6. Use Jesus’ weapons in the desert
Prolonged and authentic prayer, constant mortification (fasting) and familiarity with the Word of God, through meditation and putting it into practice, are effective weapons for combatting and defeating Satan.
7. Talk with a spiritual director
St. Ignatius warns us that the Devil loves secrecy. Therefore, if a person is in a deep state of desolation and opens up with a spiritual director, he or she can overcome the temptation. Keeping total silence is like hiding a cut or a deep wound under one’s clothes.
Until the wound is exposed to the sun and disinfected, not only does it not heal, but the infection gets worse, gangrene may set in, or even worse, one risks amputation. Once the temptation is revealed to a spiritual director, one gains power over it.
