For all Akathists published on our site, click here. This Akathist was recently provided in English by Maxim, who kindly asks all Orthodox Christians to keep him in their prayers for his repentance.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Kontakion 1
To Him who brings the song of victory, breaking the rod of the wicked and the staff of the rulers, and blessing us with rest and peace so that we may rejoice, we offer gifts of honor to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Angel of Great Counsel, and awaiting His Second Coming, we pray to the Son of Man: Lord Jesus, Angel of the Great Council, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths, and bind him forever!
Ikos 1
All creation worships You, Lord, and the Angelic Hosts serve You with fear and love, being satisfied in Heaven with the Love of the Holy Trinity and crying out: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord Sabaoth!” and we on earth, though we are unworthy, humbly call upon You:
Jesus, You are the Light of the World;
Jesus, our Teacher and Guide;
Jesus, show us what lies beyond the grave;
Jesus, dispel the darkness of ignorance, corruption, and death;
Jesus, come and see how the devil has enslaved our lives;
Jesus, we seek salvation in You! Do not forsake us!
Lord Jesus, Angel of the Great Council, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths and bind him forever!
Kontakion 2
You are the Angel of the Great Council in Heaven, Christ the Son of God, You who command and it is done, You who have dominion over the Heavenly Hosts and give them Your power in the battles with the fallen angels, and all creation glorifies You: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
You have all power, You are strong and victorious not over man, but over death and hell, bringing first victory and then peace to the body of mankind divided by sin and death, and we, overwhelmed by ever-increasing temptations, pray that You hear these prayers:
Jesus, the greatest of the Heavenly Forces;
Jesus, the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones hear You immediately;
Jesus, the Hosts of Angelic Dominions fight for You;
Jesus, the Hosts of Angelic Principalities do Your Will in all things;
Jesus, the Hosts of Angelic Powers receive Your strength;
Jesus, You command the hosts of Archangels;
Jesus, Lord of spiritual warfare;
Lord Jesus, Angel of Great Counsel, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths and bind him forever!
Kontakion 3
God first created all incorporeal forces, the Word was the first and before all ages, and Light was everywhere in Heaven, for the joy was of all the Angelic Hosts who sang with crystal voices glory to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
But when the Archangel Michael cried out, saying, ” Worship the Angel of the Great Counsel!”, some angels did not want to worship Him, to the Word Christ, and fell into the depths of hell, as the Savior says: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven,” and we, frightened, bow our heads and pray:
Jesus, the angels fell of their own free will;
Jesus, where there is Light, there can be no darkness;
Jesus, where there is no obedience, there can be no life with You;
Jesus, see how the evil one torments us;
Jesus, we hope that You will come to save us;
Jesus, send the Hosts of Archangels to our aid;
Lord Jesus, Angel of Great Counsel, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths and bind him forever!
Kontakion 4
When the angel of pride fell from Heaven, he was mercilessly persecuted, he who in his wrath struck relentlessly and in his anger subjugated souls without mercy, and the power of the demons was broken, who were bound in the deepest depths, becoming powerless, for the power belongs to the Lord God, and He cares for us: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
The dwellings of the dead moved to receive into them what was destined for death, for the morning star was defeated by the Conqueror of death, by the Angel of Great Counsel who commanded the Fighting Angels and waged war in Heaven and on earth and erased the memory of the devil’s cunning and scheming so that we, freed from curses, might rejoice and cry out:
Jesus, the devil torments us greatly;
Jesus, overthrow his reign;
Jesus, turn him to ashes;
Jesus, wipe away the traces of demons from our homes and lives;
Jesus, extinguish their brilliance raised on our suffering;
Jesus, shatter the devil’s schemes and deceit;
Lord Jesus, Angel of Great Counsel, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths and bind him forever!
Kontakion 5
We pray with hearts broken with sorrow, we bow our knees and with our hands raised to Heaven we cry out: Jesus Christ, Perfect Wisdom, Full Love, Endless Mercy, do not leave us prey to the prison in which the devil has locked us, but as Angel of Great Counsel command the Archangels and Heavenly Hosts to cast him out forever: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
Lord! Lord! Have mercy on us so that we may cry out the song of joy: “Behold, the oppressor is no more, oppression has ceased!” for there is no one like You who is Mighty, and You are the One who decides and it is done, and we firmly believe that You will save us:
Jesus, do not let the enemy cut us down;
Jesus, do not let the devil torment us;
Jesus, this suffering and suffocation is heavy;
Jesus, who will praise You if the faithful cannot pray?
Jesus, who will glorify You if our mouths are choked with tears?
Jesus, let us breathe freely in the words of prayer;
Lord Jesus, Angel of Great Counsel, crush the power of the devil, cast him into the depths and bind him forever!
Kontakion 6
Do not allow, Lord, the enemies to rise up to conquer the earth and fill our city with their cunning, but drive them out of the city so that their trace may no longer be known, let them leave with everything and let us remain joyful in spirit and unharmed so that we may sing “Hosanna” together with the Seraphim: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
Come, Jesus Christ, and do not leave us prey to those who exalt themselves to the highest worldly perfection, filled with the wisdom of the earthly mind and speaking with cunning to destroy us, but drive them away from among us, for they bring much spiritual harm and endanger us with death, but with hope we wait for You and say to You:
Jesus, protect us from the wickedness of the evil ones;
Jesus, defend us from the evil eye of demons;
Jesus, blind our enemies so that they do not know what we pray;
Jesus, do not let them know our paths;
Jesus, keep the secret of our prayer;
Jesus, guide us on our way;
Lord Jesus, Angel of Great Counsel, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths and bind him forever!
Kontakion 7
You are the Angel of Great Counsel, Christ, but You remain true God, Who became incarnate in the womb of the Virgin as the Father’s messenger, doing His Will, for You said: “The word you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me”: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
We sigh and wait for the renewal of nature, Lord! We pray fervently that You deliver us, for the years pass over our bodies, and we have no desire more ardent than to pray unceasingly to You, our Savior, and from the depths of our hearts we glorify You:
Jesus, come into our homes;
Jesus, look upon our lives;
Jesus, bring victory over unclean spirits;
Jesus, untangle the nets woven by devils;
Jesus, reveal the holy truth;
Jesus, clarify the times so that we may know the way;
Lord Jesus, Angel of Great Counsel, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths and bind him forever!
Kontakion 8
All the elements of the earth will be set ablaze by Your wrath, but by casting out the devil, You will send Your Spirit, Lord, and all things will be rebuilt and life will be reborn, for we will taste the goodness of life in prayer: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law, but thanks be to God Who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, for He took flesh to bring us the Law of Love and the forgiveness of sin for our salvation, we who pray:
Jesus, Your Law is righteous and holy;
Jesus, nothing good dwells in us;
Jesus, deliver us from the uncleanness of sin;
Jesus, plant the mystery of repentance in us;
Jesus, we believe in You and in Your forgiveness;
Jesus, grant us the gift of prayer;
Lord Jesus, Angel of Great Counsel, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths, and bind him forever!
Kontakion 9
You, Christ, are the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, so that in all things You may have primacy, for You did not come to earth to help the angels, but to help the seed of Abraham, and we become heirs through faith to the promise of salvation that You brought: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
You are a wonderful Counselor, Lord, descending upon us at dusk in the mystery of the warmest prayer, receiving our sighs as a bloodless sacrifice through which You save us from all the evils of demons and listen to these praises:
Jesus, our joy, save us from the deceiver;
Jesus, our strength, strengthen us in temptations;
Jesus, most loving, look upon this pain;
Jesus, merciful, heal the wounds of the unseen war;
Jesus, the Source of Life, do not let us perish;
Jesus, the Conqueror of death, fulfill the law of nature where Your Will is;
Lord Jesus, Angel of Great Counsel, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths and bind him forever!
Kontakion 10
At the turning point of time, You are, Christ, for time lost its power when the gates of hell were opened and You raised Adam from corruption! At the crossroads between life and death, You are the Savior, for death received what was hers, and You rose again to give us eternal life! At the crossroads between worlds, You are Jesus, Judge after death, and victory is Yours: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
Standing between two realms, You are the Sword of the Word, Jesus, You are the Tax Collector who opens the gates of the spiritual Toll Houses to souls captive between two worlds, freeing them from the prison in which the devil has locked them, and we humbly cry out to You:
Jesus, arrange for each soul to reach where Your Will is;
Jesus, break the bars of fear;
Jesus, close the mouth of hell and open the gates of eternity;
Jesus, pour out Your grace upon us;
Jesus, cleanse our homes and courtyards from the bonds and curses of the devil;
Jesus, sanctify what is ours, for we offer it all to You;
Lord Jesus, Angel of Great Counsel, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths and bind him forever!
Kontakion 11
Father of the age to come, You bring the Sword where demons wage war, being merciless to darkness, for its wickedness has no chance of deliverance, because You send the angel who holds in his hand the Key of the Abyss and a great chain with which he catches the devil and throws him into the Abyss, sealing the entrance above him: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
Lord Jesus Christ, judge the ruler of this world, the devil who has taken up residence in our homes, courtyards, and lives, cast him into the abyss where he will be bound forever, so that we, freed from torment, may honor You:
Jesus, give us strength to endure the struggle;
Jesus, give us wisdom not to fall into sin;
Jesus, give us authority over our passions;
Jesus, defend our minds from enemy thoughts;
Jesus, we believe in You, we call upon You;
Jesus, come, Jesus, and conquer what is evil;
Lord Jesus, Angel of Great Counsel, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths and bind him forever!
Kontakion 12
With a humble heart and a bowed soul before You, Jesus Christ, we make this call to You, Leader of the Heavenly Hosts, to send the angelic armies with all the Heavenly Powers and the Holy Archangels to fight for us and cast out forever the devilish nests from our homes, courtyards, and lives, so that we may rejoice: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
As in Heaven, so on earth! As You once cast Satan out of Heaven, so command on earth, Christ, Angel of Great Counsel, that all devilish temptation be cast out from us, and that we may live in the spiritual purity of those who seek only You and glorify You thus:
Jesus, we are powerless, help us;
Jesus, send us guardian angels;
Jesus, clothe us with the armor of grace so that we may not be harmed by war;
Jesus, what use is our blood to You? Deliver us, we pray!
Jesus, accept these prayers as a bloodless sacrifice;
Jesus, forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are our God;
Lord Jesus, Angel of Great Counsel, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths and bind him forever!
Kontakion 13
Lord Jesus Christ, Angel of Great Counsel, descend from Heaven with all the Heavenly Powers and defeat the devil who torments us, break his hold over us, undo all the curses and bonds that he and his servants have placed upon us, defend us and strengthen us so that we may pray eternally to the Holy Trinity: Alleluia!
This Kontakion is said 3 times.
Ikos 1
All creation worships You, Lord, and the Angelic Hosts serve You with fear and love, being satisfied in Heaven with the Love of the Holy Trinity and crying out: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord Sabaoth!” and we on earth, though we are unworthy, humbly call upon You:
Jesus, You are the Light of the World;
Jesus, our Teacher and Guide;
Jesus, show us what lies beyond the grave;
Jesus, dispel the darkness of ignorance, corruption, and death;
Jesus, come and see how the devil has enslaved our lives;
Jesus, we seek salvation in You! Do not forsake us!
Lord Jesus, Angel of the Great Council, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths and bind him forever!
Kontakion 1
To Him who brings the song of victory, breaking the rod of the wicked and the staff of the rulers, and blessing us with rest and peace so that we may rejoice, we offer gifts of honor to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Angel of Great Counsel, and awaiting His Second Coming, we pray to the Son of Man: Lord Jesus, Angel of the Great Council, destroy the power of the devil, cast him into the depths, and bind him forever!
Prayer
In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Angel of Great Counsel, we humbly and meekly offer these prayers and call upon all the Heavenly Powers to deliver us from the temptations of the devil, who hides in the snares of deceit and lies. We pray to You, Jesus Christ, to give us the strength and courage to fight in Your Holy Name, not to forsake You out of fear, but to receive the strength to fight to the end.
Prayer is man’s, but victory is Yours, Lord! We pray that You crush under Your feet the spirits of darkness, named and unnamed, known and unknown, revealed and hidden, together with all forms of evil, each according to its role, work, and command. Command all devils who have taken up residence in our homes, courtyards, and lives, along with sorcerers, enchanters, and all workers who serve darkness using known and unknown devilish tools and sciences from everywhere: from the earth, from the air, or from the bowels of the earth.
Drive away, Lord Jesus Christ, the unseen enemy, the devil, who is called the evil one from the beginning, the maker of chaos, together with the beginnings of darkness, the rulers and powers of darkness of this age, and the spirits of wickedness that are in the air; bring order in place of chaos, just as in the moment of Creation from nothing God created the unseen world and the evil from the beginning was destroyed. Put the devils to flight, wipe out their traces from our bodies, souls, homes, courtyards, and lives, so that their memory may never be known again; Bind them in the wilderness, in the depths, in an uninhabited place without water, where they cannot harm anyone; destroy all the work of the devil that brings sickness, misfortune, death, damage, temptations, falling into sin, and straying from Your commandments.
Dispel the power of the unseen enemy over us, Your servants (N) sealed with Holy Baptism, so that he may no longer harm us or our loved ones in any way; put a stop to the plots of those who serve evil: sorcerers, charmers, spellcasters, those who manipulate time, who use the elements of nature and the living or dead spirits to do harm, those who raise the powers of the air against people, who take away our strength of body, soul, and mind, who steal our vitality and energy, who prevent us from evolving spiritually, using for all these misfortunes all the occult sciences known and unknown from all corners of the earth; take away forever the power of those who work against Your creation, so that Your servants (N) may be freed from the burden of darkness brought by those outside, that we may see our sins and passions and pray to You unceasingly.
God the Father, You are our King, and Your Name is blessed forever!
Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Angel of Great Counsel, the Conqueror of death, the Judge, the Ruler and Lord of peace, the One who gives us strength to fight and surrounds us with guardian angels and counselors!
Holy Spirit, You bring the Father’s goodwill and through You the Word of the Son descends, You are the one our hearts desire to have within us, so that from You we may rise in prayer to the blessed flight of spiritual life.
Most Holy Trinity, Your servants (N) who desire You unceasingly call upon You. Do not shame our prayer, accept our repentance, forgive our sins, teach us, and give us Your strength in the struggle we have begun in Your Holy Name.
Amen.
