God alone is our strength and victory over temptations
4 min • Digitized on September 3, 2025
From The Spiritual Combat, in file "The Spiritual Combat (Dornin edition)", page 13
By Dom Lorenzo Scupoli
CHAPTER II. Of diffidence of Ourselves.
Diffidence of ourselves is so absolutely requisite in the spiritual combat, that without this virtue we must not expect to defeat the slightest of our passions, much less to gain a complete victory. This important truth ought to be deeply imprinted in our breasts; for though we are in ourselves a mere nothing, we are too apt to entertain a conceit of our own abilities, and falsely conclude that we are something. This vice springs from the corruption of our nature; but the more natural, the more difficult to be discovered. But God, from whom nothing is hid, looks upon it with horror, because it is his will that we should be convinced we have neither virtue nor grace but what comes from him alone, and that without him we are incapable of one meritorious thought.
But notwithstanding this diffidence of our own strength be a gift from Heaven, and bestowed by God on those he loves, sometimes by his holy inspiration, sometimes by severe afflictions or temptations almost insuperable, and other ways unknown to us, yet he expects we should exert all our abilities for obtaining it. Which we shall certainly do, if, with the grace of God, we seriously employ the four following means.
The first is, to consider attentively our own wretchedness, and that being in ourselves nothing, we are incapable of doing the least good, or advancing the least step towards Heaven without assistance from above.
The second is, to beg of God, with great humility and fervour, this signal virtue, which must come from him alone. Let us begin with acknowledging not only that we do not possess it, but that of ourselves we are utterly incapable of acquiring it. Then let us cast ourselves at the feet of our Lord, and frequently importune him to grant our request, and this with a firm confidence of being heard, provided we wait with patience the effect of our prayer, and persevere in it as long as it shall please the divine Providence.
The third is, to accustom ourselves by degrees to be diffident of our own strength, to dread the illusions of our own mind, the strong propensity of our nature to sin, and the terrible number of enemies which surround us, whose subtilty, experience and force, far surpass ours, who can transform themselves into angels of light, and lie continually in wait for us as we advance towards Heaven.
The fourth is, that as often as we commit a fault, we enter into ourselves in order to discover the excess of our own weakness; for God never permits us to fall, but that we may see better into ourselves, that we may learn to despise such vile creatures as we are, and to desire sincerely to be despised by others; without this we must not hope to obtain a diffidence of ourselves, which is founded on humility, and a conviction of our own wretchedness.
In effect, whoever proposes to approach the eternal truth, and fountain of all light, must doubtless know himself thoroughly, and not imitate the pride of those who gain no other knowedge than what their sins afford, and only then begin to open their eyes when they are plunged into some shameful and unforeseen disorder; which happens through God’s permission, that they may know their own weakness, and by a fatal experience learn not to confide in their own strength. But God seldom applies so severe a remedy against their presumption, but when more favourable means have failed.
In a word, he permits persons to fall more or less in proportion to their pride; and if there were any as free from pride as the Blessed Virgin, I dare pronounce they would never fall. As often therefore as you commit a fault, have immediate recourse to the knowledge of yourself; earnestly beseech our Lord to enlighten you, that you may see yourself as you are in his sight, and no more presume on your strength. Otherwise you will fall again into the same faults, or perhaps much greater, to the eternal ruin of your soul.