Article January 17, 1920 Issue

A Good Soldier

FRANCES M. GORRELL

PAUL'S clear and forceful portrayal of the soldier, in the sixth chapter of Ephesians, comes with particular clearness to-day. He was familiar with the weapons and warfare of his day and many times made use of this figure in bringing some spiritual truth to his followers. After an earnest exhortation to holiness and obedience directed to wives, husbands, children, fathers, servants, and masters, in this and previous chapters, he sums up the whole in this one plea: "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Armor may be defined as a protective covering, and Mrs. Eddy, in that loving counsel to her followers which appears on page 210 of Miscellany, under the caption "What Our Leader Says," clearly states that "good thoughts are an impervious armor; clad therewith you are completely shielded from the attacks of error of every sort." To the Christian Science student, then, this admonition of Paul's is a call to higher, purer thinking, to the extent that the claims of error, whether of sin, sickness, death, want, woe, or limitation, may never for an instant seem formidable or real.

Of what does good thinking consist? Our Leader answers this question with a directness that is almost startling, in these words from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 261): Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts." This will allow no time or opportunity for idle amusement, unloving criticism, or tales of woe. No clouds of discouragement, no sense of jealousy or envy, no dream of error can find place in the thought thus filled with good. All through these chapters already referred to, Paul, in striving to bring out a greater sense of unity and harmony, constantly shows what qualities of thought are necessary to bring about these results; hence his continued appeal for purity, honesty, humility, love, obedience, and alertness. Today, as in his day, the warfare is "not against flesh and blood, but against . . . the rulers of the darkness of this world," and these rulers are human opinions, false beliefs, mortal, material limitations.Andweseek to overthrow these and instead see man as he really is,—the image and likeness of God, good, unlimited and forever harmonious,—much of error is overcome and we are better soldiers for having taken part in the conflict.

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth." How straight and strong and fearless the soldier of God thus girded can stand amid the shrapnel of evil. Sometimes it may seem as though all error had been gathered together in one big bomb and hurled at the soldier, but "the breastplate of righteousness" and the girdle of truth—the consciousness of God's encircling power and Love's ever presence—ward off all the fury of mortal belief. "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." As this soldier of Truth goes forth daily to overthrow the various claims of error, keeping always in thought the fact that each victory that he wins, although an individual victory, establishes more firmly the gospel of peace and good will among men, what greater inspiration does he need than the promise from Deuteronomy, "Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be." The pure desire knows no error, no defeat, but rather is realizing constantly that the kingdom of peace and joy and health and freedom is indestructible.

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