Blessed Assurance

Macarius once went down from Scetis to a place named Terenuthis, and he climbed into an old pagan burial place to sleep. He put one of the bodies under his head as a pillow. The demons hated him when they saw his assurance and tried to frighten him by calling out, "Lady, come with us to bathe."

Another demon answered from underneath Macarius, as though he were the dead woman, "I have a pilgrim on top of me, and can't move."

Macarius was not frightened, but confidently thumped the body, saying, "Get up and go if you can."

When the demons heard it, they cried out and said, "You have defeated us," and they fled in confusion.

~~Demons by Jeff Coles, 2007