Elder Galaktia-The demons are monsters

 

“The demons are monsters. Completely deformed.

They do not condescend to show their ugliness, but to me, they come just as they are… Especially at night. Every night when I talk on the phone with my Antonis (Moraitakis), there they are! They surround me but do not touch me. They do some antics (strange movements)… It makes you want to laugh. I tell Antonis and describe them to him… At some point, I gently touch the icon of the archangel next to me with my hand. I look at them sternly at the same time, and they flee in panic. They leave through the closed western window. Antonis got used to me telling him about it.

One night, while I was talking with Fr. Antonios, I saw a savage, completely black figure, like an Arab, approaching me. I told Fr. Antonios, and he abruptly said, ‘Goodnight,’ and hung up. I laughed afterward. I told my Black visitor, ‘See what you did? You interrupted me from talking with my child! Get lost!’ I stroked the icon of the Panagia (Theotokos) next to me, and he vanished into smoke!

Their faces are indescribable… Sometimes they have one giant, blood-red eye in the middle of their head… It sparks wildly… Other times, three blood-red eyes, tiny—two together and one below… Their fingers are completely distorted. They are broad, like door handles. I never touch the handle because of the demons’ fingers. They’re like the legs and claws of some large birds… Their hair stands straight up, like ten centimeters high…

When I see young men coming for confession to Fr. Antonios with their hair like that (spiked), I lovingly take them to the sink and ruin it… Then I explain to them why… You see them (the demons) with earrings—in their noses, their bellies, even their tongues… With wild tattoos, strange pants… Whatever is trending in the world, they show it on themselves…

They open and close their mouths like rubber—they stretch them huge and show little teeth like burning hot wires, red-hot… The stench, the stench, the stench… It makes you want to vomit… Your insides churn. Nothing in this world smells so foul… Perhaps putrefaction after sixteen days when the dead body bursts in the grave… But even that can’t compare with this stench. This is also how unrepentant people smell, those over whom demons have authority…

When I get up at 2–3 in the morning and sit in the chair to rest my operated legs and pray (she couldn’t turn in bed), they come, grab the chair, and spin me around… I hold tightly to the chair and mock them: ‘I’m not falling,’ I say, ‘I’m not falling. No matter what you do’… They burst in frustration and flee…

But once, they grabbed me and shoved me under the bed. God allowed it so I could understand even more deeply that we only defeat them through His power. I pulled the phone cord, and the device fell. Thankfully, I know Ririka’s number by heart. I woke her up, and she came, opened the door, and helped me up. I couldn’t get up on my own.

I have a double-sided icon, and every day I pass it over the cane I walk with so they don’t touch me. And with the cross of my grandfather (Fr. Nikolaos), I cross my bed every morning and all the key areas of the house so they don’t approach…

What enrages them is seeing me take the censer and the prayer rope! Many times, they’ve knocked over the censer… When I do the prayer rope… oh, that’s when you really see them… Once, a fleshy stalk came—like a neck—with a rooster’s head on top… It pecked at my hands to make me let go of the prayer rope… I took good care of it. Not by myself… I entrusted it to the heavenly powers.

Another time, one came like a shameless woman, brazenly showing me her behind. Enormous. I ignored her, and she came and rubbed it on my nose. I whipped her with the prayer rope, and it was as if fire caught on that spot… She bolted and slammed into the opposite wall… The whole room stank. But she came back a few days later and shamelessly said, ‘Why did you burn my ass * the other day? With what I show off, I now rule the world—young and old…’

I didn’t waste time and replied, ‘You haven’t seen anything yet! When the fire of eternal hell comes to you, then you’ll see your kingdom clearly…’ She groaned and disappeared…

He becomes even more ridiculous when he disguises himself and tries to fool me… Then I laugh and say: ‘Go on, you poor wretch, to where they don’t know you… Here, we know well your stench, the chills you bring, and your antics (affected gestures).’ One time he came as a bishop. He wore a mitre, a staff—everything… He strutted with exaggerated walks… As soon as he realized I had seen through him… gone!

He may disguise himself, but he never becomes even slightly different from what he truly is… Those who have learned him, recognize him immediately…

Once I asked him:

– ‘Tell me, you pitiful creature, in the name of Him who pierced you with the nails of the Cross, what do you consider your greatest achievement?’

He answered:

– ‘Convincing people that I don’t exist!’

– ‘And how do you convince them?’

– ‘I make them believe that everything I do is psychological or imaginary.’

– ‘And which of people’s works pleases you the most?’

He answered:

– ‘When they call me to go do work for them (sorcery), blasphemies, blood (murders and violence), and perversions’…

The Elder said more and concluded:

‘You stay with Christ and don’t be afraid… Don’t see Him as something to fear, but also don’t play with Him…! He has great power… Only Christ turns him to dust…! Never think you’ve defeated him… He will trample over you… Whatever good you do, count it for Christ… And whatever evil you do, write it down as your own and the monkey’s (the devil’s)… Then repent… That way, he will never have power to touch you’.”