Elder St Paisios on Help from the Devil
“Nowadays, even if spiritual people do not want to be bonded together, they will be forced to do so by the devil. Through his abundant evil, the devil actually brings about a great good for the people today. For example, suppose that a believing father wants to have a tutor for his children. He will be obliged to find a good and believing teacher to provide this service in his household. A teacher, who is a believer but has not yet been assigned to a school, wants to tutor children and will want to find a good family to feel secure. A tradesman, who lives spiritually, be he a painter or electrician, or builder, will look to find work in a good family, to feel at ease and to avoid the troubles he would otherwise encounter in a worldly setting. By the same token, a Christian family man will seek to bring into his house a good tradesman who is also a believer. Thus, each will be looking to find another spiritual person with whom he can cooperate. Gradually, spiritual people will come to know one another through the various trades and professions. In the end, the devil with his evil work actually does some good, without wanting to, by separating the sheep from the goats. The sheep and the goats will be separated and there shall become one flock, one shepherd.”
– ‘Spiritual Awakening’