Temptation on the Mount by Duccio (wikimedia commons)
As one grows closer to God, they learn more of the enemy's tricks and tactics and how to guard themselves against those sins which were prominent prior to and at the beginning of their conversion. In order to place obstacles in one's growing union with Christ, the devil must be more subtle and clever about the ways in which he tempts us to sin.
I was recently listening to my absolute favorite podcast - Divine Intimacy radio - and they were talking about the discernment of spirits. In it they had made brief reference to the spiritual capital sins and so I clicked over to an archived book called "The Spiritual Life: A Treatise on ascetical and mystical theology" by Father Tanquerey (1932).
I thought this was worth sharing because we can all be tempted by these things, no matter how long we've been trying to live out our faith.
St. John of the Cross gives an excellent description of these capital sins (I will quote from Fr. Tanquerey's book in bold font)...
Spiritual Pride
"This inclination [to spiritual pride] is manifested in six principal ways:
1) Whilst aiming at fervor and remaining faithful to their spiritual exercises, these beginners take complacency in their works and hold themselves in too high esteem. They presumptuously plan many projects and carry out scarcely any."
So "complacency in their works" would mean one has a certain contentment about all they're doing for God. They feel they are doing much and are very proud of the good works they do.
I can also give you a concrete example of this subtle, spiritual pride which produces this contentment and complacency. It is something that is deadly for one's spiritual life if one does not honestly desire that the Lord reveal those faults and sins about themselves which they themselves cannot see. I remember a point where I would spend almost all my time in prayer in the morning; I would pray the Rosary at a later point in the day and strive to utter aspirations throughout the day. However, when night time came, I was pretty worn and just wanted to "fizzle out." You know....Facebook, read, internet browsing, etc... As a result of this (and I'm not opposed to moderate recreational activity which refreshes the soul), I often neglected praying to the Lord at night. I didn't consciously think this at the time, but as God showed me, it was because I felt I had "put in my time" earlier in the day. Pride. Contentment. My examination of conscience at night - if I did it - was lazy and half-hearted and I didn't see that night prayer as a time to "go back to my Beloved" at the day's end. In reality, we can never spend enough time with the Lord. St. Paul challenges us...
"With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit." [Ephesians 6:18]
"Pray without ceasing." [1 Thessalonians 5:17]
So not only are we to be committed to praying at certain times, but we must earnestly strive to remain in constant communion with God throughout our entire day so that we are praying always. And it will not always be by words, but sometimes by a loving awareness of God and a loving attentiveness to His gaze. The thing about spiritual pride that makes it so dangerous is that we do not even realize we are committing the sin. It is, again, only by begging God to reveal our hidden sins to us, that we can be set free of it more and more. He desires to peel off layer after layer of our arrogance.
Ok, back to St. John of the Cross and other manifestations of spiritual pride...
"2) They speak of the things of the spiritual life rather to give lessons to others than to put these lessons into practice themselves, and harshly condemn those who do not approve of their type of spirituality."
Another example of this type of spiritual pride is when one is in the middle of their meditation, and rather than focusing on letting it apply to themselves and letting it convict them, they are convicting others of it in their minds and thinking about how this person commits this very fault they are reading about in the Gospel, etc...
"3) Some of them cannot stand rivalry. If a rival happens to appear, they condemn him and belittle him."
"4) They seek the good graces and the intimacy of their spiritual director, and if the latter does not approve of-their ways, they look for another who will be more accommodating. The better to succeed in this, they tone down their faults, and if they happen to fall into a grave sin, they accuse it to another confessor and not to their regular director."
Toning down our faults in confession may happen when we list the excuse with our sin: "I had impure thoughts about this person because they were wearing a provocative outfit."
"5) Should they commit a grievous sin, they get out of sorts with themselves and lose heart, peeved at not having, reached sanctity as yet."
We should not be surprised or frustrated at our failings. We must be accept that we are weak creatures of ourselves and look to Christ's strength. When we get discouraged at our falls, we are gazing too much upon ourselves and not enough at Jesus; this perspective is still "me-centered" hence pride-filled.
"6) They love to attract notice by outward manifestations of their piety, and readily speak to others of their good works and their success.
One who suffers from spiritual pride wants other people to think they're holy and good. Even if they might not receive that attention, at the least they like to imagine it. St. Teresa of Avila had a funny little practice she did: When a sister commended her or word got out to someone about her mystical experiences, she felt very humiliated (not flattered) and would then go out of her way to pray that that person would somehow see a fault of hers (however, her spiritual director at the time did not think this was a preferred practice, but she would still do so). She admits this in her autobiography.
Spiritual Envy
"From pride springs envy, which betrays itself by displeasure at the sight of the spiritual good of others. They are pained at hearing others praised, saddened at their virtue, and, when the occasion presents itself, they do not fail to speak ill of them."
The virtue of humility will allow us to rejoice at the good and virtue in others, not be sorrowful at the presence of it.
Spiritual Gluttony
Spiritual Gluttony manifests itself in two ways...
"1) By an excessive craving for consolations. One seeks them even in the practice of austerities, in the discipline for instance, and one importunes one's director for permission to practice mortifications with the hope of thus obtaining consolations."
Consolations are those sweet sentiments we may feel during spiritual practices; these are gifts from God to inflame our hearts and draw us more deeply to Himself. But sometimes we seek the gifts over the Giver of the gifts. "They want the consolations of God, rather than the God of consolations," as St. Francis de Sales put it. So, in regards to this, we do our spiritual exercises in hopes of receiving a "spiritual sweet" or sweet feelings of devotion in return.
St. John continues...
"2) For the same reason, some persons make forced efforts during meditation or at the time of communion, in order to procure a feeling of devotion; or they wish to go frequently to confession with a view of finding some comfort in this exercise. Often these efforts and longings remain sterile, and then discouragement takes hold of these souls, who are more attached to consolations than to God Himself."
Because an individual wants so badly to experience these sensible feelings and consolations, they may force it themselves.
Spiritual Lust
Two forms...
"1) One seeks sentimental or sensual friendships, under the pretext of devotion, and one is loath to give them up, pretending that such relations are an aid to piety."
Sometimes, friendships can create unhealthy attachments which hold our hearts back from greater union with God. In cases like described, one finds relish in a friendship in which a devotion to God is shared; while it is a beautiful thing to have such a friendship, the distortion comes when the friendship is an end in itself. An unhealthy attachment may be revealed when it is painful to give up or when one is pained that other things have come up that impedes their meeting.
"2) At times, the sensible consolations experienced at prayer or Communion produce in persons of a tender and affectionate nature pleasures of another sort, which may prove to them a source of temptation or anxiety."
Spiritual Sloth
Sloth produces...
"1) Weariness in the performance of spiritual exercises when one does not find therein any relish, and prompts one either to shorten or omit them."
"2) Dejection of spirit, when one receives from a superior, or spiritual director orders or advice which seem too difficult; one would prefer a more congenial sort of spirituality that does not interfere with one's ease or petty schemes."
Spiritual Avarice
St. John of the Cross describes it as...
"1) There are beginners who do not cease to cram their souls with spiritual counsels and precepts; they must possess and read numerous spiritual treatises on which they put all their time and have none left for the fulfillment of their first duty; namely, mortification and perfect interior detachment...
2) ...They load themselves with holy pictures, rosaries, crucifixes and expensive and curious objects of devotion. Then they quit one thing for another, change and exchange, arrange and rearrange, and their final choice centers upon that which is singular or expensive." All this is clearly against the spirit of poverty, and it shows at the same time that one attaches undue importance to accidentals and neglects the essentials of true devotion.
All these imperfections are great hindrances to spiritual progress. Father Tanquerey explains...
"St. John of the Cross says that God, in order to correct them, introduces souls into the Dark Night, of which we shall soon speak. As to those souls who do not enter into this phase of the spiritual life, they must strive to disentangle themselves from these meshes by carrying out into practice what we have explained concerning consolations and dryness of soul, (n. 921-933) obedience, fortitude, temperance, humility and meekness (nos. 1057, 1076, 1127, 1154)."
Taken from The Spiritual Life: A treatise on ascetical and mystical theology" by Father Tanquerey (#1263-1268).
Hopefully, this allows us to be more aware of our spiritual enemies so that we can clear that path for a deeper union with Christ. Again, I can't recommend enough how important it is to pray that we may know even our hidden faults. You may want to read a past post I wrote called "4 prayers that will help save and purify your soul," perhaps it will be a help for you as well.
God bless you!