Article July 17, 1902 Issue

Disarmament of Evil

BY ALICE JENNINGS

The Scriptures say, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." There is no shield so efficacious as a good heart-thought and affection acting with direction for beneficent results. Good, acting through goodness, disarms evil, subdues it, and deprives it of all harmfulness.

The imperative command never to submit to any evil, but invariably to displace it with good, implies a loving intent, for God, the omnipotent Good, is Love. Since He is the perfect Nature, perfect Spirit, perfect Life, what we are to be saved from is the reverse, the material sense of nature which results in sin, disease, and death.

This liberation cannot come through another's vicarious sacrifice, suffering, toil, or goodness. St. Paul spoke of evil as a law to prevent his doing good, a law of his members, the flesh serving the law of sin, warring against the law of the mind that serves the law of God. Afterward he said, "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." Each one must be obedient to the law of Good through the Christ-mind and thus work out his own salvation, "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Our Sunday School Work