Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/2778

2778 Temptation in form of earthly amusements....

June 18, 1943: Book 37

You should not think that the opponent will bypass you even if you strive towards God.... His influence is unrestricted as long as the human being's will is weak. Only a strong will can offer him the resistance which he cannot overcome. The will is always decisive as to whether he gains control over a person. But if the will weakens his influence becomes stronger again, and the temptations approach a person in the most varied of ways. For this reason he must constantly struggle, he must constantly appeal for strength and grace, for strengthening of his will, he must constantly be on his guard so as not to succumb to the temptations of evil, he must watch and pray.... for the prize is worth the battle.... The world and its enticements approach the human being time and again, it is the adversary's most effective means to cause the human being's downfall, for everything which belongs to the world separates the human being from God. He cannot possess God and the world at the same time, he must sacrifice one if he wants to win the other. The world, however, only offers illusive goods which are phantoms that make a person only temporarily happy and which crumble into nothingness. They have no lasting value but still destroy spiritual values, that is, they distract the human being from spiritual striving, and this is a regression on the path of development. The opponent constantly intends to detach the human being from God, therefore he repeatedly approaches him in the form of worldly amusements, he entices him with worldly pleasures, he tries to turn his mind to them and thereby desert God. And if a person does not oppose him with a firm will he will succumb, and the opponent will have won his game. The human being's body enjoys the experiences but the soul gets into difficulties, for to the same extent as the person enjoys earthly pleasures the soul has to go short. If the soul can become stronger than the body then it will succeed in making the person feel discontented; these are the inner admonitions and warnings which are imparted to the person through the inner voice, if only he pays attention to them. Then he will make every effort to overcome his inclination for the world and with increased determination strive spiritually again. And this determination will also give him the strength and the grace of being able to achieve it.

But the voice of the world is frequently stronger than the inner voice, in that case the latter will fade away unheard, he will throw himself increasingly deeper into the whirlpool of worldly pleasures, he wants to enjoy himself and gets caught in the opponent's nets of lies, who will tie the human to himself ever more firmly by offering him the pleasures of the world and making him totally unreceptive to spiritual possessions. He has bound his will and the person will find it very difficult to release himself from him, for the human must turn away from him of his own accord and desire God before the strength and grace can take effect in him. And therefore beware of the temptations by the world!.... Consider that God's adversary will approach you time and again and that only your will is able to banish him. And in order for this will to become strong enough, you must watch and pray.... Pay attention to the danger which constantly lies in wait for you in the shape of worldly temptation, and constantly request the strength from God to withstand them, for every fall is a spiritual regression, and every overcoming will bring you closer to the goal. What God offers you is incomparably more valuable and can never ever be compensated by worldly goods, worldly pleasures or amusements. Be vigilant and know that you are constantly put under pressure by God's adversary, who intends to make you fall.... Therefore appeal to God for strength and strengthening of your will so that you can resist every temptation....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna