The Fourth Temptation in the Hour of Death—By Phantoms

If our enemy, evil, crafty, and persistent, who never tires of tempting us, should wish in the hour of death to lead you astray by phantoms, visions, and transformations into an angel of light, stand firm in the awareness of your poverty and your utter worthlessness in all things. And say to him with a courageous and fearless heart: “Return, accursed one, to your own darkness. Visions and revelations are not befitting me, for I am unworthy. One thing alone do I need—the boundless compassion of my Lord Jesus Christ, the prayers and intercession of our Lady the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, and of all the saints.” Even if by certain outward signs it should seem to you that you are beholding true visions given to you by God, do not hasten to believe them, but rather plunge yourself into an awareness of your own unworthiness and nothingness. Do not fear that you will thereby offend God, for our humble feelings are never displeasing to him. If such visions are necessary for you, God knows how to ensure that you do not close your eyes to them, by vindicating your slowness to believe that they come from God. He who gives grace to the humble will not take it away on account of the actions they perform out of humility.

Such are the most commonly used weapons with which the enemy attacks us in the final mortal hour. But he employs for this purpose every other passion by which any of the dying was held captive in life and toward which he was most prone, endeavoring to rouse it so that the person may depart in a passionate frame of mind that will determine his fate. Therefore, before the hour of that great battle draws near, we must, beloved, arm ourselves against our most powerful passions and, entering courageously into battle with them, overcome and purify ourselves of them—so as to ease our victory at that time, in your final hour, which may come at any moment. In this regard the Lord says to each one: ”Fight them until you have made an end of them” (1 Sam. 15:18).