““The passions, moreover, become good in those who are spiritually earnest once they have wisely separated them from corporeal objects and used them to gain possession of heavenly things. For instance, they can turn desire (ἐπιθυμία) into the appetitive movement of the mind’s longing for divine things, or pleasure (ἡδονή) into the unadulterated joy of the mind when enticed toward divine gifts, or fear (φόβος) into cautious concern for imminent punishment for sins committed, or grief (λύπη) into corrective repentance of a present evil. In short, we can compare this with the wise physicians who remove the existing or festering infection of the body using the poisonous beast, the viper. [49] The spiritually earnest use the passions to destroy a present or anticipated evil, and to embrace and hold to virtue and knowledge.4 Thus, as I have already suggested, the passions become good when they are used by those who take every thought captive in order to obey Christ (2 Cor 10:5).5””
