"Lord, deliver me from some men, and demons, and passions, and from all other incomparable things.

St. John Chrysostom has a good prayer: "Lord, deliver me from some men, and demons, and passions, and from all other incomparable things. "Some men" is put in the very first place: "deliver me of some men," then only of demons, of passions, and other incomparable things. This is surprisingly accurate. The demons do not directly harm us because of the angelic protection and restraining hand of God. They are not directly free to do whatever they want, or they would grind us to powder in a matter of seconds. They spoil people's morals and act through their people, but evil people are instruments of their evil will. They don't see it, they think they are doing what they want to do. - Archpriest Andrei (Tkachev)