The demon of pride conducts the soul to its worst fall.
It urges it: First, not to admit (to having) God’s help;
second, to believe that the soul is responsible for its own
achievements; and third, to disdain [others] as fools
because they do not [understand].
—Abba Evagrius
We’ve already been introduced to Abba Evagrius, the desert elder we have to thank for helping us understand the nine afflicting thoughts. As we look into the final demon that plagues us, pride, it’s time to learn more of his story and his fraught journey to the desert life.
Evagrius of Ponticus was born in Ibora, modern-day Erbaa in Tokat Province, Turkey, into a Christian family. Early on, Evagrius was well-educated and moved around in the company of famous and influential people. He received acclaim for his mental prowess and his zest for vigorously defending against church heresies. First, he was ordained as a reader in the church for Basil the Great, and he also served as a reader and was later promoted to deacon under Gregory Nazianzen, who was then installed as bishop of the city of Constantinople. Constantinople (nowIstanbul) had been the capital of the Roman Empire for more than fifty years by that point. At the first Council of Constantinople in 380 CE, Evagrius was by Gregory’s side to settle a major controversy of heresy in the church. That heresy is called Arianism—the claim that Jesus was a created being and subordinate to the Father, rather than begotten and coequal with the Father.
Just two years later, Evagrius became the archbishop. In 381 CE, he accompanied Emperor Theodosius I at the Second Ecumenical Council, which determined the Nicene Creed among other things. So if it’s not already evident, let me assure you: Evagrius of Ponticus was a big shot. Quickly, he was swept into the bougie life of the big city and the praises of many admirers. But soon, he became entangled in a steamy infatuation with an elite—and already married—noblewoman, who was gaga for him too.
Even though he escaped the scene for Jerusalem, his conversion to a new and holy way of life was not an immediate one. For starters, he hid the whole scandal from his host, Amma Melania, while staying as her guest at her monastery at the Mount of Olives. At this stage, his qualities of being forthright and prudent were, we might say, aspirational.
Likewise, instead of demonstrating any curiosity about or interest in understanding monastic life there, he took in the sights and sounds of the intriguing Holy City. His wealth and status afforded him perks, like keeping an extensive and fancy wardrobe of outfits—two clothing ensembles for each day in a time when many people owned one or two garments in total.
Evagrius habitually dolled himself up in dazzling attire and strolled around the busy city. A wealthy, youngish, and handsome man, Evagrius knew such a display would create a lavish spectacle of elite style, class, and status.
So Evagrius sashayed around town and languished aimlessly like this for a time, until he became terribly ill. His sickness lasted for six brutal months. Visiting doctors couldn’t help him. Finally, after an inquiry by his gracious host, Amma Melania, Evagrius revealed his salacious backstory: his passion for a married woman, hers for him, and her jealous husband who was plotting his demise. Amma Melania advised him to cast off his old life—much like discarding a fancy and cumbersome garment, it seems to me—and take the monastic vows to enter into a life of simplicity, austerity, and humility. She promised to spend time in prayer for him.
So the swanky, runaway archbishop took her counsel and stayed on at the monastery to learn. His life of posh perks, acclaim for his capabilities, and being the center of religious circles and privileged power in the company of the emperor in the capital city was over. But he still had a lot to learn and many devils to overcome.
After a time, Evagrius left Melania’s secluded monastic community in the Mount of Olives for the desert life. Out in the desert, the wise Abba Macarius the Great was his closest spiritual father. He guided Evagrius in fending off his many demons and helped him adjust to ascetic life so he could grow in holiness.
Evagrius recounted an interaction with Abba Macarius when he first came to the desert. He wrote, “I visited Abba Macarius and said to him, ‘Tell me a word so I may live.’”
Tell me a word: This was a typical thing to say to a desert elder who was your spiritual father or mother. After receiving a “word”—which was a short, wise message—the student would carry it deeply, meditate on it, pray about it, and allow it to change them. After a time, the student might go back for another word or to ask their elder a question or inquire about a concern.
Evagrius continues his story:
Abba Macarius said to me, “If I speak to you, will you listen, and do it?”
I said to him, “My faith and my love (for God) are not hidden from you.”
Abba Macarius said to me, “Truly, I lack the adornment of virtue; you, however, are good. But if you cast off the pridefulness of this world’s rhetoric and clothe yourself in the humility of the (contrite) tax collector (Luke 18:9–14), you will live.”
When he said these things to me, all my thoughts dissipated, and when I asked his forgiveness, he prayed over me and dismissed me. And I walked and found fault with myself, saying, “My thoughts were not hidden from Abba Macarius, the man of God, and every time I go to meet with him, I tremble on account of his ability to make me listen and it’s a humbling experience for me.”
Evagrius was learning straightaway about the demon of pride from Abba Macarius. He stayed on in the desert and continued to learn from a number of spiritual mentors, and he began a life of severe ascetic restraint. While living the rest of his life as a desert hermit, he also spent time translating documents and writing his own work. He eventually became revered for much different reasons than he had as the chief smarty-pants in the capital city: wisdom. Best of all, Evagrius tenderly taught and wrote invaluable guidance for other spiritual seekers, with particular sensitivity for those suffering from temptations to which we all succumb.
Abba Evagrius’s giftedness at noticing what hindered spiritual seekers, and his understanding of the inner workings of people, make him one of the most compassionate and astute elders of that or any era. Many ages before psychology would be considered a field of study, Abba Evagrius was revealing, in incisive ways, how our inner vulnerabilities create obstacles to righteous living and harmony with others.
Editor’s Note: Content taken from The Way of the Desert Elders: How the Wisdom of Ancient Christians Sustains Us Today by Lisa Colón DeLay, ©2026. Used by permission of Broadleaf Books.
