Struggle, according to St. Maximos, is a given for Christians. To be close to God, one must be holy and, since humans are not naturally born so, they must toil to overcome their sinfulness. No part escapes unscathed from sin’s temptation; the intellect, the soul, the body, all are susceptible to sin. However, hope still remains. By practicing the virtues one may purge oneself of those sins that ail them, whether they be of the intellect, soul, body, or any combination thereof. Though the removal is never easy or fast, it allows the soul to ascend closer and closer to the one with whom it longs to be.
One of the dangers that man can fall into is the love of wealth, which can be produced by one of three things: self-indulgence, self-esteem, or lack of faith, the last being the worst for “the person who lacks faith loves [wealth] because, fearful of starvation, old age, disease, or exile, he can save it and hoard it. He puts his trust in wealth rather than in God, the Creator who provides for all creation, down to the least of living things,” (Third Century 18). The person who lacks faith is trusting in what he own to save him. And yet this is not possible. Though wealth can be used as a bribe to deter a person from murder, it has never in and of itself saved a person. All it can do is sit and gather dust; it has no saving power. Only God can provide salvation from trying circumstances. We must trust that He is truly good and that He does care for His creation.
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