A man returned from a journey to find the devil living in his house. "He doesn't belong in my house," thought the man, but he was too startled to do anything immediately. When he had looked around, however, and discovered the devil very busy making himself at home, he picked up a big stick to drive the devil out.

"Just a minute," said the devil. "What are you going to do with that big stick?"

"I'm going to get rid of you. I don't want to live with you," replied the man, raising the stick above the devil's head.

"Well, now, let's not be hasty," cautioned the devil. "Why not consider just who is actually at fault here. After all, I was merely passing by and saw your open door. Since no one was in, I entered and made myself at home. Can you blame me for taking advantage of your nice, cozy house, which you did not trouble to lock? Are you not the one to blame for enabling me to come in so easily?"

The man listened to the devil reasoning thus and accepted the fault as his own. He became so ashamed of his own stupidity and carelessness that he proceeded to beat himself instead of the devil. The man kept beating himself until he was too weak to do anything but lie down and rest. Whenever he awoke and saw the devil still in his house, he started to beat himself again. As far as anyone knows, the man and the devil are still sharing the same house and the man is still alternately beating himself and falling asleep.

Isn't this story a good illustration of what can happen when one identifies himself with error, when he wastes time in self-condemnation instead of getting rid of the real culprit—impersonal false belief?

If one has erred, it is well to recognize one's mistake. But it is futile to spend time in condemnation or bitterness. What one needs to do is lay immediate claim to his spiritual identity as a child of God. This identity, as Christian Science reveals, belongs to each one of us as surely and completely as does life itself, expressing the Life that is God. Furthermore, our identity, as well as our manifestation of the divine Life, comes to us in all the perfection and permanence that God expresses in all His creation. The real culprit is a false sense of man's true origin, and it is this false sense that needs to be corrected.

Mistakes, selfishness, sensuality, confusion, and other errors are the fruit of the Adam-dream—the age-old belief that man has fallen away from his spiritual origin and become material, a race of mortals having separate minds that can be perverse, blind, stupid, or defective. Further, it is believed that mankind can perpetuate these mortal qualities in offspring of their own and that, born in the flesh, they must therefore accept certain failings as human and natural.

Christ Jesus did not accept this concept of man. Not only did he preach that we should be perfect even as the Father is perfect (see Matt. 5:48), but his understanding of Truth enabled him to reveal that perfection in those around him by healing their diseases, regenerating their lives, and purifying their motives. His admonition was always to cast out devils and evil spirits.

Because of the suffering that results from a belief in the reality of disease we sometimes recognize a special need to work persistently in prayer to heal ourselves or others of illness. But why should we continue to believe that we or others are fallible, misguided humans in other directions of thought? Jesus' statement "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"¹ is just as applicable to false traits of character as to physical healing. True repentance includes the determination to discover our real identity, to love it, and to place this discovery foremost in our daily pursuits.

The appearance of wrong steps in one's experience may indicate that latent errors of thought are rising to the surface to be cast out. Nothing is to be gained by covering wrong or by indulging in discouragement. But let's cast both out by realizing that each is a false suggestion, trying to talk for us and hide the actual culprit— error, or evil.

Whatever attempts to lead us away from this battle with mortality, putting up such arguments as "I know I should do more Christian Science study, but I always seem to be distracted," or "I've tried to control my temper but just can't seem to manage it," or "I know I shouldn't criticize but I do it before I realize it" is animal magnetism attempting to rob us of our spiritual growth and defeat our efforts to overcome evil. It should not surprise us that mortal mind resists this revelation of its unreality and powerlessness, but isn't it surprising that we are not more diligent in detecting its villainy and refusing to claim such suggestions as our own thoughts or the true thoughts of others?

When the evil has been unmasked and separated from consciousness, each one will be able to see that the man of God's creating, his true selfhood, was never a misled, sinful mortal but, instead, the beloved, obedient child of the one omnipotent God, good. The joy and security awaiting this awakening far outweighs the temporary pangs we may suffer in our effort to overthrow whatever is hindering progress. Since God is divine Love, this awakening is the constant design of Love for each one of us.

Mrs. Eddy tells us in Miscellaneous Writings, "Holding the right idea of man in my mind, I can improve my own, and other people's individuality, health, and morals; whereas, the opposite image of man, a sinner, kept constantly in mind, can no more improve health or morals, than holding in thought the form of a boa-constrictor can aid an artist in painting a landscape."²

Every condition of matter is an illusion that, as followers of Christ, we are obligated to deal with scientifically, uncovering the lie and establishing the true, harmonious facts of being. Why should we spend so much time listing errors and throwing up our hands as if they were insurmountable or problems for someone else to solve? Whether we are struggling with friction, discord, hatred, family problems, or lack of supply, we need to be actively at work applying the truth that reveals the unreality of the error.

Mrs. Eddy gives us the remedy in this statement from Science and Health: "Science shows that material, conflicting mortal opinions and beliefs emit the effects of error at all times, but this atmosphere of mortal mind cannot be destructive to morals and health when it is opposed promptly and persistently by Christian Science."³

Let's stop beating ourselves—or others, for that matter. Let's stop giving power and place to error. Since its existence is a lie, we can destroy it. Now, today, we can stop giving those old, familiar falsehoods any life or home or identity. By getting rid of the real culprit we can realize our perfection—claim it, love it, live it.