Spiritual assaults and worldly assaults are not the same thing. Sometimes they go together, sometimes they are separate, sometimes they work against each other.

If I am weak physically due to (relatively mild) sickness or lack of sleep or too much going on, it is easy to get "attacked" by irritations, despair, laziness, and all kinds of "stuff." Why does all this spiritual "crap" bother me now of all times? Because if I’m paying attention to my body (self-pitying "woe is me" for this pain or fatigue or stress), then I’m not strong against spiritual temptations. They have a greater chance of succeeding against me. I’m fighting a double-fronted war, against the "flesh" and against the demons, all at the same time.

Very often, worldly stuff simply goes on as it does, every day, day after day, and  it seems to have very little to do with the spiritual life at all. Maybe it’s a misperception on my part (probably!), but if there is any temptation coming from the world at this point, it’s the "benign" pull to get distracted from prayer and remembering God altogether. The world doesn’t seem "hostile"; it’s just "there". Or, maybe it’s the temptation to be content with leaving worldly stuff in the worldly realm and spiritual stuff in the spiritual realm and never the twain do meet. It is to be a dualist, double-visioned in the worst un-integrated way. Here the battle is to stay in the battle at all!

But sometimes worldly assaults, esp. if they are "sent by God", actually help in the spiritual realm. They can help a lot. I remember last summer when we were up in the air as to home, job, where in the world we would live. I felt like a yo-yo as we considered moving to California or Pennsylvania or perhaps back to New Mexico. In the end, we stayed in Kansas City! This  was a tough time to get through, but looking back, I am so thankful for it! Coming so soon after my chrismation, I am sure those external tough times saved me from what I otherwise would have been dealing with "internally". That came later! (And is still coming.) In the face of worldly assault, whether it’s (relatively severe) sickness, joblessness, homelessness, or any other kind of major life trauma, the spiritual mandate is simple: endure with as much patience as you can. It’s time to learn to trust. You don’t have to struggle. Just stand there. Stand. That’s enough. As hard as it is… I think this kind of battle may be the easiest of the three to fight.

Or, maybe the hardest battle to fight is always the one you’re in at the moment!

Or… knowing the mercy of God… maybe your current battle, whatever it is, is truly the easiest… :) Be thankful.