise wealth and console himself in his poverty? What monk, having being neglectful, came to him and became not all the stronger? What young man having come to the mountain and seen Antony, did not forthwith deny himself pleasure and love temperance? Who when tempted by a demon, came to him and did not find rest? And who came troubled with doubts and did not get quietness of mind? Athanasius, Antony Kindle Loc 1107-1112.
It would be hard to over-estimate the influence and importance of this book, first written in Greek, then in Latin, by Athanasius of Alexandria. Life of Antony taught to the mild soul what kind of man that Christians should treasure, and to the wild soul what kind of man that Christians should emulate.
I fell in love with Saint Antony in my Art History class back in 1980. Antony’s struggles with temptations and demons has been a favorite topic of painters for centuries.
Life of Antony's Role In Augustine's Conversion
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"He [Ponticianus] was surprised one day to find Augustine and his friend Alypius reading the letters of Paul. As they talked, Ponticianius told them about Antony of Egypt and his extraordinary life—and discovered with astonishment that Augustine and Alypius had never heard of Antony nor 'the flocks in the monasteries and their manner of life well pleasing to God and the fertile deserts of the wilderness.'
As Ponticianus spoke, Augustine, just like the civil servants in Trier, was 'violently overcome by a fearful sense of shame.' The intellectual arguments that might have kept him from following these humbling examples had all been exhausted. Dare he face liberation from 'the treadmill of habit?' In the heat of passion, his words to Alypius, as Augustine later put it in his Confessions, 'said less about the state of my mind than my brow, cheeks, eyes, color and tone of voice.'
They went into the garden, where Augustine's struggles of soul raged on until he heard a child's voice telling him, 'Take up and read.' He remembered Antony's decisive response to an apparently chance hearing of the words of Jesus, 'Go sell all you have ... and come, follow me' (Matt. 19:21). For Augustine, it was Romans 13:13-14 as Paul's letter fell open: 'Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the lusts of the flesh.' For Augustine conversion to Christianity was inseparable from commitment to a life of ascetic discipline."
Antony Becomes the Role Model for a Whole New Understanding of Committed Christianity
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The cessation of persecution ended martyrdom as the apotheosis of Christian spirituality. Antony pointed the way for the new direction Christian spirituality would take.
With the ascension of Emperor Constantine, the days of Christian persecutions and martyrdom were waning. Christians needed a new model, a new pattern for a Heroic Christianity (i.e., a new type of Risk Taker for Christ).
While persecutions and martyrdoms were fading from the scene, Christ's words had not changed: "Then he said to them all, 'If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.'" (Matt 16:24; Over the next several centuries, monks became that model for taking up the cross, and the most powerful model for monks everywhere for centuries to come was Antony.
Choosing the Cross, a Life of Self-Denial
Matthew 10:38 "And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."
Matthew 16:24 "Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
Mark 8:34 "And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
Luke 9:23 "And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
Luke 14:27 "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple."
Deliberate Self-Mortification
1 Corinthians 9:25-27 "Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified."
Matthew 5:29 "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell."
Mark 9:43 "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,"
Ascetic Examples: Christ and John the Baptist
Matthew 3:1 "In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea"
Matthew 3:4 "John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey."
Matt 11:7-9 "Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet."
Luke 7:24 "Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 25 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. "
Luke 9:58 "Jesus told him, 'Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.'"
Endorsement of Celibacy
Matthew 19:12 "For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb, there are eunuchs who were made by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept it should accept it."
I Cor 7:32 "I want you to be without concerns. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord--how he may please the Lord."
Disposing of All Your Possessions
Luke 5:11 "When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him."
Luke 14:33 "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
Matthew 19:21 "'If you want to be perfect,' Jesus said to him, 'go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'"
Luke 18:22 "On hearing this, Jesus told him, 'You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.""
Matthew 19:27 "Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?"
Mark 10:28 "Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You."
Luke 18:28 "Peter said, 'Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.'"
Matthew 19:29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life."
Mark 10:29-30 Jesus said, 'Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.'
Luke 12:33 "Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won't grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys."
Acts 2:45 "And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need."
Donning the Shroud
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
Colossians 3:3 "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
Homeless - The Wandering Friars
Luke 9:58 "Jesus told him, 'Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.'"
Sleep Deprivation
Mark 1:35 "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying."
Matthew 26:41 "Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Matthew 24:43 "But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into."
Fasting
Matthew 6:16 "“Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they disfigure their faces so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward."
Mark 2:19-20
Christian Standard Bible
19 Jesus said to them, The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the time[a] will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day."
Life of Antony is practically impossible to summarize or outline except in the loosest way. Antony decides to become a monk. Then he becomes famous by his spiritual activity, his miracles, and his wisdom. He flees further into the wilderness, but he is still sought out. Then he fights the Arians. Then he dies and is buried in secret so his mummified corpse won’t wind up on display as a relic in a pious and wealthy Egyptian household.
"Athanasius's Life of Antony, for example, which became a model for saints' lives, is not a modern history or biography; rather it is a panegyric, a form of eulogistic praise common in ancient pagan literature. Panegyrics of ancient pagan prophets and philosophers routinely included miraculous tales that raised them to the status of superstars...This is not to say that all miracles they report are fictions, only that it is difficult today to determine which stories are embellished and by how much." Severance
Monks of that era lived solitary lives outside villages, not in the desert.
Antony traveled, seeking wisdom from the monks he visited.
Antony’s Seminary, Virtues Not Subject Areas
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“He subjected himself in sincerity to the good men whom he visited, and learned thoroughly where each surpassed him in zeal and discipline. He observed the graciousness of one; the unceasing prayer of another; he took knowledge of another’s freedom from anger and another’s loving-kindness; he gave heed to one as he watched, to another as he studied; one he admired for his endurance, another for his fasting and sleeping on the ground; the meekness of one and the long-suffering of another he watched with care, while he took note of the piety towards Christ and the mutual love which animated all.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 168-172
"In many stories, Antony is clearly a 'new Adam,' an example of restored humanity, one who is not subject to creation but master of it. In one incident, Antony scolds animals who had trampled his garden, and from then on, they no longer do so. In another story, a pack of hyenas threaten to attack him, but when Antony tells them to depart, they obey." Galli, 'Models or Kooks'
“[The Devil] attacked the young man, disturbing him by night and harassing him by day, so that even the onlookers saw the struggle which was going on between them. The one would suggest foul thoughts and the other counter them with prayers: the one fire him with lust, the other, as one who seemed to blush, fortify his body with faith, prayers, and fasting. And the devil, unhappy wight, one night even took upon him the shape of a woman and imitated all her acts simply to beguile Antony.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 188-191
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“But he, his mind filled with Christ and the nobility inspired by Him, and considering the spirituality of the soul, quenched the coal of the other’s deceit.”
Athanasius, Antony. Kindle Loc 191-19).
“He ate once a day, after sunset, sometimes once in two days, and often even in four. His food was bread and salt, his drink, water only. Of flesh and wine it is superfluous even to speak, since no such thing was found with the other earnest men. A rush mat served him to sleep upon, but for the most part he lay upon the bare ground. He would not anoint himself with oil, saying it behooved young men to be earnest in training and not to seek what would enervate the body; but they must accustom it to labour, mindful of the Apostle’s words , ‘when I am weak, then am I strong.’ ‘For,’ said he, ‘the fibre of the soul is then sound when the pleasures of the body are diminished.’” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 225-230.
“[D]eeming it a matter for shame if he should be seen eating by others…And his discipline was much severer, for he was ever fasting, and he had a garment of hair on the inside, while the outside was skin, which he kept until his end. And he neither bathed his body with water to free himself from filth, nor did he ever wash his feet, nor even endure so much as to put them into water, unless compelled by necessity. Nor did any one even see him unclothed, nor his body naked at all, except after his death, when he was buried.“ Athanasius. Antony. Kindle Location 666-693
Positive - God made a good world. The human body, another of His creations, is also good. Simple pleasures are a gift from God. The monk surrenders extravagant and simple pleasures to God to show that he is happy to live for and in God alone.
Negative - The world and the human body are a source of sin and corruption. Pleasure is from Satan and is meant to steal men's souls. Monks must persecute themselves to save their souls.
Does Asceticism Have a Place in Today’s Church?
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Asceticism did not die with the Ante-Nicene fathers and the Middle Ages. In his 1830’s Revivals of Religion, Charles Finney strongly advocates a life of self-denial. According to Finney, Christians who indulge themselves with coffee or tea steal money from God that could be used to evangelize the poor. How do you view/practice self-denial?
Antony Shuts Himself into A Tomb to Face Satan
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“Thus tightening his hold upon himself, Antony departed to the tombs, which happened to be at a distance from the village; and having bid one of his acquaintances to bring him bread at intervals of many days, he entered one of the tombs, and the other having shut the door on him, he remained within alone.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 242-24).
“[Satan] coming one night with a multitude of demons, he so cut him with stripes that he lay on the ground speechless from the excessive pain. For he affirmed that the torture had been so excessive that no blows inflicted by man could ever have caused him such torment.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 245-247.
“[I]n the night they made such a din that the whole of that place seemed to be shaken by an earthquake, and the demons as if breaking the four walls of the dwelling seemed to enter through them, coming in the likeness of beasts and creeping things. And the place was on a sudden filled with the forms of lions, bears, leopards, bulls, serpents, asps, scorpions, and wolves, and each of them was moving according to his nature. The lion was roaring, wishing to attack, the bull seeming to toss with its horns, the serpent writhing but unable to approach, and the wolf as it rushed on was restrained; altogether the noises of the apparitions, with their angry ragings, were dreadful.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 258-262.
“Nor was the Lord then forgetful of Antony’s wrestling, but was at hand to help him. So looking up he saw the roof as it were opened, and a ray of light descending to him. The demons suddenly vanished, the pain of his body straightway ceased, and the building was again whole.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 267-269
“And a voice came to him, ‘Antony, I was here, but I waited to see thy fight; wherefore since thou hast endured, and hast not been worsted, I will ever be a succour to thee, and will make thy name known everywhere.’ Having heard this, Antony arose and prayed, and received such strength that he perceived that he had more power in his body than formerly. And he was then about thirty-five years old.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 271-274.
“More and more confirmed in his purpose, he hurried to the mountain, and having found a fort, so long deserted that it was full of creeping things, on the other side of the river; he crossed over to it and dwelt there. The reptiles, as though some one were chasing them, immediately left the place… and received loaves, let down from above, twice in the year.” Athanasius. Antony, Kindle Location 287-292
“And so for nearly twenty years he continued training himself in solitude, never going forth, and but seldom seen by any. After this, when many were eager and wishful to imitate his discipline, and his acquaintances came and began to cast down and wrench off the door by force, Antony, as from a shrine, came forth initiated in the mysteries and filled with the Spirit of God. Then for the first time he was seen outside the fort by those who came to see him.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 307-310.
“[H]e persuaded many to embrace the solitary life. And thus it happened in the end that cells arose even in the mountains, and the desert was colonized by monks, who came forth from their own people, and enrolled themselves for the citizenship in the heavens.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 318-319.
“Wherefore as a servant would not dare to say, because I worked yesterday, I will not work today; and considering the past will do no work in the future; but, as it is written in the Gospel, daily shows the same readiness to please his master, and to avoid risk: so let us daily abide firm in our discipline, knowing that if we are careless for a single day the Lord will not pardon us, for the sake of the past, but will be wrath against us for our neglect. As also we have heard in Ezekiel; 4 and as Judas because of one night destroyed his previous labour.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 350-355.
I find very little evidence of a belief in “Eternal Security,” “Perseverance of the Saints,” “Once Saved-Always Saved” in the period between Paul and Luther. (This also means there was no such thing as a belief in “Cheap Grace” either.) The overall vibe you get from Antony and many other pre-Reformation sources is that while God forgives, God is not to be mocked.
Doctrines ABOUT Demons [A] A Guide to Warfare
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“[T]hey have been made good.” [But turned evil]
“[W]hich of them are less and which more evil; “
“[O]f what nature is the special pursuit of each,”
“{H]ow each of them is overthrown and cast out.”
“[T]hey deceived the Greeks“
Two Christian Views on the Origins of the Greek and Roman Gods
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Euhemerism = The gods were at one time actual people whose lives and exploits were exaggerated over time by other people . Athanasius and Eusebius held this view.
Demonism = The Greek and Roman gods were demons who had nurtured the worship of themselves over time. Antony held this view. Antony held to the Demonic view.
“’[T]he demons make their seeming onslaughts against those who are cowardly. Sign yourselves therefore with the cross, and depart boldly, and let these make sport for themselves.’ So they departed fortified with the sign of the Cross.“ Athanasius, Antony. Kindle Location 298-300
A Short Detour Regarding The Sign of the Cross
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Demons Sometimes Generate False Religious Feelings
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Urge us to religious duties or fill our minds with religious thoughts “not for the sake of piety or truth, but that they may carry off the simple to despair… “ Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc
“[T]hey have no power to effect anything,”...“But if any one having in mind the history of Job should say, Why then hath the devil gone forth and accomplished all things against him; and stripped him of all his possessions, and slew his children, and smote him with evil ulcers? let such a one, on the other hand, recognize that the devil was not the strong man, but God who delivered Job to him to be tried.“ Athanasius. Antony, Kindle Location
“And let this also be a token for you: whenever the soul remains fearful there is a presence of the enemies. For the demons do not take away the fear of their presence as the great archangel Gabriel did for Mary and Zacharias, and as he did who appeared to the women at the tomb; but rather whenever they see men afraid they increase their delusions that men may be terrified the more; and at last attacking they mock them, saying, ‘fall down and worship.’ Thus they deceived the Greeks, and thus by them they were considered gods, falsely so called.”
Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc
“At any rate they fear the fasting, the sleeplessness, the prayers, the meekness, the quietness, the contempt of money and vainglory, the humility, the love of the poor, the alms, the freedom from anger of the ascetics, and, chief of all, their piety towards Christ.“
Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc
“Once some one knocked at the door of my cell, and going forth I saw one who seemed of great size and tall. Then when I enquired, “Who art thou?” he said, he“I am Satan.” Then when I said, “Why art thou here?” answered, “Why do the monks and all other Christians blame me undeservedly? Why do they curse me hourly?” Then I answered, “Wherefore dost thou trouble them?” He said, “I am not he who troubles them, but they trouble themselves, for I am become weak. Have they not read, ‘The swords of the enemy have come to an end, and thou hast destroyed the cities’ I have no longer a place, a weapon, a city. The Christians are spread everywhere, and at length even the desert is filled with monks. Let them take heed to themselves, and let them not curse me undeservedly.’” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 390-579.
Athanasius Writes Others Witnessed the Demonic Struggles
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“There then he passed his life, and endured such great wrestlings, ‘Not against flesh and blood,’ as it is written, but against opposing demons, as we learned from those who visited him. For there they heard tumults, many voices, and, as it were, the clash of arms. At night they saw the mountain become full of wild beasts, and him also fighting as though against visible beings, and praying against them.”If we accept there were witnesses to these events, it establishes Antony was NOT delusional. Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 731-735.
Antony Flees Fame By Moving Further Into the Desert
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“And having journeyed with them three days and three nights, he came to a very lofty mountain, and at the foot of the mountain ran a clear spring, whose waters were sweet and very cold; outside there was a plain and a few uncared-for palm trees. Antony then, as it were, moved by God, loved the place, for this was the spot which he who had spoken with him by the banks of the river had pointed out.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 713-717.
Antony Orders the Animals to Leave His Garden Alone
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“At first, however, the wild beasts in the desert, coming because of the water, often injured his seeds and husbandry. But he, gently laying hold of one of them, said to them all, ‘Why do you hurt me, when I hurt none of you? Depart, and in the name of the Lord come not nigh this spot.’ And from that time forward, as though fearful of his command, they no more came near the place.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 725-728.
“And almost all the hyenas in that desert came forth from their dens and surrounded him; and he was in the midst, while each one threatened to bite. Seeing that it was a trick of the enemy he said to them all: ‘If ye have received power against me I am ready to be devoured by you; but if ye were sent against me by demons, stay not, but depart, for I am a servant of Christ.’ When Antony said this they fled, driven by that word as with a whip.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 742-745.
“For having gone round the neighbourhood and finding no water, they could walk no further, but lay on the ground and despairing of themselves, let the camel go. But the old man seeing that they were all in jeopardy, groaning in deep grief, departed a little way from them, and kneeling down he stretched forth his hands and prayed. And immediately the Lord made water to well forth where he had stood praying, and so all drank and were revived.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 755-758.
“And especially he counselled them to meditate continually on the apostle’s word, ‘Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.’ And he considered this was spoken of all commandments in common, and that not on wrath alone, but not on any other sin of ours, ought the sun to go down.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 768-770.
Antony’s Advice on Writing Down Our Sinful Thoughts
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“Let us each one note and write down our actions and the impulses of our soul as though we were going to relate them to each other. And be assured that if we should be utterly ashamed to have them known, we shall abstain from sin and harbour no base thoughts in our mind.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 779-781.
“But always he gave the Lord thanks and besought the sufferer to be patient, and to know that healing belonged neither to him nor to man at all, but only to the Lord, who doeth good when and to whom He will. The sufferers therefore used to receive the words of the old man as though they were a cure, learning not to be downhearted but rather to be long-suffering. And those who were healed were taught not to give thanks to Antony but to God alone.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 787-790.
Points of Interest About Antony and Healing
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Not everyone was healed
Antony urged patience and long-suffering if God chose not to heal (Antony did not blame the sick one for a lack of faith)
Praying, not commanding (Chap 84)
Give thanks to God alone
Comments on Divine Healing? Can we help it happen more frequently and more powerfully?
Sent help to a man dying of thirst in the desert, Chap 59
Saw the soul of a fellow monk 13 days distance ascending to heaven and being welcomed, Chap 60
Casts a foul-smelling demon out of a young man, Chap 63
Has an out-of-body experience where angels carry him through the air where they wage war with the powers of the air, Chap 65 "For once, when about to eat, having risen up to pray about the ninth
hour, he perceived that he was caught up in the spirit, and, wonderful
to tell, he stood and saw himself, as it were, from outside himself,
and that he was led in the air by certain ones. Next certain bitter and
terrible beings stood in the air and wished to hinder him from passing
through. But when his conductors opposed them, they demanded whether he
was not accountable to them. And when they wished to sum up the account
from his birth, Antony’s conductors stopped them, saying, ‘The Lord hath
wiped out the sins from his birth, but from the time he became a monk,
and devoted himself to God, it is permitted you to make a reckoning.’
Then when they accused him and could not convict him, his way was free
and unhindered. And immediately he saw himself, as it were, coming and
standing by himself, and again he was Antony as before. Then forgetful
of eating, he remained the rest of the day and through the whole of the
night groaning and praying."
Antony Affirmed and Supported Church Officers
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Antony was that rare “prophet” who fully supported the ‘priesthood’: “For though he was such a man, he observed the rule of the Church most rigidly, and was willing that all the clergy should be honoured above himself. For he was not ashamed to bow his head to bishops and presbyters, and if ever a deacon came to him for help he discoursed with him on what was profitable, but gave place to him in prayer, not being ashamed to learn himself.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 892-894.
“And Antony also was exceeding prudent, and the wonder was that although he had not learned letters, he was a ready-witted and sagacious man.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 938-939.
Antony’s lack of formal education gave him street creds as a man of the people.
“And again others such as these met him in the outer mountain and thought to mock him because he had not learned letters. And Antony said to them, ‘What say ye? which is first, mind or letters? And which is the cause of which— mind of letters or letters of mind?’ And when they answered mind is first and the inventor of letters, Antony said, ‘Whoever, therefore, hath a sound mind hath not need of letters.’” Athanasius. Antony, Kindle Loc 944-948.
Barely Literate Antony Pwnes the NeoPlatonists
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“But when they were at a loss, turning hither and thither, Antony smiled and said— again through an interpreter—’ Sight itself carries the conviction of these things. But as you prefer to lean upon demonstrative arguments, and as you, having this art, wish us also not to worship God, until after such proof, do you tell first how things in general and specially the recognition of God are accurately known. Is it through demonstrative argument or the working of faith?” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Locations 981-984.
Antony At First Ignores Letters from the Roman Emperors
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“But being urged by the monks because the emperors were Christians, and lest they should take offence on the ground that they had been spurned, he consented that they should be read, and wrote an answer approving them because they worshipped Christ, and giving them counsel on things pertaining to salvation: ‘not to think much of the present, but rather to remember the judgment that is coming, and to know that Christ alone was the true and Eternal King.’” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 1035-1038.
“[H]e was of profit to the judges, counselling them to prefer justice to all things; to fear God, and to know, ‘that with what judgment they judged, they should be judged.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 1078-1079.
Antony Dies and Avoids Being Mummified and Displayed
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“Having said this, when they had kissed him, he lifted up his feet, and as though he saw friends coming to him and was glad because of them— for as he lay his countenance appeared joyful— he died and was gathered to the fathers. And they afterward, according to his commandment, wrapped him up and buried him, hiding his body underground. And no one knows to this day where it was buried, save those two only.” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 1164-1167.
Severance, Diana "Exorcizing the Desert" Issue 64: Anthony & the Desert Fathers: Extreme Faith
The stories of desert fathers' skirmishes with demons pointed to a larger struggle—and victory.
And it was as if a physician had been given by God to Egypt. For who in grief met Antony and did not return rejoicing? Who came mourning for his dead and did not forthwith put off his sorrow? Who came in anger and was not converted to friendship? What poor and low-spirited man met him who, hearing him and looking upon him, did not despise wealth and console himself in his poverty? What monk, having being neglectful, came to him and became not all the stronger? What young man having come to the mountain and seen Antony, did not forthwith deny himself pleasure and love temperance? Who when tempted by a demon, came to him and did not find rest? And who came troubled with doubts and did not get quietness of mind?
Satan Physically Afflicts Antony
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he“I am Satan.” Then when I said, “Why art thou here?” answered, “Why do the monks and all other Christians blame me undeservedly? Why do they curse me hourly?” Then I answered, “Wherefore dost thou trouble them?” He said, “I am not he who troubles them, but they trouble themselves, for I am become weak. Have they not read, ‘The swords of the enemy have come to an end, and thou hast destroyed the cities’ I have no longer a place, a weapon, a city. The Christians are spread everywhere, and at length even the desert is filled with monks. Let them take heed to themselves, and let them not curse me undeservedly.’” Athanasius, Antony, Kindle Loc 390-579.