If God is the Creator of all things and evil is a thing, then God is the Creator of evil and He is to be blamed for its existence. No, evil is not a thing but a wrong choice, or the damage done by a wrong choice. Evil is no more a positive thing than blindness is, but it is just as real.

It is the Godfather, not God the Father, who makes you an offer you can't refuse.

we have that the animal does not: reason and free will, or free choice.

Temptation is attractive; otherwise it wouldn't be tempting. And it's dangerous because it's attractive.

We should not only refrain from thinking about gratifying our desires but also avoid focusing on not gratifying our desires. The way to deal with temptation is not to grit our teeth and make up our minds that we will not do a certain thing. The key is to fill our minds with other things.

For this is a lesson to carry with you all your life long. God demands our allegiance above all things. We are to remain steadfast with him, even when things are the hardest, even when we are weakest, even when we are angry, even when we are afraid. These are all forces from beyond the boundaries of Eden. They exist, yes, and they test us. But we can carry the holy garden with us wherever we go, so long as our hearts remain true to God.

if it happens that the soul is attached or inclined to a thing inordinately, that one should move himself, putting forth all his strength, to come to the contrary of what he is wrongly drawn to.

Fifth Rule. The fifth: In time of desolation never to make a change; but to be firm and constant in the resolutions and determination in which one was the day preceding such desolation, or in the determination in which he was in the preceding consolation. Because, as in consolation it is rather the good spirit who guides and counsels us, so in desolation it is the bad, with whose counsels we cannot take a course to decide rightly.

If the devil cannot make us bad, he will make us busy.

Once we acknowledge that God is the main character, only then can we even begin to get to that place where we're no longer tempted to let our emotions drive us.

The right choice was the more difficult one. Way more difficult. But as Jesus followers, we know it's best to choose hard over easy when hard is right.

But you are not his prisoner of war, unless you choose to be. Those days can be over. That's your call.