Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/1403

1403 The will bound by the adversary....

May 1, 1940: Book 23

The chained being always has the will to free itself as long as it feels its fetters as compulsion, for then it is still aware that it is in a situation which does not correspond to its actual destiny. It longs for something other than its present state, so it still regocnizes itself as a bound being and strives towards freedom. It will now only have the urge to improve its situation and therefore also use its will to make itself free. Whereas a being that is completely under the control of evil has no desire to free itself from it. It takes its state for granted, it is not aware of its actual destiny, its will is unfree and only ever carries out what the dark power commands it to do. This state is therefore so bleak that it keeps the will bound and makes it difficult, if not impossible, to regocnize the situation. In this state the human being is completely content, he lives his earthly goals, he feels neither compulsion nor lack of freedom, he is not inspired by the feeling of having to rebel against the compelling power, for this leaves him complete freedom in earthly life, fulfils his earthly desires and thus places him in a contented state which makes no change seem worth striving for. Thus the will is bound, the adversary has completely seized it.... And therefore the battle for such souls is extremely difficult. For the human being's will has to turn towards God, only then can help be sent to him from God. And the human being always desires what is obvious and desirable to him.... what he can seize earthly.... Denying God, however, is something purely spiritual and can only be felt when earthly possessions are no longer sought. However, the latter can only be achieved in such a way that the power of the adversary is visibly shaken.... that is, matter, possession, is proven to man as destructible.... that he regocnizes that what his heart longs for can fall prey to destruction if it pleases a higher power. A higher power must therefore be proved to him, a power that is opposed to his desire.... a power that can destroy what he has built up. And he must want to subordinate himself to this higher power out of the realization that it is the true goal that has been set for man from the beginning. Only then will the human being's will begin to wrest itself from the adversary's power, and then he will receive help from above....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers