Patriarch of Serbia: To tempt us, demons masquerade as spiritual leaders

Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Photo: Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Church

On October 14, 2025, the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church of the same name in Belgrade and addressed the faithful with a sermon on how only life in Christ enables a person to resist the lies and deceptions of the modern world. The report was published on the website of the Press Service of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

In his homily, the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church urged believers to build their lives on faith in Christ and to unite with Him through prayer. “We must allow Christ to be our beginning and our end, our foundation, our hope, and our love,” said the Patriarch.

He reminded that the Most Holy Theotokos “gave birth to the true Man, Who is the measure and purpose of each of us,” and called on the faithful to imitate her faith and trust in God. “Let us, as far as possible, follow the example of the Most Holy Theotokos – in faith, in trust in the Church, and in obedience to God,” the Patriarch emphasized.

Speaking about the temptations of the age, the Primate warned: “They will tell us about freedom, equality, rights, humanism. They will even present themselves as spiritual leaders, virtuous and holy. But behind this mask there are often demons who seek to tempt a person and turn him away from Christ. Only one who is firmly rooted in Christ can discern the spirits.”

In conclusion, Patriarch Porfirije noted that all attacks of this world are directed against the Church of Christ: “Though we are weak human beings, we trust in the spirit of the Church, because the blows of this world are aimed at the truth of Christ, at His Church, which is glorified throughout the world.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that during the Liturgy in the church of St. Prince Lazar, Patriarch Porfirije emphasized that only in Christ can a person discern good from evil.

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