197. Temptations, their source and quality. Temptations arise from the evil spirits who are with a man, and who insinuate stumbling-blocks against the goods and truths which the man loves and believes; and who likewise stir up the evils which he has done and the falsities which he has thought, nos. 741, 751, 761, 3927, 4307, 4572, 5036, 6657, 8960. Evil spirits in such cases make use of every kind of cunning and malice, no. 6666. The man who is in temptations is near hell, no. 8131. Two forces are active in temptations, the force from the Lord which acts from within, and the force from hell which acts from without, the man being in the middle, no. 8168. A man's ruling love is assaulted in temptations, nos. 847, 4274. Evil spirits attack only those things which belong to a man's faith and love, and consequently those which belong to his very spiritual life; wherefore his eternal life is then at stake, no. 1820. The state of temptations compared with the state of a man among thieves, no. 5246. In temptations, the man through angels from the Lord is kept in the truths and goods which are with him, but through evil spirits in the falsities and evils which are with him; hence conflict and combat, no. 4249. Temptation is a combat between the internal or spiritual man, and the external or natural man, nos. 2183, 4256; thus between the delights of the internal man, and those of the external man, which are then in opposition to each other, nos. 3928, 8351. It has place on account of the antagonism between them, nos. 3928, 8351. The dominion of one over the other is what is contended for, nos. 3928, 8961. No one can be tempted unless he is in the acknowledgment of truth and good, and in an affection for them, because otherwise there is no combat; for the Spiritual does not act then against the Natural, wherefore there is no question about rule, nos. 3928, 4299. He is tempted who has acquired something of spiritual life, no. 8963. Temptations exist with those who have conscience, and consequently, with those who are in spiritual love; more grievous temptations, however, exist with those who have perception, and, therefore, with those who are in celestial love, nos. 1668, 8963. Dead men, that is, those who are neither in faith, nor in love to God and love towards the neighbour, are not admitted into temptations, because they would succumb, nos. 270, 4274, 4299, 8964, 8968. Wherefore few at the present day come into spiritual temptations, no. 8965. They are, however, in states of distress on account of various causes in the world, past, present, and future; which causes are wont to be combined with faintness of mind and weakness of body; these states, however, are not those of the distress of temptations, nos. 762, 8164. Spiritual temptations are sometimes combined with pains of the body, and sometimes they are not, no. 8164. A state of temptations is an unclean and filthy state, because evils and falsities, and also doubts concerning goods and truths, are injected, no. 5246. Further, because indignation, pain of mind, and many affections which are not good are involved in temptations, nos. 1917, 6829; likewise, states of obscurity and doubt concerning the end, nos. 1820, 6829; and also concerning the Divine Providence and the hearing of prayer, since prayers are not answered in temptations, as they are when out of them, no. 8179. And because a man, when in temptation, seems to himself to be in a state of damnation, no. 6097. The reason of this is, that a man perceives clearly what takes place in the external man, and consequently what is injected and called forth by evil spirits, in accordance with which the man also thinks of his state; but he does not perceive what takes place in his internal man; nor consequently what flows in from the Lord through the angels; from which, therefore, he cannot judge of his state, nos. 10236, 10240. Temptations for the most part are carried on even to despair, which is their end, nos. 1787, 2694, 5279, 5280, 6144, 7147, 7155, 7166, 8165, 8567. The reasons whereof, no. 2694. In the temptation itself also there are despairs, but these terminate in the general one, no. 8567. In a state of despair a man speaks bitter things, but they are not heeded by the Lord no. 8165. After a temptation has ended, there is at first a fluctuation between truth and falsity, nos. 848, 857. Afterwards, however, the truth shines, and there arises serenity and gladness, nos. 3696, 4572, 6829, 8367, 8370. Those who are being regenerated do not undergo temptations only once, but many times, because many evils and falsities are to be removed, no. 8403. If those who have acquired some spiritual life, do not undergo temptations in this world, they undergo them in the other life, no. 7122. How temptations take place in the other life, and where, nos. 537-539, 699, 1106-1113, 2694, 4728,4940-4951, 6119, 6928,7090, 7122, 7127, 7186, 7317, 7474, 7502, 7541, 7542, 7545, 7768, 7990, 9331, 9763. The state of enlightenment of those who come out of temptation, and are raised into heaven, and their reception there, nos. 2699, 2701, 2704. The nature of the temptation occasioned by a failure of truth, which is attended then by a desire for truth, nos. 2682, 8352. The temptation of children in the other world, whereby they learn how to resist evils, no. 2294. The difference there is between temptations, infestations, and vastations, no. 7474.