St. Basil the Great, as Archbishop, succeeded in snatching from the belly of the devil a young man who had voluntarily surrendered himself to him.
In Caesarea, a Christian servant fell in love with the only daughter of his wealthy master, named Proterius, and wished to marry her. However, neither the girl nor her parents consented to the marriage. Desperate, the young man resorted to a magician—an instrument of the devil. Thus, the devil himself appeared to the youth.
“Do you believe in me?” asked the chief demon.
“Yes, I believe,” he replied.
“Do you renounce Christ?”
“Yes.”
The demon said: “You Christians are ungrateful. When you are in need, you come to me; when I grant your request, you deny me and return to Christ. Therefore, write down your denial of the faith and of your baptism, and I will do what you desire.”
The young man then wrote down his denial of Christ.
As a result, the daughter of Proterius was struck by a violent passion for him and cried out to her parents: “Either you give me this servant as my husband, or I will kill myself.” She even prepared a rope to hang herself.
Her parents, compelled by fear, agreed to the marriage.
Some time later, his wife said to him:
“I married you because I believed you were a Christian, but I no longer see you going to church or receiving Holy Communion. Tell me, are you a Christian?”
“For your sake,” he replied, “I denied Christ in writing. I can no longer enter the church.”
The woman then ran to St. Basil, and her husband followed.
“Do you repent?” asked the saint.
“I cannot. I am bound by the devil,” he answered.
“If you wish, you can,” said Basil. “Repentance can tear up even the written document you gave to the devil. Only be willing.”
“My salvation is in your hands,” said the young man.
“Remain here in this cell for three days—fasting and praying.”
During this time, demons appeared to the imprisoned youth, beating him and crying out: “You cannot escape us; we hold you bound by your signature!”
St. Basil visited him and asked:
“How are you?”
“I cannot bear the cries and blows of the demons. There is no hope. I signed it!”
“Do not fear,” said Basil. “Only believe in the Lord, and you will be saved.”
He gave him bread and water, instructing him to fast.
After some time, he visited him again.
“How are you now?”
“Better. I no longer see the demons. I see only their shadows, and I hear their cries from afar.”
Again, Basil gave him bread and water.
Forty days passed.
When St. Basil visited him again, the young man said:
“I am now better. I see neither their shadows nor hear their voices. Last night I even saw in a vision that you wrestled with the devil and defeated him.”
St. Basil then held an all-night vigil in the church. The demons came to seize the young man.
“Is it not enough that you have already caused your own ruin? Now you come into the church to seize him as well?” said Basil to the demons.
“You wrong us,” they replied. “We did not come for him—he came to us and signed his denial of Christ.”
The congregation, at Basil’s urging, cried repeatedly: “Lord, have mercy!”
Suddenly, the written document flew from the hands of the demons, rose into the air, and came into Basil’s hands. He tore it apart.
Then he anointed the young man with Holy Chrism and restored him to his wife.
(Source: Great Synaxarion of the Orthodox Church, Life of St. Basil the Great)
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