The serpent-slaying rider fights and achieves victory in a spiritual struggle. Spiritual struggle is, first and foremost, a battle for the mind. Every day, a person, with pain and struggle, must cast out sin from within themselves, striving to break free from the bondage of their sinful passions and to be liberated from them. The angel depicted on the shield symbolizes purity and holiness — the angelic image points to the spiritual purity of the saint himself and his heavenly origin as a warrior of light. The saint did not immediately kill the serpent; having subdued the beast through the power of prayer, he pierced its throat with a spear. Through the help and prayers of the saints, the soul can be freed from the power of sin, that is, it can gain mastery over its passions. https://www.artstation.com/artwork/rlxVqa