There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." So we read in the twelfth chapter of Revelation.

Commenting on this vivid portrayal of the overcoming of evil, Mrs. Eddy writes in Science and Health (pp. 566, 567): "Michael's characteristic is spiritual strength. He leads the hosts of heaven against the power of sin, Satan, and fights the holy wars."

Fixed to the outer wall of the new cathedral in the city of Coventry, England, is a large bronze sculptured group by Sir Jacob Epstein. It represents Michael, the Archangel, triumphing over Satan. With great, strong wings and outstretched arms, Michael is poised in a position of dominion and freedom above the prostrate body of the devil. The latter is depicted as a heavy, sagging mortal, having features not unlike those of Michael. It might appear that the devil over which Michael has triumphed is his own personal sense of himself.

In the Glossary of Science and Health (p. 581) "angels" are defined as, "God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality." As students of Christian Science, we find that such angels often come to us to enable us to prove the unreality of one of the counterfeit angels, or thoughts, of the devil.

For the final victory over the great dragon, we need all the spiritual strength of Michael, with both wings outstretched, to enable us to rise and soar above the evils of material and personal sense. One wing is not enough. On page 267 of "Miscellaneous Writings" by Mrs. Eddy we read: "The bird whose right wing flutters to soar, while the left beats its way downward, falls to earth. Both wings must he plumed for rarefied atmospheres and upward flight."

Spiritual understanding and practical demonstration are both necessary for progress in Christian Science. Understanding without demonstration remains ineffective; demonstration without understanding is impossible. It is the understanding of the spiritual nature of man as God's reflection which annihilates error; but in human experience each one of us must apply the truth to any phase of error which tries to assert itself and impinge on individual freedom. Christ Jesus promised (John 8:152), "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

When we analyze false beliefs, we invariably find them to be connected with a false sense of ourselves as physical and humanly circumscribed. Error may present itself as mentally powerful and disturbing. Though the object of its aggressive attack is the spiritual idea unfolding in our thought, that which suffers pain, and which must be overcome, remains the personal sense of ourselves as physical.

As we rise with both wings and as spiritual strength enables us to meet each false suggestion with assurance, we gain progressively a sense of victory over material selfhood, leaving error powerless beneath our feet.

A friend of the writer's had rendered fine service as First Reader in a branch Church of Christ, Scientist. When her term ended, her sincere desire was to go on to yet higher work; but a personal sense of inadequacy seemed to tempt and depress her, and she became suddenly ill. One of the symptoms was the loss of all power and movement in one arm and hand.

At this time an opportunity opened for her to take on important work for the Christian Science movement in a wider field, and the work was to begin on a fixed date some weeks ahead. In spite of mortal mind appearances, she courageously accepted the call to undertake this work.

With deep, consecrated prayer she held firmly to the thought that we must use both wings in our upward flight—that is, we must not only gain greater spiritual understanding, but also trample under foot every temptation to think of ourselves as corporeal mortals. Within a few weeks personal sense was suddenly deprived of all support. From then on, steady improvement manifested itself physically, and the worker was ready to take up her new assignment on the appointed day. Health was restored, and great good is unfolding in the new work.

Let us then rise day by day, through prayer and study, in our understanding of what God is and thus gain the spiritual strength to be victorious over the temptations of the flesh and so prevail over the dragon of personal sense. As Isaiah said (40:31), "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

The great victory over personal sense is within reach of every one of us; but we must use both wings. We need Principle and practice, understanding and demonstration, truth and love, mercy and justice, in order to reflect our true status as the man of God's creating and to gain the equipoise which ensures a life of freedom and progress.