What is a Spiritual Life ?

"The foundation of the spiritual life is self-control and temperance, just as St. Paul advocated. This implies an ability to restrain our desires. That’s where we begin our struggle. We need practice. How can we become compassionate, charitable and loving if we can sacrifice nothing of ourselves? The commandments of God are the medicines that He offers for our cure. Honoring the commandments liberates us from the slavery of our passions and unbridled desires. When God said, ‘You shall not eat from the tree,” it was a commandment to exercise temperance. That is why before beginning his ministry Christ fasted for forty days and forty nights. To show that the first step in the spiritual life is to take mastery over your desires."  Fr. Maximos in the book “Night River: A Pilgrimage to the Heart of Christian Spirituality”