"St. Paul experienced the rebellion of the senses and passions rather intensely, which made him cry out, 'I of myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin' [Romans 7:25], that is, the law of concupiscence....

This is a comfort for so many souls who experience this sharp conflict within themselves. They do not want to have impulses of rancor or vivid fantasies or sensual feelings, and they are hindered by these things that rise up against their will. They feel a strong prosperity within themselves toward evil when doing the very action they had intended for good.

Some of these poor souls believe they are offending the Lord by experiencing this prosperity. Be comforted, elect souls, in the fact that there is no sin in this, because the holy apostle himself, the chosen vessel, experienced this horrible inner conflict too: 'I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do' [Romans 7:19]. Feeling the urgings of the flesh in such a way does not constitute sin when the soul has not freely chosen them."

-Padre Pio