Is the fear of the Lord natural for the soul?

The soul that bears the image of her Creator — the image created in her by God — fears no one other than Him. The world, with all its troubles, threats, and events can never find its way into the soul, nor shake her, unless she allows it to enter by submitting herself to its enslavement. Only then can fear become part of her nature.

St. Philoxenus of Mabbug says, “The soul does not fear a vision of bodily injuries, even if it seems that it fears because of its involvement with [its body]. When the soul fears these

376 St. Philoxenus of Mabbug, The Discourses of Philoxenus of Mabbug: A New Translation and Introduction trans., Robert A. Kitchen (Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2013) 6.3–4 (160): pp. 127–128.

377 St. Philoxenus of Mabbug, The Discourses of Philoxenus of Mabbug: A New Translation and Introduction trans., Robert A. Kitchen (Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2013) 6.8 (163): pp. 129–130.

things, its fear is outside of its nature, that is, the fumes of the body’s fear have ascended over it and have darkened its intelligence, and it has become fearful along with the body of those things that do not harm it.”³⁷⁸

It is clear that St. Philoxenus of Mabbug distinguishes the human body from the human soul. However, he does not embrace dualism, but rather professes the unity of the human being or human nature. The body has its own characteristics, which include fear of material and temporal things; and the soul has its own characteristics, which are the fear of the Lord, who alone is able to enter and dwell in her. If a person gives his body the right to lead, he subjects the soul to the desires and weaknesses of the body, such as fear of temporal things, which is foreign to the nature of the soul. But if his soul submits to the Spirit of the Lord, and his soul leads his body, the body will be sanctified, and it will not be terrified even of death, which is foreign to its nature. In other words, either a person lives according to the flesh and enslaves his soul to the weaknesses of his flesh, so that he becomes completely weak as if he were nothing but a weak body; or he lives according to the spirit by the Spirit of God and becomes completely under the power of the Spirit.