There is a struggle between many desires and inclinations present in us. And we must fight hard to always choose to follow the ones that are good. [THREAD]

Understand that in this invisible war, two wills are in us fighting against each other. The higher intelligent will, ever desiring nothing but righteousness, and the lower sensory will, often called foolish, fleshly and passionate, desiring nothing but wickedness.

These two desires follow one after another. When a good desire happens, an evil desire straightaway contradicts it. And when a wicked desire happens, a good desire quickly comes against it.

Our will is at liberty to follow either one, and whatever desire our will moves toward, it is victorious in this matter. All of our invisible spiritual war consists of this.

A great effort and toil are needed to change carnal life to a virtuous one. We make a judgment to follow the higher will but desires of the fleshy will drag us to their side with the same amount of force as an ox is pulled by its yoke.

The main cause for why so few people achieve Christian perfection is their unwillingness, from self-pity, to compel themselves to deny to themselves everything. To achieve a genuine Christian character we must overcome all the fleshly impulses of the fleshly will.

Conquering large passionate leanings, we must force ourselves to overcome smaller ones, which appear insignificant.

For instance, there are people who keep from taking the goods of others, but are greatly devoted to their own possessions. These people, not only put too much faith in what they own, they also are often slow to give alms.

To this are subjoined those that neglect the defects in their disposition. Not bothering to fully destroy them, even if they trouble their spiritual life, but keeping them within innocuous limits. Such faults would be: indifference, a quick temper, and being too sensitive.

And thus it happens that some do good works, but imperfect, weak, mingled with various passions, which rule in the world. They do not make any progress on the road to salvation, but turn about in a circle, and many times even go backward and fall again into their previous sins.

This demonstrates that their love for a genuine life in Christ was not altogether sincere, and that they lacked the necessary feeling of thanks to God, Who saved them from the devil's power. For they were imperfect in their choice to labor only for Him and to satisfy Him.

As a consequence such people forever stay untrained in righteousness. They are blind and cannot see the dangerous ground on which they stand, supposing that their position is steadfast and that nothing is threatening them.

On account of all this I entreat you to love the hard labor and heavy burden which will surely come with our invisible warfare, if you want to be victorious. The wise Sirach advises the same thing, "Hate not hard work". Because this is the corner-stone of the entire inner battle.

The more you enjoy this difficult work, or this merciless pushing of urself, the more quickly and fully will your conquest be over urself and what is in yourself, which opposes the greater good. And by this you will be full of every virtue, and the peace of God will abide in you.