Defeatism is a comparatively recent term for the age-old phase of human belief in helplessness and hopelessness, in frustration, failure, and fear, all of which are inexorably associated with materiality, its mutations and mortality.

The thought of defeatism is first mentioned in the Bible in connection with what Mary Baker Eddy rightly refers to as the legendary account of creation, wherein man is said to be a creature of dust or nonintelligent matter. This is in striking contrast to the first chapter of Genesis, wherein the spiritual truth is stated that God made man in His own image and likeness and that God saw everything He had made and found it to be very good.

As though to contradict this definite statement, the second or legendary account of creation presents evil and matter as if they were real and God-permitted, if not God-made. A prayerful study of the works of Christ Jesus shows that he accepted and acted upon the account of creation as Godlike and perfect, and he repudiated and reversed the claims of evil coincident with the second, the legendary account.

Because mankind accepted the legendary account of creation, a curse or belief of sin and sorrow, of toil and trial, of deceit, dishonesty, and death inevitably followed. This is the way in which defeatism came and still comes into human experience.

Then the questions naturally arise: What can be done about it? Is it possible to defeat defeatism? Is it possible to master the material beliefs, the evils and errors which lie back of defeatism? Christ Jesus gave a definitely affirmative answer to these questions in his teachings of the omnipresence and omnipotence of God, good, and in his demonstrations over every phase or argument of evil and error, of discord, disease, and death.

When the father of an epileptic boy appealed to Jesus after the disciples had failed to heal the case, the Master reassured the man by saying (Mark 9:23), "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." He then proceeded to verify his words by healing the lad.

This is but one instance in which Christ Jesus proved the all-power of divine Love in the healing of every manner of disease and in the liberation of those bound by sin and the condemnation of material theories and erroneous theological beliefs.

With the discovery of Christian Science by Mrs. Eddy and in her full and final exposition of divine Principle, Love, and of the Science of Christianity, which Christ Jesus had demonstrated completely, this promise of the Master found fulfillment (John 14:12): "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also." Of course this means defeating defeatism in all its ramifications now, even as the Christ, Truth, understood, lived, and demonstrated by Jesus, nullified and nothingized every satanic suggestion of adversity or accident, of sin or sorrow, of discord, disease, or death.

Back of every suggestion of defeatism, such as failure in business or in any legitimate activity, or the claimed incurability of some disease, or discord in a home atmosphere or in a group of people— back of all these is the world belief that evil is more real and powerful than good, that selfishness and human will, injustice and greed, can be dominant over unselfed love and humility.

The most successful person who ever trod the earth was Christ Jesus, and he prayed honestly and humbly (Luke 22:42), "Not my will, but thine, be done," and in that prayer he showed how the vaunted claims of human will are to be met and mastered.

By spiritual means alone Jesus disproved and nullified the accumulated beliefs in matter and evil with their accompaniments of limitation and lack, of disability and inability—of defeatism. The master Christian accomplished his healing and liberating mission by his understanding of God's law of harmony and health, of life and love, as well as his obedience to and application of this law.

Because of God's revelation to Mrs. Eddy of His laws, which Christ Jesus applied in all his works, all can defeat defeatism as did our Master. In proof of this, one needs only to turn to every issue of The Christian Science Journal, the Christian Science Sentinel, and The Herald of Christian Science, in its several editions, to find carefully verified testimonies of those who have realized in their own experiences the healing and uplifting presence of the Christ, Truth, as promised by our Master when he said (Matt. 28:20), "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

It will be learned that many of those grateful ones who thus testify to God's very presence and power, as shown in their healings, have turned to God's law, Christian Science, only after doctors of medicine, having accepted the suggestions of materialistic defeatism, had given up the cases as hopeless. Yes, the Christianity of Jesus is again being demonstrated convincingly; so all who are bowed with the burden of despair and defeat may instead rejoice in the proven presence and power of God and His Christ.

With the assurance born of divine revelation supported by convincing demonstrations, Mrs. Eddy knew that whatever is contrary to God's goodness and perfection must be a suggestion from Satan, the liar and father of lies. And she accepted without reservation the promise voiced by Christ Jesus (John 8:32), "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." That is why she counsels us in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 419), "Meet every adverse circumstance as its master."

We are aided in obeying this injunction by recognizing that human adversity is in essence the denial of the omnipresence and omnipotence of divine Mind, Love. Surely we cannot be made to deny and dishonor God by accepting any such lying suggestion of Satan as if it were our own thinking. Contrariwise we can, with God's help, meet and master every adverse circumstance. We can defeat defeatism, because God is divine Principle, Love.