Michaela Nikolaenko
Michaela Nikolaenko
92. How to Overcome Sinful Passions | Thirty Steps to Heaven | The Ladder of Divine Ascent
92. How to Overcome Sinful Passions | Thirty Steps to Heaven | The Ladder of Divine Ascent
92. How to Overcome Sinful Passions | Thirty Steps to Heaven | The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Wednesday 21st May 2025
Explore how overcoming sinful passions leads to holiness with insights from Thirty Steps to Heaven. A journey of transformation awaits.
10 minutes
Inspiring
Hopeful
Compassionate
Supportive
Transformative
About this podcast
Author:
Michaela Nikolaenko
Overview:
Categories:
Religion & Spirituality
Healing from Sexual Trauma
Healing Relationships
Recovery from Trauma
Spiritual & Personal Growth Journeys
Links:
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Episodes:
95 (View all)
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Get the buttons here!Overcoming Passions: A Journey Towards Holiness
Episode Overview
- The real spiritual battle happens within us.
- Passions can be transformed into virtues.
- Sanctification is a lifelong process requiring commitment.
- Repentance and grace are essential for spiritual growth.
- Fill your heart with goodness to leave no room for darkness.
We weren't meant to just fight darkness; we were meant to be filled with light.
In this episode of Raised & Redeemed, Michaela Nikolaenko takes you on a journey to explore how overcoming sinful passions can lead to a life of holiness. Drawing from the spiritual manual Thirty Steps to Heaven by Fr. Vassilios Papavassiliou, Michaela discusses the internal spiritual battle we all face. The episode focuses on fighting against pride, anger, and lust, while embracing virtues like humility, patience, and chastity.
Michaela shares her personal experiences, highlighting her transition from a life of substance abuse and New Age beliefs to embracing Christian values and traditions. Michaela introduces the concept of spiritual warfare as an internal struggle rather than an external one, emphasising that the true battle lies in transforming disordered desires into good ones. She reflects on her journey through Orthodox Great Lent and the insights gained from the book recommended by her priest.
The episode explores how passions, which start as thoughts, can become sins if acted upon, and how the process of sanctification—or theosis in Eastern tradition—requires a lifelong commitment to repentance, fasting, prayer, and grace. Listeners are encouraged to consider what they fill their hearts with, and Michaela invites them to walk alongside her in cultivating virtues that leave no room for darkness.
With a blend of personal anecdotes and broader reflections, Michaela's storytelling offers a compassionate perspective on overcoming life's challenges. So if you're ready to tackle your own spiritual battles and embrace the light, this episode might just be your guiding star.