Chapter II. Of the Necessity of a Conflict in order to gain Christian Perfection

THE great lesson which we have before us has been told in few words, but to have to take it in hand, and to put it into practice, "this is the work, this is the toil."

For as there is in us, through the sin of our first parents, and through the evil habits we have ourselves formed, a law contrary to the law of God, we have to fight against ourselves, and also against the world and the devil—the exciting causes of our conflicts.