Evagrius has made a lasting impact on Western Spirituality, especially in the psychological treatment of prayer experiences and this resulted particularly in a deep influence on John Cassian. Hence he taught that there were three stages of spiritual growth. Evagrius has very definite ideas on the virtues and the vices, their connection, their hierarchy. The spiritual aspirant strives, with the help of God's grace, to overcome the deep-seated passions that distort his or her human nature. Further, the Christian is called to struggle not only against the passions but also against thoughts as soon as they first emerge into consciousness and long before they have emerged into actions.
Faith is the starting point.
To this is added patience which helps us to bear pain peacefully. This gift of tears must not be thought of as sadness for Evagrius maintains that sadness also is an enemy of prayer. This gift of tears is the real beginning of the prayer life. In this stage the soul still struggles against the demons but it has also begun to contemplate the principles which lie behind the created order, seeing the world in God for those principles, Logoi, exist in God, in his Word or Logos. God is contemplated as reflected in His creation.