Most people approach the spiritual life as if it were something added on to an otherwise normal, physical existence.
We go about our days focused on what we can see, measure, and control. And then, at certain moments, we “engage” spiritually through prayer, Scripture, or reflection.
But what if that entire framework is backwards?
What if the spiritual life is not something you occasionally step into… but the very reality you are always living in?
This is the starting point of St. John Climacus in his work, “The Ladder of Divine Ascent.”
St. John confronts us with a truth that is easy to say, but difficult to truly grasp.
You are not living in a physical world that occasionally experiences spiritual moments.
You are living in a spiritual reality that occasionally manifests in physical form.
Once you begin to see this clearly, everything changes.
God is not a part of reality. He is the foundation of it. That means nothing in your life is neutral. Every thought, desire, and action is either moving you toward Him or away from Him.
This changes how we understand spiritual warfare. It does not begin with behavior. It begins with perception. Two people can stand in the same situation and experience entirely different realities because each is aligned differently within.
This leads us to renunciation, the first step in the Ladder.
Most people misunderstand it.
It is not about giving things up externally.
It is about freedom internally.
It is the moment when things no longer possess you. You can remain in the world and yet be free, or leave it and remain enslaved.
The issue is not location.
It is the orientation of the soul.
St. John also reveals something deeper… Your motivation determines your endurance.
If you pursue God out of fear, you will burn out.
If you pursue Him for reward, you will plateau.
But if you pursue Him out of love, you will be transformed.
This is why the spiritual life requires effort. Even violence, not against others, but against the disordered self. Your habits, desires, and thoughts are already being shaped. If you do not actively resist, you will drift toward comfort, distraction, and indulgence.
So the question becomes personal.
What actually governs your reactions, your thoughts, your inner life?
That is your master.
The path forward begins with honesty. Name what controls you. Because what remains unnamed remains undefeated.
The invitation is not merely to understand this.
It is to enter the struggle.
Are you ready to pursue Christ?
To truly experience being formed into His image and likeness?
Fr. Don
P.S. This was taken from last night’s study in the St. Basil Global School of Catechism. This 16-week course will change your life in ways unimaginable. If you would like to learn more about how you can join us,
