Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/7315

7315 The adversary's temptations by means of worldly enticements....

March 24, 1959: Book 77

If you are craving the world and its pleasures then you will know that you are approached by the tempter who wants to win you over again for the world which you endeavour to escape from. The realm of earthly joy and pleasure is his domain and he truly governs it in a way that many people fall prey to it, for they all crave earthly and physical joys and pleasures and they will all get what they want if they pay homage to the world and accept all enticements he presents before their eyes. He cannot beguile people by any other means than through the world, for once they have chosen the spiritual kingdom they will truly not comply with his will and turn their thoughts towards him.... In that case, however, he will come to meet them through the world and its attractions and a person must be very strong-willed indeed in order to resist the temptations.... Therefore, take note that when you seek to gain worldly pleasures you are at risk of succumbing to his artful temptations and forearm yourselves to resist him. Turn your attention towards the spiritual world again with increased vigour; hold yourselves to account as to what extent you bear up against such temptations, which you can be certain to be the adversary's work who wants to turn you against God and His kingdom and therefore will not shy away from using any means to achieve this goal. Admittedly, he will not be able to achieve much with a serious aspirant apart from the fact that the human being fulfils the requirements of life he has to fulfil, since he lives in the midst of the world and should prove himself in it. Nevertheless, the decisive factor remains the feeling of the heart, for it shall not allow itself to be captivated by desiring earthly joys and pleasures, since it depends on the heart's desire as to how far the human being will distance himself from the spiritual kingdom and return to the earthly world again. The temptations by God's adversary will not stop, he will also fight for the souls he is in danger of losing until the end, he will not let up until the end from pushing the spiritual kingdom aside in favour of the material world, and thus the soul must remain determined and resist. And the more progress it has made in its striving, the easier it can defend itself and the lesser will be the risk of complying with his will again, for the spiritual kingdom will also captivate the soul and not let go of it again, if its will is inclined towards God and thus no longer belongs to the adversary but releases itself increasingly more from him.... Then the human being will no longer be affected by temptations, the world will have lost its attraction and only the spiritual kingdom will be desirable for him, the unity with God will be the soul's only and highest goal and it will certainly attain this goal....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna