The Real Enemy

It Is Satan Who Has Set Out to Destroy The Unity of the Slavic Lands

My heart breaks for what I am witnessing, for as an American of Scandinavian and Scottish ancestry, I am broken hearted at what I see as a mass exodus from Christianity in the land of my birth. That even Christians have allowed themselves to be deceived by the “politically correct” changes that have pressured all of us to conform to this new “enlightened” image coming from the dark powers behind the “Great Reset”, plummets my heart to a sadness I’ve never experienced before.

As we’ve seen Russia openly restoring the foundations of the Orthodox Christian faith, we in the West have witnessed Christian biblical values vilified. As the abortion rate in Russia has plummeted in resent years, our American abortion rate has soared. As Russia has stood solidly behind standards of moral and spiritual decency historically connected to Christianity, the pressure to cave in to radically liberal ideologies has guilt tripped many otherwise believing Christians into lock-stepping with those who would govern all our thinking, while turning those of us who cling to traditional biblical values as nutcases and white supremists. Labeling the leader of an Orthodox nation (President Putin), as a fake Christian who is using the Church, is not unlike taking down the statues of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln because they were racists. War is always evil, but nations, including our own, have often entered into the evils of war in order to protect their borders.

More than 30,000 Orthodox churches have been built or rebuilt in Russia in the past 30 years, making it an average of more than three new churches built every day. Compare this to the United States and Western Europe, where more church buildings are being demolished to make way for the construction of apartment or office buildings, or, even worse, converted for other uses, such as restaurants and bars.

As the world has witnessed Russia openly promoting the Orthodox Christian faith, we in the West have witnessed Christian moral and spiritual values vilified. As we’ve witnessed the European Union, together with the United States and Canada, demanding change in laws regarding same sex marriages and transgender rights, Russia has held firm to biblical standards for their nation’s laws. Meanwhile, those of us in the West who try as best we can to proclaim Christ, and our Christian faith, are portrayed as backward hate mongers.

Saint Paisios of Athos said, “When an individual sins, God punishes the individual, but when the government sins, God punishes the whole nation”. Let us, as never before, pray for our nation, and for the countries that make up NATO, and look closely at the real enemy behind the war in Ukraine. That two of the most Orthodox nations in the world would be at war with one another is true evidence that the real enemy is Satan himself. It is Satan who desires to divide the Orthodox Church, and it is Satan who has inspired the Western leaders to surround the only nation left that refuses to tow a “politically correct” agenda that has set as its goal the destruction of authentic Christianity. It is His Holiness Patriarch Kirll of Moscow that has chosen to stand firm in his resolve to proclaim the truth that is grounded in Christ Himself.

That I have served eight years as a volunteer Orthodox prison chaplain, followed by over twenty years in service as a police and fire chaplain for this island community that I love, to now experience the ire of fellow citizens, breaks my heart. That this essay will bring forth renewed hate mail and threats to my personal safety, saddens me more than I can express. But I must, in the prophetic role set down by centuries of monastics before me, speak the truth. May God save us all.

With love in Christ
Abbot Tryphon

Photos: The LGBT flags flying from the United States Embassy in Moscow, Russia, and the Vatican Embassy in Rome.

About the author

Fr. Tryphon is the Abbot of the Monastery of the All-Merciful Saviour, which was established in 1986 by Archimandrite Dimitry (Egoroff) of blessed memory. The Monastery is under the omophore of His Eminence Kyrill, Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America, of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

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4 thoughts on “The Real Enemy”

  1. Abbot Tryphon,

    I thought you should know that you have been an inspiration for me; and that in the last 6 months I have repented of my sins, cast aside my temptation toward same-sex attraction (I have been celibate for over a decade), and pray fervently to God every day for forgiveness. I now see the error of my ways, that I was influenced by evil and brainwashed by people that follow the evil one.
    Now I have resolved to dedicate the rest of my life to God, and I feel the closest I have to Him since I was a young boy.

    God Bless you, Abbot Tryphon, and thank you.

  2. Edward Davidson

    Dear Abbot Tryphon,

    You write that "Labeling the leader of an Orthodox nation (President Putin), as a fake Christian who is using the Church, is not unlike taking down the statues of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln because they were racists. War is always evil, but nations, including our own, have often entered into the evils of war in order to protect their borders." Are you making the claim here that Russia is protecting its borders by invading Ukraine? Do you believe that Russia in intentionally targeting civilians in this war?

    Ed

  3. Dear Abbot,

    Do you not believe that Russia is the enemy of Ukraine? Can you condemn Russia's killing of civilian populations throughout Ukraine? Please?

    Ed

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