---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whoever will not love his enemies cannot…"
description: "\"Whoever will not love his enemies cannot know the Lord and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love our enemies in such way..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/silouan-the-athonite-14548_children_whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot_14847.jpg"
---

#  Whoever will not love his enemies cannot know the Lord and…

![“Whoever will not love his enemies cannot know the Lord and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love our enemies in such way that we pity their souls as if they were our own children.” quote by Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/silouan-the-athonite-14548_children_whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot_14847.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/silouan-the-athonite-14548_children_whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot_14847.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/silouan-the-athonite-14548_children_whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot_14847.jpg)

> “Whoever will not love his enemies cannot know the Lord and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love our enemies in such way that we pity their souls as if they were our own children.”

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

True love for enemies reveals divine intimacy and the Spirit’s compassion, urging us to see adversaries as beloved children.

**In simple terms:** Loving enemies shows spiritual depth.

Key Takeaway

Compassion transcends conflict.

Themes

spirituality compassion humility forgiveness empathy

Mood

reverent hopeful

Type

spiritual teaching moral exhortation

When to use this quote

- personal crisis
- interpersonal conflict
- social injustice

Key Concepts

divine intimacy inner transformation

Practical Applications

- pastoral counseling
- conflict resolution

Questions to Reflect On

- How does loving an enemy change one's self-perception?
- What practices nurture this compassionate view?

A Different Perspective

null

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Holy spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-spirit/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord/) [Orthodox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodox/) [Pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Sweetness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweetness/)

## Related quotes

> [“The Spirit teaches us how to participate with God in the restoration of all things; maybe the more common term for this would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-schmidt/the-spirit-teaches-us-how-to-participate-with-god-in-the-restoration/)

Morgan Schmidt

> [“The Holy Spirit teaches the Truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-holy-spirit-teaches-the-truth/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [“These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” 1Co 2:13 ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-houge/these-things-we-also-speak-not-in-words-which-man-s-wisdom-teaches/)

[Adam Houge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-houge/)

> [“What the Holy Spirit teaches is the Truth of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/what-the-holy-spirit-teaches-is-the-truth-of-god/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [The Spirit of the Holy Ghost is the teacher in the temple. He teaches principles of eternal significance. It is during these instructions that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-lionel-kendrick/the-spirit-of-the-holy-ghost-is-the-teacher-in-the-temple-he-teaches/)

[L. Lionel Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-lionel-kendrick/)

> [Love your enemies... it's not always an easy tenet to live by... and I have more often than not been inclined to wish my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lea-salonga/love-your-enemies-it-s-not-always-an-easy-tenet-to-live-by-and-i-have/)

[Lea Salonga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lea-salonga/)

> [“When you're taught to love everyone, to love your enemies, what value does that put on love?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/when-you-re-taught-to-love-everyone-to-love-your-enemies-what-value/)

[Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/)

> [Here's a jewel love you enemies and hate your friends. Your enemies remain the same friends always change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/50-cent/here-s-a-jewel-love-you-enemies-and-hate-your-friends-your-enemies/)

[50 Cent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/50-cent/)

> [“Love your enemies, for they will tell you your faults ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/love-your-enemies-for-they-will-tell-you-your-faults/)

[Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/)

> [Love your enemies and drive them nuts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brother-dave-gardner/love-your-enemies-and-drive-them-nuts/)

[Brother Dave Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brother-dave-gardner/)

> [Love your enemies. They'll go crazy trying to figure out what you're up to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-your-enemies-they-ll-go-crazy-trying-to-figure-out-what-you-re/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [HATE has 4 letters, But so does LOVE. Enemies has 7 letters, But so does FRIENDS. LYING has 5 letters, But so does TRUTH.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/hate-has-4-letters-but-so-does-love-enemies-has-7-letters-but-so-does/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [A mans enemy is an alcohol. But, God said LOVE your enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiang16/a-mans-enemy-is-an-alcohol-but-god-said-love-your-enemies/)

Xiang16

> [I love enemies, though not in the Christian way. They amuse me, excite my blood. Being always on one’s guard, catching every glance, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/i-love-enemies-though-not-in-the-christian-way-they-amuse-me-excite/)

[Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/)

> [“Love your enemies, they are prospects.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/love-your-enemies-they-are-prospects/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

## More by Silouan the Athonite

> [You must teach yourself how to eat less, but with discernment, insofar as your work allows. The measure of temperance should be such that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/you-must-teach-yourself-how-to-eat-less-but-with-discernment-insofar/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [The man who knows the delight of the love of God ? when the soul warmed by grace, loves both God and her brother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/the-man-who-knows-the-delight-of-the-love-of-god-when-the-soul-warmed/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [The Lord loves us so much that He suffered for us on the Cross; and His suffering was so great that we can't comprehend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/the-lord-loves-us-so-much-that-he-suffered-for-us-on-the-cross-and/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [Christ prayed for those that crucified Him: 'Father, count not this sin against them; they know not what they do.' Archdeacon Stephen prayed for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/christ-prayed-for-those-that-crucified-him-father-count-not-this-sin/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [By obedience a man is guarded against pride. Prayer is given for the sake of obedience. The grace of the Holy Spirit is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/by-obedience-a-man-is-guarded-against-pride-prayer-is-given-for-the/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [The Holy Apostle John the Theologian says that the commandments of God are not difficult, but easy (I John, 5:3). But they are only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/the-holy-apostle-john-the-theologian-says-that-the-commandments-of/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [Obedience is necessary not only for monks, but for all people. Even the Lord was obedient. The proud and self-regarding do not allow grace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/obedience-is-necessary-not-only-for-monks-but-for-all-people-even-the/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [We suffer because we have no humility and we do not love our brother. From love of our brother comes the love of God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/we-suffer-because-we-have-no-humility-and-we-do-not-love-our-brother/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [If a man does not tell everything to his spiritual father, then his path is crooked and does not lead to the Kingdom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/if-a-man-does-not-tell-everything-to-his-spiritual-father-then-his/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [Tell everything to your spiritual father, and the Lord will have mercy on you and you will escape delusion. But if you think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/tell-everything-to-your-spiritual-father-and-the-lord-will-have-mercy/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [If suffer some misfortune, then think: "The Lord sees my heart, and if it pleases Him, it will be well both for me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/if-suffer-some-misfortune-then-think-the-lord-sees-my-heart-and-if-it/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [In order to abide in the love of God it is essential for anger and 'hate' to attain their maximum intensity but be directed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/in-order-to-abide-in-the-love-of-god-it-is-essential-for-anger-and/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [There are people who, when they encounter inability to understand, do not ask the Lord. But one must immediately say, "Lord, I am a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/there-are-people-who-when-they-encounter-inability-to-understand-do/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [The saints are like the Lord, but so are all people who keep the commandments of Christ; but those who live according to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/the-saints-are-like-the-lord-but-so-are-all-people-who-keep-the/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [When the soul knows the love of God by the Holy Spirit, then he clearly feels that the Lord is our own Father, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/when-the-soul-knows-the-love-of-god-by-the-holy-spirit-then-he/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

[Explore all 46 Silouan the Athonite quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Whoever will not love his enemies cannot know the Lord and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love our enemies in such way that we pity their souls as if they were our own children.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Silouan the Athonite"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot-know-the-lord-and-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot-know-the-lord-and-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/silouan-the-athonite-14548_children_whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot_14847.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/silouan-the-athonite-14548_children_whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot_14847.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/silouan-the-athonite-14548_children_whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot_14847.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Whoever will not love his enemies cannot know the Lord and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit…” — Silouan the Athonite",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Silouan the Athonite",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Whoever will not love his enemies...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot-know-the-lord-and-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot-know-the-lord-and-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
