It seems to take forever

If you have been looking to the Lord and striving to shun evils as sins against Him, you will–at some point–get discouraged. The evils you are shunning, never seem to leave. These two quotes should give us some comfort:

So for a long time evil spirits are left with him to activate his desires, and so release them in countless ways. Indeed the spirits are left there to do this in order that those desires may be turned by the Lord towards something good, and in this way the person may be reformed.

AC 59

Meanwhile the Lord is constantly fighting on his behalf against evils and falsities and by these conflicts is confirming him in truth and good.

AC 63

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