Editorial January 27, 1923 Issue

"That no man take thy crown"

Ella W. Hoag

When John was writing of what the Spirit saith unto the churches, he presented again and again the demands to "overcome" and to "hold fast." For obedience to these demands various rewards were promised, among them a "crown of life." The Spirit further admonished to "hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." The Bible many times declares that the flesh must be overcome by Spirit, and God's revelation of Christian Science explains the exact method of this warfare. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 288), Mrs. Eddy writes: "The suppositional warfare between truth and error is only the mental conflict between the evidence of the spiritual senses and the testimony of the material senses, and this warfare between the Spirit and flesh will settle all questions through faith in and the understanding of divine Love."

The study of Christian Science soon shows one that this "suppositional warfare" must inevitably be entered upon by every mortal if he is to gain deliverance from evil and find the "new man" which "is created in righteousness and true holiness." One does not, however, immediately understand all that this involves. Rarely, if ever, does one start out upon this warfare without the most joyful expectation of victory, and his vision reaches far into the possibilities of good which such victory promises. The Christian Science warrior also discovers that to be a faithful soldier demands great steadfastness of purpose and, above all, an unfaltering love of Spirit and spirituality.

Only the most unselfed desire is sufficient to keep one constantly active in this overcoming which is to win final and complete success. As the Christian Scientist presses forward, undaunted either by obstacles or temporary defeats, he wins greater and greater "faith in and the understanding of divine Love," so that with armor on, he rejoices in every fresh opportunity to overcome. Tasting the bliss of the larger understanding of spiritual good which these overcomings bring, he is encouraged to undertake with increasing hope every encounter with evil belief which confronts him. He learns to know that if he "resist stedfast in the faith," every supposititious claim of evil will be proved unreal, and a fuller knowledge of reality will appear.

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January 27, 1923
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