Take the quality of aggressiveness away from evil

April 11, 2018 | 24 comments

A goal in Christian Science is to strip evil of all power. “Mankind must learn that evil is not power,” Mary Baker Eddy wrote in Science and Health (p. 102).

As we understand the omnipotence and omnipresence of God, we can demonstrate the powerlessness of evil and prove its nothingness.

One claim of evil that is helpful to undo, is the claim that it can be aggressive. I hear it often in my practice from patients. One may call for help, and, usually in great distress, tell me, “I’m being attacked. This evil is very aggressive.”

Humanly speaking, they are telling what they feel. They feel like they are being attacked, and whatever disease or fear they are struggling with feels like it is overwhelming them. This feeling of helplessness is error of belief, however, and can be turned around by understanding the allness and goodness of God and the unreality of evil.

Evil does not have power to attack us, inflict harm and make us submit to its decrees.
Jesus Christ was clear on this point when he replied to Pilate who threatened to crucify him, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above” John 19:11, NLT. Jesus knew that God had the only power. He knew that his life was in the hands of Spirit, and never at the mercy of matter. He was so sure of this truth, he was able to turn his physical body over to his persecutors and let them try to destroy it. They could not. Jesus walked out of the tomb alive 3 days later proving that evil had no power over him. He had total power over evil. Evil looked aggressive to the human senses, but it was as nothing to Jesus.

It must be the same with us. When we stay clear that we are wholly spiritual, a living image of God, we lose fear of evil and see that it cannot touch us. No matter how pushy evil appears, no matter how loud it screams, no matter how threatening it becomes, or how intimidating it would be, it is a zero. It has zero influence, zero power, zero sway, zero control over you, over your thinking, over your future, and over your health.

Evil might look aggressive, but it is not. It cannot think, act, plot, plan or implement a strategy. It is mindless, ignorant, empty, vain and utterly helpless to do anything that could ever touch you, the spiritual, immortal child of God.

Take all power away from evil, including the claim that it can be aggressive. Have no fear of evil. Love God and live in peace.

You are always safe in the omnipresence of Love.

“Evil is not power. It is a mockery of strength, which erelong betrays its weakness and falls, never to rise”
Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health, p. 192.

24 thoughts on “Take the quality of aggressiveness away from evil”

  1. Wow this is great! It does sometimes feel like we are under attack and it seems to keep on and on and becomes overwhelming at times. Your comments Evan are so positive, strong and powerful and I am so grateful for them. This is definitely one to keep. Wonderful!

  2. Evan – thank you SO much for this ‘inspired-by-Spirit’- View!

    I have copied it into Word so I can print it and keep it by me. I have been struggling with various erroneous aggressive suggestions this morning, but now feel I have some amunition to combat it with!

  3. Good morning Evan and scholars of the Truth. Thanks Evan. Your article today is essentially practical and is a good exercise to do every day. Wonderful routine. You were very clear I take the impertinence to mention the following text of our Guide that I believe contributes to today’s topic. It is in the Unity of Good (page 20): “Through these statements or false statements, evil arrogates authority: 1) The Lord created evil 2) The Lord knows him 3) I am afraid of him Reverse reasoning evil has to be dethroned: 1) God never created evil 2) God does not know and 3) I do not have to fear him Try this method dear researcher and thus achieve that perfect love that drives out fear. MB Eddy, Blessings to all.

    1. Thank you Gustavo. Your translation is very good. Here is the exact passages you refer to in case someone wants to read them directly from Mrs. Eddy’s writings in Unity of Good (page 20:1-18). Thanks again

      Rectifications

      .How is a mistake to be rectified? By reversal or re‐
      vision, — by seeing it in its proper light, and then
      turning it or turning from it.

      We undo the statements of error by reversing them.

      Through these three statements, or misstatements, evil
      comes into authority: —

      First: The Lord created it.

      Second: The Lord knows it.

      Third: I am afraid of it.

      By a reverse process of argument evil must be de‐
      throned: —

      First: God never made evil.

      Second: He knows it not.

      Third: We therefore need not fear it.

      Try this process, dear inquirer, and so reach that per‐
      fect Love which “casteth out fear,” and then see if this
      Love does not destroy in you all hate and the sense of evil.

      Mary Baker Eddy

  4. Please, if you wish, read the extract that I put, directly from the Unit of the Good since I do not know if the translation from Spanish to English is the most correct. Thank you.

  5. To take any error down to zero….zero power, zero influence, zero effect, zero strength, zero authority, etc.This is our job as spiritual thinkers. By understanding that God is the ONLY Power and Presence. To reduce error to a zero is to handle it scientifically. It honestly becomes more natural a process as we practice it consistently in our daily lives! Time to start! The world needs thinkers! Thank you, Evan, this is excellent!

  6. Thank you Evan!
    This is so helpful to quiet the fear of a power apart from God- to harm or attack ourselves, our church, our country and our world! God is the only power and is operating for good here and everywhere! Thank you for your clear understanding!

  7. “As named in Christian Science, animal magnetism or hypnotism is the specific term for error, or mortal mind. It is the false belief that mind is in matter, and is both evil and good; that evil is as real as good and more powerful. This belief has not one quality of Truth.”

    -Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 103.

    Thank you, Evan, for your timely reminder on this all-important subject.
    And thank you, SpiritView Family, for your vital work of demonstrating Christianity.

  8. Thanks Evan! Also Gustavo and Karen, for the wonderful message from MBE. Right on point!

    I needed this today, because of issues with a family member, and others. Evil has no power over them, nor can it affect me – through them, or through others who have treated me badly.

    Those seeming attacks are nothingness. They have no power over me, or over the people who seem to be the source of the attacks. And of course it’s not just true for me – it is a claim that seems all too prevalent in this country, and the world, today!

  9. Onward Christian Soldiers….. how wonderful to see that we are all engaged in this today. Let’s stay with it as we ‘combat’ the media news today.

  10. Thank you, Evan and commenters, for your firm and loving thoughts. This blog feels like a perfect model of how to be thinking when one feels attacked, how to push back. Having recently reread all the Gospel records surrounding the Easter event, I was struck by the thought that even the pure and powerful Jesus needed to really work to accept and face this final human challenge. it is also clear that the disciples grew enormously in their spiritual demonstrations after not being ready to support Jesus at that moment. So, don’t complain when things are difficult, and expect success beyond your present imagining would appear to be the lessons. Love to all, Linda from Ottawa, Canada

  11. I am so grateful for this Evan and friends.I have been dealing with pain and to see it and understand it as zero is a challenge I too will keep this in front of me.

  12. This was really needed this morning since it’s so true that we sometimes struggle against the seeming aggressiveness of a challenge when what we really need to do is remember the allness of God, Good and the nothingness of anything unlike good. Jesus was so sure evil had absolutely no power over him, even to allowing the destruction of him material body, and proved that Life is God, indestructible and eternal. Thanks Evan and the other commentors.

  13. Am really grateful Evan, for today`s SpiritView – its really a spiritual view of how to conquer evil and aggressiveness. It is so badly needed, not only by me, but for the whole world!

    It is very powerful, strong and comforting, and I have to ponder it very much, thank you!!

  14. Thank y ou dear Evan. What strength this has given my jumbled thought. Time to stop listening to the roars of error and turn to the quiet, peaceful, strong messages from our loving Father/Mother/God. “I am all. ” I am your strength, your freedom. I have all power and give it freely to my beloved children. Ah! YES! Thank you, Evan and all.

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