Saint Anthony the Great went into the desert and faced what was basically the ultimate test of the human mind. Once all the distractions were gone, his temptations started taking form. The demons were the temptations. Lust came as a seductive woman in the night. Wealth came as a silver dish in the empty sand. Comfort came as memories of his family and sitting at his table. Fear came as beasts breaking through the walls. Despair came as a whisper telling him that the path was too long. Anthony believed that demons take the shape of the thoughts they find in us. They use what is already inside you. And the most dangerous demon came as an angel of light. It wasn't pleasure or pain, but pride. The belief that he was spiritually superior. The desert monks who came after him started listing these demons by name. This eventually became the 7 Deadly Sins. Saint Anthony lived to about 105, having achieved what early Christians considered the highest goal: mastering desire, fear and ego. That is what they believed leads to salvation and enlightenment. Jesus faced the same tempter during His 40 days in the desert: bread for comfort, kingdoms for wealth, and the temple for pride. Anthony's trials were basically a continuation of the same path.