There follows quoted extracts from the Sanctification page.  Each spiritual struggle is followed by a mini-commentary and a resource from the Fathers or Scripture to follow up on the meaning and practice of asceticism as taught by Orthodox Christianity.

For pride we need the ascesis of the cross as an inward and outward discipline.  We must lose our lives in humility order to find them in love. 

Pride is the most difficult obstacle to overcome in our growth into holiness.  We feel a drag towards self concern, self interest, self justification, self regard most if not all of the time.

In this Epistle of St. Clement to the Church at Rome, Chapter 16, he describes Christ's extreme humility as the model for all Christian living.

For greed we need the ascesis of generosity which can only come from attachment to God alone and not the things of this world that will all ultimately perish and pass in life or certainly upon our death. 

Greed and envy are coupled in that greed leads us to covet the goods and good estate of others and that covetousness is a passion that leads o yet more greed.  Greed is attacked by holding fast to that which will not pass away, God ... who is Love, the very antithesis of greed in self sacrifice.

Jesus had quite a lot to say about riches and spiritual dangers of wealthy indolence.  As the story of the rich young ruler shows he looked on sadly when promising potential followers baulked at the one thing that kept them tethered to the ground, their possessions.  How true in our day!  May it not be so for us.

18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.' "
21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”
22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

(Luke 18:18-2)

For envy we need the ascesis or sacrifice of thanksgiving; that we render thanks to God not only for our own gifts but also the good things enjoyed by others. 

Since envy can often lead to malice, kindness and appreciation towards others together with thankfulness for our own blessings as sufficient to our needs is the unfailing remedy.  The cultivation of this Christian character comes from inward conversion and transformation brought about by genuine love for God in worship and service of our neighbours.

34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

(Luke 6:34-36)

For unrighteous anger we need to cultivate passionate resistance towards the sins that beset us, converting that restlessness into active opposition to all that is ungodly in our lives. 

Anger can be useful in resisting sin and energising our struggle for justice for the oppressed.  Anger that serves our own egos and manifests a frustration that "things don't go our way" is always destructive and an enemy of both the spiritual life and its corollary, healthy relationships.  The old counsel that we let not the sun go down on our anger, making amends where necessary, is a timeless wisdom.  Dealing with brooding anger, (which so often foments reactive depression) is a difficult task but one made possible by divine help.

Tertullian is good on patience, (Chapter 3).  If we had more patience petty frustrations, inconveniences and niggles wouldn't so often get out of hand.

"And this species of the divine patience indeed being, as it were, at a distance, may perhaps be esteemed as among "things too high for us; " but what is that which, in a certain way, has been grasped by hand among men openly on the earth? God suffers Himself to be conceived in a mother's womb, and awaits the time for birth; and, when born, bears the delay of growing up; and, when grown up, is not eager to be recognised, but is furthermore contumelious to Himself, and is baptized by His own servant; and repels with words alone the assaults of the tempter; while from being" Lord" He becomes" Master," teaching man to escape death, having been trained to the exercise of the absolute forbearance of offended patience. He did not strive; He did not cry aloud; nor did any hear His voice in the streets. He did not break the bruised reed; the smoking flax He did not quench: for the prophet-nay, the attestation of God Himself, placing His own Spirit, together with patience in its entirety, in His Son-had not falsely spoken. There was none desirous of cleaving to Him whom He did not receive. No one's table or roof did He despise: indeed, Himself ministered to the washing of the disciples' feet; not sinners, not publicans, did He repel; not with that city even which had refused to receive Him was He wroth, when even the disciples had wished that the celestial fires should be forthwith hurled on so contumelious a town. He cared for the ungrateful; He yielded to His ensnarers."

For lust we need to convert our sexual energy into sacrificial human warmth, not satisfying in any way ourselves but rather bringing wholesomeness and joy to our relationships. 

Lust and gluttony are often linked in the teaching of the ascetical fathers ... which if you think about it is quite logical.  Both vices are an abuse of an appetite for a good thing, in each case, of course, sex and food.  In some ways these sins represent a flight from death ... a seeking of solace and pleasure in that which will keep us temporarily satisfied.  However, since our inbuilt desire for God is infinite, the substitution of our own appetites fails to satisfy that deep yearning and can so often lead to destructive excess we need above all things to practice continence and restraint.

St. Irenaeus of Lyons speaks uncompromisingly in his 5th Book "Against the Heresies," Chapter 12,3 ...

3. "For it is not one thing which dies and another which is quickened, as neither is it one thing which is lost and another which is found, but the Lord came seeking for that same sheep which had been lost. What was it, then, which was dead? Undoubtedly it was the substance of the flesh; the same, too, which had lost the breath of life, and had become breathless and dead. This same, therefore, was what the Lord came to quicken, that as in Adam we do all die, as being of an animal nature, in Christ we may all live, as being spiritual, not laying aside God’s handiwork, but the lusts of the flesh, and receiving the Holy Spirit; as the apostle says in the Epistle to the Colossians: “Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth.” And what these are he himself explains: “Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence; and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

For gluttony we also need to guard our appetites by restraint in fasting in order that our other desires for self satisfaction may be held in check and transformed into prayer and service.  

"Let us fast an acceptable and very pleasing fast to the Lord. True fast is the estrangement from evil, temperance of tongue, abstinence from anger, separation from desires, slander, falsehood perjury. Privation of these is true fasting."

A Hymn of First Monday of Lent By St. Basil the Great

In this article, "Fasting from Iniquities and Foods," Fr. George Mastrantonis explains the biblical and patristic background to fasting together with a lucid presentation of the spiritual benefits of the practice "beyond the rule."

For sloth we need the ascesis of attentive watchfulness in prayer, of work and self sacrifice for the Kingdom.