The devil makes use of the past to cast down the soul, of the present to distract it, and of the future to fill in with fear. Resist him firmly by trusting entirely in God." St. Ignatius of Loyola

If we can remember this on our journey to God, then we will not be deterred as we move forward. But many times, we fall for the enemy's deceptions.  He uses the hurts of the past to stir up resentment, anger and unforgiveness. It is like quicksand. The more we wallow in it, the deeper we become. When this doesn't work, he distracts us with fleeting pleasures of the world, dangling them relentlessly before us. If this doesn't work, he seeks to create a fear about the uncertainty of the future with one what if after the other. Alone, we will remain weak. But we are not alone. We know that he who is within us is greater than he who is attacking. us. The more we depend upon the Lord, the more we will find the strength to resist these temptations.