The First 7 Steps to Spiritual Freedom | Ep. 93
Season 5, Episode 2 Show Notes of The Raised & Redeemed Podcast
Before we get to overcoming the passions that lead us to sin and keep us bound, we have to center our hearts and minds on eternity.
Think about it this way—it's impossible to give up the things we think we love without having a clear vision of why we're doing it, and perhaps, something better we're doing it for.
So the beginning steps of the Ladder of Divine Ascent are about setting the foundation: renouncing what enslaves us, detaching from our pasts, struggling to maintain obedience, and keeping in mind that each and every one of us will one day stand before God.
About This Journey
Welcome back to The Raised & Redeemed Podcast. This season, we're climbing the Ladder of Divine Ascent to understand the battle within—not just resisting sin or casting out demons, but actively filling our hearts with the virtues of Christ so darkness has nowhere left to return to.
Using Thirty Steps to Heaven by Fr. Vassilios Papavassiliou as our guide, we're working up The Ladder of Divine Ascent by St. John Climacus and working towards growing in the likeness of Christ.
In this episode, we cover Steps 1-7: Renunciation, Detachment, Exile, Obedience, Repentance, Remembrance of Death, and Holy Mourning—answering the question of how we can prepare hearts fertile for growing in virtue.
Step 1: Renunciation of the World
St. John begins with renunciation—the complete letting go of the world.
This is the starting line. It doesn't mean we hate creation, but that we stop worshiping it. We release our grip on worldly attachments in order to take hold of Christ.
This doesn't mean we all become monks or nuns. But it does mean renouncing anything that competes with God for our hearts:
Three Areas of Renunciation
1. Ourselves
Jesus says in Luke 9:23–24: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me..."
2. Satan
At baptism, we "renounce Satan, and all his works, and all his angels, and all his worship, and all his solemn rites."
3. The World
Even though the world in terms of God's creation is good, we are called to reject the worldly way of life—such as in a way that indulges the pleasures. As Christ says in John 18:36: "My Kingdom is not of this world," so we mustn't live for what will pass away but what is eternal.
Fr. Vassilios says:
"Christians renounce the world by living for something other than the world. By living thus, we become the light of the world." (Thirty Steps to Heaven, p. 22)
If you aren't sure how to do that or what exactly that means, envision your most pure and innocent version. Jesus says in Matthew 18:3: "Unless you are converted and become like little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."
In children there is nothing evil, deceitful, greedy, or lust-filled. So we strive towards that.
Personal Story: My First Renunciation
I will always remember first becoming a Christian.
I had to renounce smoking, drinking, ungodly relationships, and even the occult. Everything that defiled and darkened me, everything that tore my soul away from God.
It was really hard to change my ways and give up the coping mechanisms I'd always had, but what gave me the strength to do so was knowing what I was doing it for.
I was giving up counterfeit spirituality, communion with demons, for a true relationship with God
I was giving up temporary highs for a lasting comfort
I was giving up relationships that destroyed me for a relationship with the only One who could finally put me back together
In order to renounce the world, and have the strength to stay committed, we have to know why we're doing it.
Reflection: What is God calling you to renounce to grow closer to Him?
Step 2: Detachment
After renouncing the world, we must detach from it emotionally.
It's one thing to let go outwardly—it's another to be free from it in our hearts.
Father Vassilios writes:
"Having abandoned the world, the monk must guard his heart against yearning for what he has forsaken; he must not look back, but forward. Otherwise, grief and regret will overcome his spirit. Eventually he will come to resent his vocation and see it as an imprisonment and a wasted life, because he has not yet let go of his worldly desires." (Thirty Steps, p. 26)
He goes on to explain how marriage and monasticism have a great deal in common:
Both require lifelong commitments to something other than ourselves
Both demand sacrifice of the will
Both are means of mastering the passions and paths to holiness and salvation
Personal Story: Don't Look Back to Egypt
Marriage was exactly what I thought of when reading this chapter.
I warn young girls all the time that the cost of being promiscuous is the scars it leaves etched into your memory forever. Even living the party life, we can sometimes look back and glamorize it.
I have to constantly remind myself not to reminisce on my Egypt—on my time in spiritual slavery.
When those reckless nights begin to seem alluring in my memory, I remind myself how lonely I was. How weary my body and soul had become. And how unfulfilling it truly was.
Looking back is a trap and leads to emotional anguish. We must only look forward to what God is doing in our lives now.
Reflection: What do you see God doing in your life now?
Step 3: Exile
Saint John explains exile as:
"A disciplined heart, unheralded wisdom, an unpublicized understanding, a hidden life, masked ideals. It is unseen meditation, the striving to be humble, a wish for poverty, the longing for what is divine. It is an outpouring of love, a denial of vainglory, a depth of silence..." (The Ladder, p. 30)
This step is about living for God's approval alone, not man's.
We begin practicing virtue in secret, not on display. This is the heart of exile: doing good for God, not for applause.
Reflection: How would you feel if no one but God ever saw the good you do? Would that be enough?
Step 4: Obedience
Then we come to obedience, the first fundamental virtue of the Ladder.
In a world that prizes self-will and independence, obedience almost feels like a bad word, but in the Christian life, obedience is freedom.
We are called to obey:
God
The Church
Our spiritual fathers to help keep us safe from the storms of deception, destruction, and even demonic influence
In mutual obedience in marriage
All just as Christ had been a servant to all
Saint John says obedience is protection, not oppression. And like true love, real obedience cannot be forced—it must be freely given.
Personal Story: From Rebel to Willing Servant
God knew I wouldn't obey just for the sake of obeying. I was always a rebel and had no regard for authority.
I think that's why He let me see a demon so I could come into a healthy fear of the Lord and realize my true dependence on Him for protection from evil things.
In one life-changing experience, obedience became my lifeline to spiritual safety.
When we know who God truly is and the authority He has over all material and immaterial beings, obedience is something we freely will give.
Reflection: Do you trust and follow God's Word? Even the parts you may not like?
Step 5: Repentance
Repentance isn't a one-time apology. It's a continual turning of the soul toward God.
It's sorrow for sin, yes—but even more, it's having the humility to recognize where we fell short, grieve over our sins, and then turn back again toward God in thankfulness for His mercy and love to receive us again and again.
Personal Story: Daily Repentance
We fall short every day, so it only makes sense that our repentance would be daily too.
When I first came to Christ and kept falling back into smoking weed and sexual sins, my spirit was now aware of God and I deeply grieved the things that made me hide from Him in shame. In His mercy, He made that agony greater than any pleasure I got doing them, and eventually, I was able to walk in true repentance from them.
But even now, I find that when I cuss, my spirit is instantly grieved and whether out loud or internally, I apologize to God and strive not to do it again. When I respond out of anger, I'm kept up at night, unable to sleep because the un-likeness of Christ in my actions deeply troubles my spirit.
Repentance is ongoing, reflective, and watchful.
The Sacrament of Confession
In Orthodoxy, repentance can lead us to the Sacrament of Confession where we can unburden our hearts before God and our neighbor (our priest) and be reconciled back to God and the body of Christ.
You see a lot of protestants being baptized again and again after each time falling away from God, but in the Creed we profess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. After that, there are different things we can do to be reconciled back, such as confession.
After confession, a priest may assign penance—not as punishment, but as a medicine to help us heal and grow in grace. It's not works-based salvation, it's growing into these positive actions.
Transforming the Passions
Repentance is not about living a life of endless regret, but warring against the passions that enslave us and learning how to master them so they don't master us.
St. John explains that our passions—like anger, envy, and even desire—can be re-channeled for good:
Anger, turned against sin instead of our fellow man
Envy, turned into zeal for holiness rather than coveting
Lust, transformed into a burning love for God rather than fornication
This is why repentance is positive, because it is a movement toward goodness, wholeness, forgiveness, and joy.
Saint John writes:
"Repentance is the renewal of baptism...a baptism of tears that washes away our sins and purifies the soul, giving us a clean slate and a fresh start." (The Ladder, p. 51)
Reflection: When was the last time you deeply reflected on yourself and your growth toward holiness?
Step 6: The Remembrance of Death
This next virtue sounds grim—but it's about freeing us from the anxiety of daily worries and recentering the mind on what truly matters: the remembrance of death.
This means to live each day with eternity in mind.
When we are constantly aware that our time on Earth is short and precious, it sobers us, humbles us, and inspires a more prayerful and intentional way of life.
Fear vs. Terror of Death
It's normal for death to be frightening, but if death is something terrifying for you, consider what Saint John has to say about it:
"Fear of death is a property of nature due to disobedience, but terror of death is a sign of unrepented sins." (The Ladder, p. 53)
This is essentially because the remembrance of death is above all, the remembrance of our coming Judgement.
I've been asked many times how a good and loving God can send people to hell. What I don't think these people understand is that what lies beyond death is eternity, and as Saint John is expressing here, God is eternal, so our relationship with Him is eternal. What this eternal relationship will be like is up to us. If we loved and lived our life for Him—then it is heaven. If we did not, then His eternal presence and loving embrace are hell.
The point isn't to live in fear—but to live with clarity.
When we remember death, we're freed from petty concerns. We're driven to love, to forgive, to simplify, to pray.
Reflection: What would change if you lived today as if it were your last?
Step 7: Mourning
Lastly for today's episode, is holy mourning.
This is not despair—it's a sorrow that leads to joy.
It's the ache in our soul that draws us closer to God. It's weeping over our sins and the brokenness of the world.
St. John writes:
"Baptism washes off those evils that were previously within us, whereas the sins committed after baptism are washed away by tears." (The Ladder, p. 57)
And Jesus says in Matthew 5:4:
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Our tears, if sincere, become the seeds of transformation.
Saint John describes those who mourn as temperate and untalkative. They do not become angry and do not bear grudges. They are humble, they long for dishonor, they look out for involuntary sufferings, they do not condemn sinners and they are inordinately compassionate. The deeper our spiritual mourning, the greater our love.
Reflection: When was the last time you prayed for someone else?
Practical Application: Making These Steps Real
So how can we begin to cultivate these virtues in realistic, practical ways?
1. Create Space for Silence
One of the best things we can do to begin to hear God's voice is creating space for silence. Even if it's just 5-10 minutes a day without distractions.
2. Know His Word
We have to know His Word to be able to recognize His voice, otherwise we may be hearing from ourselves or Satan and mistaking it for God. So spend time in Scripture. (Even if it's not as much as you were once able to—hello to my fellow mamas)
3. Fast from Something
Fast from something big or small that you know is getting in the way of your relationship with God. This could be food so you are more open to hearing His voice, or if you're engaged in some deeper darker things, definitely those.
4. Go to Confession
Find a spiritual father and go to confession. This is about releasing the burdens of your heart so you can start the climb fresh. If that isn't something you will do, at least grow in your Christian friendships with someone you can talk to without judgment and unwise counsel.
5. Practice Obedience
Practice obedience in your daily life—be it to your priest, the Word of God, or even by listening to your spouse with less resistance.
6. Read the Psalms
Read the psalms and meditate on the highs and lows of the human experience, the brevity of life, and the omniscience of God.
Key Verses to Meditate On:
Proverbs 15:3 - "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good."
Psalm 33:13-14 - "From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—"
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - "Do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Final Encouragement
Today we walked through Steps 1-7: Renunciation, Detachment, Exile, Obedience, Repentance, Remembrance of Death, and Mourning.
This is the foundation for everything that follows.
When I first started reading Thirty Steps to Heaven, it was over a year before I picked it up again because the work was so heavy. So take heart. Each step requires grace. And each step brings us closer to Christ as we realize that He alone can help us climb.
Remember: you're not climbing this ladder alone. Every saint who has gone before you has walked these same steps, faced these same struggles, and found victory through Christ's strength, not their own.
The foundation you're building now—through renunciation, detachment, and holy mourning—will support every virtue you develop and every passion you overcome as you continue this journey toward union with God.
Coming Up Next
Episode 3: We'll begin looking at overcoming the passion of anger and sins of the tongue with the virtues of patience and humility..
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