And pray for the life of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and for the life of Balthasar his son, that their days may be upon earth as the days of heaven:
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Dorotheos of Gaza
AD 565
The Fathers call sexual desire “Egypt,” meaning the body’s inclination toward its own satisfaction and the mind’s focus on pleasure. They understand by “Assyrians” the passionate, all-consuming thoughts that trouble and confuse the mind as they fill it with impure images and violently drag it down with sin, even when it does not want that sin around.… Before one gives into passion, even if his thoughts rise up against him, he is still free in his own city; indeed, he also has God helping him. If, therefore, such a person humbles himself before God and bears the yoke of his affliction of temptation with thanksgiving and puts up even a small fight, the help of God will surely deliver him. If instead he flees hard work and lowers himself to the desires of the body, then he is deported with force and violence to the land of the Assyrians, where he must serve them even if he does not want to. But then the prophet still says, “Pray for the life of Nebuchadnezzar because in his life is your salvation.” “Nebuchadnezzar” stands for someone who does not become discouraged at the affliction of temptation that comes, nor does he rebel but endures it with humility, suffering it like something he deserves and considering that he is not worthy to be freed from this weight. Indeed, he understands that his trial deserves to last even longer and should be even more severe. He is someone who, whether he is aware or not that the cause of his troubles lies with himself or his circumstances at the moment, believes that nothing that comes from God is without justice. - "Spiritual Instructions 13.143"
