Spiritual heroes come to light at the time of despondency

Venerable John Climacus ~ The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Step 13 ~ On Despondency

¶12. Spiritual heroes come to light at the time of despondency, for nothing procures so many crowns for a monk as the battle with despondency.

A courageous soul resurrects his dying mind

Venerable John Climacus ~ The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Step 13 ~ On Despondency

¶9. Each of the other passions is destroyed by some particular virtue. But despondency for the monk is a general death.
¶10. A courageous soul resurrects his dying mind, but despondency and sloth squander all his riches.

Despondency is a paralysis of soul

Venerable John Climacus ~ The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Step 13 ~ On Despondency

¶2. Despondency is a paralysis of soul, an enervation of the mind, neglect of asceticism, hatred of the vow made. It calls those who are in the world blessed. It accuses God of being merciless and without love for men. It is being languid in singing psalms, weak in prayer, like iron in service, resolute in manual labour, reliable in obedience.

Some plausible pretext to drag us from prayer

Venerable John Climacus ~ The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Step 13 ~ On Despondency

¶7. [Despondency] reminds those standing at prayer of necessary duties. And, brutish as she is, she leaves no stone unturned to find some plausible pretext to drag us from prayer as with a kind of halter.