THE DRAG OF HEREDITY

Man inclines to the nature he derives hereditarily, and lapses into it.  Thus he strengthens any evil in it, and also adds others of himself.  These evils are quite opposed to the spiritual life.  They destroy it.  Unless, therefore, a man receives new life from the Lord, which is spiritual life, he is condemned; for he wills nothing else and thinks nothing else than concerns him and the world.

—­Heavenly Doctrine, n. 176

LOVES OF SELF AND THE WORLD

The reason why the love of self and the love of the world are infernal loves, and yet man has been able to come into them, and thus to ruin will and understanding in him, is as follows:  By creation the love of self and the love of the world are heavenly loves; for they are loves of the natural man serving his spiritual loves, as a foundation does a house.  From the love of self and the world, a man wishes well by his body, desires food, clothing and habitation, takes thought for his household, seeks occupation to be useful, wishes also for obedience’s sake to be honored according to the dignity of the thing he does, and to be delighted and recreated by the pleasures of the world;—­yet all this for the sake of the end, which must be use.  By this a man is in position to serve the Lord and to serve the neighbor.  But when there is no love of serving the Lord and the neighbor, but only a love of serving oneself at the world’s hands, then from being heavenly that love becomes infernal, for it causes a man to sink mind and character in his proprium, or what is his own, which in itself is the whole of evil.

—­Divine Love and Wisdom, n. 396

THE NEED FOR SELF-ACTION

No one can cleanse himself of evils by his own power and abilities; but neither can this be done without the power and abilities of the man, used as his own.  If this strength were not to all appearance his own, no one would be able to fight against the flesh and its lusts, which, nevertheless, is enjoined upon all men.  He would not think of combat.  Because man is a rational being, he must resist evils from the power and the abilities given him by the Lord, which appear to him as his own; an appearance that is granted for the sake of regeneration, imputation, conjunction, and salvation.

—­True Christian Religion, n. 438

THE WARFARE OF REGENERATION

“Blessed be the Lord my strength,
Who teacheth my hands to war,
And my fingers to fight: 
My goodness, and my fortress;
My high tower and my deliverer;
My shield, and He in whom I trust;
Who subdueth my people under me.”

—­Psalm, CXLIV, 1, 2

“TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH”