Battles of St. Anthony with demons

” St. Anthony had one foe – the arch-enemy of all good. He suggests impure thoughts, but the hero resists the fiend with fastings and faith. Once a dragon, foiled in his attempt to overcome Anthony, gnashed his teeth, and coming out of his body, lay at his feet in the shape of a little black boy. But the hermit was not beguiled into carelessness by this victory. He resolved to chastise himself more severely. So he retired to the tombs of the dead. One dark night, a crowd of demons flogged the Saint until he fell to the ground speechless with torture. Some friends found him the next day, and thinking he was dead, carried him to the village, where his kinsfolk gathered to mourn over his remains. But at midnight he came to himself, and, seeing but one acquaintance awake, he begged that he would carry him back to the tombs, which was done. Unable to move, he prayed prostrate and sang, “If a host be laid against me, yet shall not my heart be afraid.” The enraged devils made at him again. There was a terrible crash; through the walls the fiends came in shapes like beasts and reptiles. In a moment the place was filled with lions roaring at him, bulls thrusting at him with their horns, creeping serpents unable to reach him, wolves held back in the act of springing. There, too, were bears and asps and scorpions. Mid the frightful clamour of roars, growls and hisses, rose the clear voice of the saint, as he triumphantly mocked the demons in their rage. Suddenly, the awful tumult ceased; the wretched beings became invisible and a ray of light pierced the roof to cheer the prostrate hero. His pains ceased. A voice came to him saying, “Thou hast withstood and not yielded. I will always be thy helper, and will make thy name famous everywhere.” Hearing this he rose up and prayed, and was stronger in body than ever before.

St. Anthony the Great, Pray for us.