There was this king of the demons; his name was Hiranyakashyupa. The king worked really hard. He kept austerities, he forced even God to come down and bless him. So, it would have required a very special effort. But then, what did he want from God? Nothing but the extension and continuation of his own mortal self.
And what is the lesson we get from there? That even if the ego works hard, all it seeks is its own continuation.
God is cleverer than the cleverest. You might think that you have nailed it; you might think that, you know, neither day nor night. God says, “What about dawn and dusk? They are neither day nor night.” You might be clever. God is cleverer than you. Do not use the powers you have from God against God himself.