The Dual Struggle of Faith

Christian faith is not a simple division of the world into light and darkness; it is a deep acknowledgment of the internal battle between the soul's higher aspirations and its phantom shadows. In the Orthodox worldview, a true disciple of Christ does not reduce all divine reality solely to Jesus, rejecting anything that may appear unworthy. On the contrary, the genuine believer understands the irrationality of one-sided thinking and realizes that within a person coexist the bright aspiration to live according to the commandments and the weaknesses urged by temptations.

This concept is based on the idea of a dual nature, where the human soul simultaneously bears the image of God and the mark of a fallen nature. There is a constant dynamic: on one hand, the striving for holiness, and on the other—the eternal struggle with internal demons. This perspective allows one to see temptations not as an external evil, but as an integral part of human experience that must be recognized, accepted, and overcome in the light of God's grace.

This philosophy calls us to live based on true values so that every manifestation of the soul, every emotion and desire, does not become a source of division but rather a means for spiritual growth and self-knowledge. For only through an honest acknowledgment of our dual nature can we attain true unity with God, where light and darkness are not opposed, but become elements of a complex yet harmonious picture of life.

Is it possible to call a person a true Christian if they believe that everything except Jesus comes from an unworthy, perhaps even diabolical, source?

The answer can be formulated as follows. A true Christian does not confine the entire divine reality to the narrow notion that everything, except Jesus, originates from something unworthy or even diabolical. According to Orthodox teaching, on one hand, we are called to live by Christ’s commandments, and on the other, we battle sin and the forces of evil that penetrate our hearts. One source clearly outlines the dual nature of man: “That is, on the one hand we appear to be disciples of Christ, and on the other hand, our father is the devil. Because we all want to fulfill our own desires, and our desires—by virtue of our sinful nature as humans—often originate from the devil. And a battle occurs within every person between faith, between Christ’s commandments, and the decaying human being inside us. Therefore, it turns out that we belong partly to God and partly to the devil.” (source: 9_42.txt, page: 959). In this context, true Christianity implies the acknowledgment of this internal struggle, rather than a categorical separation of the entire world from the divine source.

Furthermore, another source warns: “Your words burn and torture. Your words torment the conscience because it knows the truth but does not want to face it in the light and is afraid to listen. And we say: either you are a Christian, and then live in a Godly manner, or your father is the devil, and then live in falsehood. There is no other way. By its nature, light cannot mix with darkness... Let’s take the dirtiest dirt and the purest, white cloth and try to combine them. What will we get? We will get a dirty rag.” (source: 9_42.txt, page: 973). Here it is emphasized that the authenticity of the Christian life manifests in choosing to live by the truth and with reverence toward everything that reminds one of God, rather than an excessive tendency to segregate absolutely everything except Jesus as something diabolical.

Thus, if a person believes that everything except Jesus comes from an unworthy or diabolical source, they miss an important aspect of Christian faith – understanding the dual nature of the world created by God, and of the constant struggle of man with temptations. A true Christian strives to live in the light of God’s grace, perceiving everything connected with the divine as a means for elevating the soul, rather than simply discarding it as impure. This is a more balanced view that reflects the internal battle between light and darkness, acknowledged in the Orthodox understanding of faith.

Supporting citation(s):
“That is, on the one hand we appear to be disciples of Christ, and on the other hand, our father is the devil. Because we all want to fulfill our own desires, and our desires—by virtue of our sinful nature as humans—often originate from the devil. And a battle occurs within every person between faith, between Christ’s commandments, and the decaying human being inside us. Therefore, it turns out that we belong partly to God and partly to the devil.” (source: 9_42.txt, page: 959)

“Your words burn and torture. Your words torment the conscience because it knows the truth but does not want to face it in the light and is afraid to listen. And we say: either you are a Christian, and then live in a Godly manner, or your father is the devil, and then live in falsehood. There is no other way. By its nature, light cannot mix with darkness. Let’s take the dirtiest dirt and the purest, white cloth and try to combine them. What will we get? We will get a dirty rag.” (source: 9_42.txt, page: 973)