"No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house" (Mark 3:27). In commenting upon this parable of Christ Jesus, Mary Baker Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 400): "Mortal mind is 'the strong man,' which must be held in subjection before its influence upon health and morals can be removed. This error conquered, we can despoil 'the strong man' of his goods,—namely, of sin and disease."

This passage plainly points out, that when we are seeking healing through scientific prayer, we are grappling not with matter or a material condition, but with thought. With the recognition that disease is merely mistaken thought made manifest, one finds that the process of healing immediately appears simpler, and fear recedes.

What exactly takes place in this arena of thinking which leads to physical healing? An answer to this question is found in this statement in the Preface to Science and Health (p xi): "The physical healing of Christian Science results now, as in Jesus' time, from the operation of divine Principle, before which sin and disease lose their reality in human consciousness and disappear as naturally and as necessarily as darkness gives place to light and sin to reformation."

Principle, as used and understood in Christian Science, is a synonym for God. Principle defines that aspect of God which is foundational, the source of all real law. Principle, God, is the only origin or basis of man's real being; hence every law governing man proceeds from Principle.

In defining the wholeness of God and His nature, Mrs. Eddy uses not only Principle as a synonym, but also Mind, Spirit, Soul, Truth, Life, Love. Although each brings out different aspects of God's nature, all may be used interchangeably because they all define God.

Christian Science reaffirms Jesus' teaching that man is spiritual, the beloved child of an ever-loving, all-good, all-wise Parent, God. Divine Principle, God, Love, then, is the creator of man, the very substance of his being. Man exists as the reflection of God; consequently, he is in full possession of dominion and perfection and goodness. The only mind that man possesses is the one Mind, God, which he reflects.

Our prayerful acceptance and realization of these basic spiritual truths of God and of man's relationship to Him allow divine Principle, the one Mind, to operate in our consciousness. Evil or mortal mind, the seeming "strong man," is thus eliminated and simultaneously disappears. Healing invariably results when mortal thinking yields to the spiritual facts of God and man.

"The strong man" may assume the guise of fear, anger, resentment, acceptance of the so-called law of contagion, or belief in heredity. In any case, such beliefs must be bound, as Jesus so clearly stated, before their seeming effect on the body can be eliminated.

Recognizing the spiritual origin and basis of real selfhood frees thought from such beliefs of mortal creation and all its attendant limitations. Jesus clearly summarized in these words the divine method of gaining freedom from mortal belief in any phase (John 8:32): "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

How transcendently Jesus proved the truth of his words by his mighty healing works! He rendered mortal mind beliefs of every description powerless by his persistent acknowledgment of man's oneness with or inseparability from God, the one all-loving Father. Before such knowledge of God and man, how quickly fear, sin, hereditary claims, disease, death, storm, lack, and hatred were dissipated!

Two brief present-day healings illustrate the power of divine Principle, God, to hold in subjection "the strong man," the thought of disease, and thereby bring release. A mother sat at a small child's bedside endeavoring through Christian Science treatment to heal the child of a deep, persistent cough. Almost immediately the mother realized with joy, "Why, it is only the thought of a cough that needs healing!"

Mrs. Eddy says in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p.105), "Destroy the thought of sin, sickness, death, and you destroy their existence." As the mother realized that God's power and love alone were present and operating, the cough ceased at once, and the child went peacefully to sleep, completely healed.

Aggressive symptoms of a head cold and sore throat presented themselves to a Christian Scientist. Immediately the Scientist turned in thought not to a worried contemplation of the symptoms and their possible origin, but to God. Affirming God, divine Principle, to be the only cause of her being, the only source of all true law and substance, she gratefully allowed these divine facts to operate in her consciousness. The healing was immediate. The suppositional influence of "the strong man" was removed instantly by divine Principle, and the necessary and inevitable consequence was the destruction of all bodily evidence of any disease.

The eradication of wrong thinking is an unrelenting process. The necessity of constant alertness to detect any phase of false thinking and to replace it with Godlike thinking is obvious. We see the preventive as well as the curative power of Truth operating when we faithfully keep "the strong man," mortal mind, bound with the strong cords of spiritual, true witnessing. The powerless voice of mortal thinking can be silenced for lack of witness to its illusory plea.