הַיֵּצֶר הָרָע נוֹקֵשׁ בָּאָדָם בְּכָל פַּעַם וּמְעוֹרְרוֹ לְמַה שֶּׁמְּעוֹרְרוֹ. וְאַף אִם אֵין הָאָדָם שׁוֹמֵעַ לוֹ וּפוֹנֶה עֹרֶף מִמֶּנּוּ, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הוּא נוֹקֵשׁ בּוֹ עוֹד פַּעַם שֵׁנִי וּשְׁלִישִׁי וּרְבִיעִי וְיוֹתֵר. אֲבָל אִם הָאָדָם הוּא חָזָק בְּדַעְתּוֹ וְעַקְשָׁן נֶגֶד הַיֵּצֶר הָרָע, וְאֵינוֹ פּוֹנֶה אֵלָיו כְּלָל, אֲזַי הַיֵּצֶר הָרָע מִסְתַּלֵּק וְהוֹלֵךְ לוֹ. The evil inclination continually comes against a person and arouses him to what it arouses him. And even if a person does not listen to it, but turns his back on [the evil inclination], it nevertheless comes against him a second, third and fourth time, and more. But if a person is strong-willed and determined in opposing the evil inclination, and does not turn to it in the least, then the evil inclination leaves him and goes on its way.
וְכֵן בִּתְפִלָּה, בְּעִנְיַן הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת הַבָּאִים לְבַלְבֵּל, הוּא מַמָּשׁ כַּנַּ"ל, שֶׁהַמַּחֲשָׁבָה בָּאָה כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים, פַּעַם אַחַר פַּעַם, לְבַלְבֵּל. וְצָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת חָזָק לִבְלִי לְהִסְתַּכֵּל עָלֶיהָ כְּלָל בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן, וַאֲזַי תִּסְתַּלֵּק. וְעַיֵּן בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר מִזֶּה: The same is true of prayer; in regard to thoughts that come to distract, it is exactly the same. The thought comes a number of times, time after time, in order to confuse. One has to be strong, so as not to pay attention to it under any circumstances. And in this way, it leaves. See elsewhere regarding this.