Daughter: you have now seen the manner in which you ought to fight to conquer yourself and to decorate yourself with the virtues. Be also aware that to achieve victory over your enemies with the greatest speed and ease, it is necessary to fight. Indeed, it is necessary that you should fight daily, in particular against self-love. Accustom yourself to receive as dear friends the insults and harassment that the world may give. If you fail to engage this battle, or give it low priority, it has happened, and it does happen, as I indicated above, that victories are difficult, rare, imperfect, and impermanent.

I further advise that you struggle with strength of spirit, that you will easily acquire if you ask it of God. When you perceive the anger, the perennial hatred and, the great number of the squadrons and armies of the enemy, consider instead how much infinitely greater are God’s goodness and the love with which He loves you. Think also of how many more angels there are in heaven, how many more prayers of the saints who fight on our behalf. From this very consideration it has come about that many fragile women have overcome and conquered all the power and cunning of the world, all the assaults of the flesh, and all of Hell’s rage.

Because of this you should never let yourself be frightened, even if at times your enemies’ assault grows hotter, and it lasts your entire life, and he threatens you with certain collapse from many sides. In fact you must know, beyond what I have said, that all our enemies’ energy and awareness lie in the hands of our divine Captain, in whose honor we fight. As we prefer him beyond words, and because he himself calls us strictly to war, not only will he never permit violence to be done to you but, fighting himself on your behalf, he will give you victory over them at a time of his choosing and to your greater advantage — even should he wait until the last day of your life.

This alone is left to you: that you fight generously and that, notwithstanding your numerous wounds, you neither lay down your weapons nor take flight. In the end, be aware — so that you fight with valor — that you cannot avoid this battle: if you refuse to fight, you will die. Beyond this, we have to face enemies whose character and hatred is such that we can hope neither for peace nor even a ceasefire.

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many fragile women: As in chapter 1’s reference to women “in particular”, the reader should not misread Scupoli as some sort of misogynist.

cunning: The Italian word sapienza ordinarily means “knowledge” or “wisdom”. One of Italy’s more famous universities is Università di Roma La Sapienza. However, “cunning” seems more appropriate in this case.