“You [alone] do we turn to for help,” and we only ask You for help. So what are we asking You to help us with? In that we want to serve only You and no one else. It is easy to serve no one else but God in words, but in practice, it is the most difficult thing to do. It is difficult in our life as an individual, it is difficult in social life, and it is also difficult [to practice] as a nation. And today, you see the difficulties involved in this when the world’s superpowers confront the Islamic Republic, [a nation] that has hoisted the flag of monotheism. What’s more difficult than this is rejecting the Satan and Taghut [tyrant] that is within us. This is even more difficult. Fighting the US is easier than fighting the desires of the soul and carnal pleasures. This is the most difficult thing. The foundation for that battle is this battle.
Imam Khamenei
April 24, 1991
