Christian Scientists are very grateful that they are free to gather in their churches to listen to the Word of God, as revealed through the pages of the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. Had the forces of tyranny and despotism prevailed in the late world conflict, civil and religious liberty would have been wiped out, our churches would doubtless have been closed, and our books destroyed.

Our gratitude for religious freedom is best expressed in alertness to duty, and by a fuller demonstration of the Christ, Truth, which has been revealed to us through Christian Science.

Freedom of speech and freedom of worship have been preserved and extended by the victory of the United Nations, won through God's aid. But freedom from want and freedom from fear still await a spiritual conquest. Our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, writes in Science and Health (p. 225), "The despotic tendencies, inherent in mortal mind and always germinating in new forms of tyranny, must be rooted out through the action of the divine Mind."

This admonition should arouse us from a false sense of security. Whether the despotism of mortal mind appears in the guise of sin or suffering, of social or economic disturbances, or in some new form of organized domination, it must be rooted out by the understanding of God's all-power and ever-presence.

Mrs. Eddy also writes (ibid., p. 450), "The Christian Scientist has enlisted to lessen evil, disease, and death; and he will overcome them by understanding their nothingness and the allness of God, or good." The warfare between Spirit and the flesh must continue until every erroneous belief in human consciousness has been destroyed by the divine Mind, "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ," as Paul says (II Cor. 10:5).

The Christian Scientist needs to be as thoroughly trained in the use of his spiritual armaments as were our armed forces in the science of modern warfare. Many analogies exist between the two forms of combat. The enlisted men of the second World War were rigorously trained and toughened for physical hardship and the shock of battle; they were made expert in the use of their weapons, and also acquainted with the enemy's mode of fighting. They were taught to foresee the enemy's plan of battle, and to strike first, hard, and relentlessly.

The Christian Scientist must be equally in earnest in his warfare against error. Our Leader shows us in her writings how to be good Christian soldiers. She exposes the unreal nature of evil, and teaches us how to detect its false claims so that we shall not be deceived by them. She arms us with an invincible spiritual weapon— the understanding of the omnipotence of God and the impotence of evil. She warns us that the struggle is not easy, but that it is glorious. To enter the conflict against the powers of darkness of this world is a great spiritual adventure. It requires earnest preparation of the heart, and a readiness to be in the conflict daily and hourly. It requires enthusiasm tempered with wisdom.

Our spiritual training includes prayerful realization of the unreality of evil until its aggressive claims do not disturb or frighten us. Strength is gained as we grapple with the lesser claims of evil, thus progressively preparing ourselves to cope with its more threatening falsities. We must learn to stand, on every occasion, until evil is proved nothing. To flee in panic before error is moral cowardice, based on ignorance of God. We must keep clear our awareness of God's allness, so that error never seems real to us. The daily study of the Christian Science Lesson-Sermon and of our Leader's writings, no matter what the carnal mind's opposition to such a course, is essential, and is to the Christian Scientist what the bringing up of needed daily supplies is to an army.

We need to pray unceasingly and with assurance for clearer spiritual vision. In prayer we utilize the weapons—faith, understanding, steadfastness—with which God equips us against the adversary. It is necessary to be alert to evil's method, and to take the initiative in thwarting it. An experienced Christian Scientist once said. "Know what evil claims to do, know that it cannot do it, and see that it does not do it!" Excellent counsel. One of the United Nations' great Field Marshals was celebrated for his canny anticipation of the enemy's tactics. This soldier, an abstainer from liquor and tobacco, was accustomed to seek the guidance of God through prayer, and no matter what the rigors of campign or battle, read quietly from the Scriptures each night before going to rest.

The Christian Scientist, in his warfare against evil, disease, and death, gives full and unquestioning obedience to Principle, God. His decisions are made under Mind's direction. He does not deal halfhearted blows, supinely permitting the foe to recover for a more powerful attack; but he routs the adversary from the invaded territory of his consciousness and utterly destroys him.

Why should evil and its instruments be so commonly regarded as powerful, clever, efficient, attractive, always holding the initiative, while good and its adherents are sometimes looked upon as rather helpless, somewhat dull, and always at the mercy of the aggressor? Service in God's Cause is glorious and ever triumphant. Let us, therefore, not delay to "put on the whole armour of God" (Eph. 6:11), so that we may be made strong in the Spirit, able through His grace to put "to flight the armies of the aliens" (Hebr. 11:34), the impotent hosts of erroneous beliefs which in vain would storm the citadel of omnipotence.

Mrs. Eddy thus encourages us in her Message to The Mother Church for 1901 (p.1): "And rest assured you can never lack God's outstretched arm so long as you are in His service." Supported and defended by omnipotence, may we ever be faithfully enlisted in the service of our God!