On page 102 of "Miscellaneous Writings," Mary Baker Eddy has defined spiritual strategy. She writes: "Science has inaugurated the irrepressible conflict between sense and Soul. Mortal thought wars with this sense as one that beateth the air, but Science out-masters it, and ends the warfare." Such a conflict was initiated by Jesus without human support, for in its gravest crisis his disciples forsook him and fled; and it was fought on these lines. It is to be noted in studying Mrs. Eddy's words quoted above that the initiative is not with the enemy. It is inaugurated and carried to its inevitable successful conclusion by Science, by that consciousness of spiritual knowing which exposes and defeats the efforts of material sense to gain the mastery.

Jesus could look on undisturbed at every violent, meaningless show of force which sought to arrest, imprison, humiliate, crucify, and finally destroy him, because he knew that actually it was "as one that beateth the air." His own plan of action, divinely prepared and preserved, was already outlined. On page 42 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy, in writing of this last mortal attack of the enemy upon the Saviour of mankind, has said: "Let men think they had killed the body! Afterwards he would show it to them unchanged. This demonstrates that in Christian Science the true man is governed by God—by good, not evil—and is therefore not a mortal but an immortal."

Jesus knew that those who hated the spiritual idea would come to take him by force; he foresaw the strategy of evil; he knew that a disciple would betray him, that his own people would repudiate him. When the final development came, he was ready. He had studied the Scriptures; he had discussed what was to take place with Moses and Elias on the mount of transfiguration; for him the strategy of the enemy could bring no surprise. He sought not escape; he had no purpose but to accomplish that which he had come to do, and he continued night and day preserving the consciousness of his oneness with the Father. Twice in the garden of Gethsemane, as recorded in the twenty-sixth chapter of Matthew, he came and found his disciples asleep and sought to rouse them. The third time he came, not to renew his plea, for he saw that they were not ready for spiritual awakening, but to prepare them for the immediate human happening. "Rise, let us be going," he said to them, "behold, he is at hand that doth betray me."

When men learn to depend upon the strategy of Mind in the directing of their affairs; when spiritual communion, rather than mortal consultation, when divine intuition rather than prognostication and conjecture, directs their expectation, they are unafraid, whether in attack or defense. They know intelligence controls their thoughts, guides their steps, inspires their judgments.

"Victory," declared Marshal Foch, "is a thing of the will." In the will to victory over evil, men learn that reflecting the divine will they are imbued with vision, with endurance, with supreme confidence; for them are abandoned all blind and futile beatings of the air. Situations in which men find themselves as the result of selfishness and sensuality, of greed and aggression, of careless disregard for the universal duties to be performed, will have their inevitable sequence in a frightened effort to avoid "the irrepressible conflict." Only with the coming of Science, when men no longer continue to sleep, but watch and pray, do quietness and confidence take the place of helplessness and despair. In the words of Paul they are able then to say, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

In individual lives all careless or inefficient strategy in directing thought and action to gain the mastery of evil, over that which would prolong the suffering and postpone the resurrection, must be replaced by the wisdom of Mind, whereby men, if needs be, are forewarned of the approach of evil and equipped for its over-throwal. Half-hearted, timorous warfare, feeble, inadequate defense, must be replaced by that humble, continuous waiting upon God which is never off guard, never tempted to give power to that which is not power, to believe it can be deserted, defeated, destroyed.

The warfare that Science has inaugurated must be continued until the end. And for this the need is that we sleep not, that we ever take forward, active steps in the overcoming of evil. On page 268 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy writes, "In this revolutionary period, like the shepherd-boy with his sling, woman goes forth to battle with Goliath." In this battle plan there can be no partial or negotiated victory; individually and universally no compromise with evil. The purpose of our Leader was to prove that all forces and methods of evil are alike unreal; that that which Science has inaugurated is to be found in the reign of Soul.

Today, in the midst of hideous and violent tyrannies, men can lift up their heads and know that because of the revelation of Science to this age, no Goliath can withstand the might of Spirit, no mortal strategy is equal to the skill and wisdom of him who, waiting upon Mind, no longer beats the air. On the contrary, they remember the Master's gentle reproach, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" They recall the example of her who went forth unafraid and undeterred to battle with Goliath.

Evelyn F. Heywood