"On the Necessity of Guarding our Thoughts - the First Step in Spiritual Action and of Spiritual Defense."  The Holy Saints teach us that our contribution to our salvation is to a large extent dependent upon the thoughts we hold to.  The modern day Elder, St. Paisios of Athos (+1994) remarks that "the entire spiritual life depends on our thoughts."  There are all kinds of thoughts, simple and composite; good and bad, from God and from the demons, as well as from our own conjuring.  We will examine the positive and negative charcter of thoughts and what the Fathers recommend us to rightly think.