The Spiritual World: Talks for Children by George de Charms

11.  Power in Heaven

The angels of heaven exercise great power in the other world. Among the wonderful things resulting from this power is the fact that when they go down into the world of spirits, or among the evil, they are surrounded by a circle of light that holds at a distance all who would do them injury. No evil spirit is able to enter into that circle. If he tries he is blinded, and feels great pain, until he becomes unconscious, and so is cast out. Further, if an angel but looks at an evil spirit they cause the evil spirit to shrink away in fear, and to flee. In fact a whole army of evil spirits can be put to flight in this way by a single angel. And, again, angels have power to do wonderful things that cannot be done on earth. They can cause an earthquake to shake the ground, and open a chasm by which evil spirits are swallowed up. They can cause an entire mountain to fall into the sea. They can cleave a rock in half, or make it crumble into dust in a moment. These, and many other things they can do, in evidence of a marvelous power. But they will never exert this power except with the Lord's permission. And this because they know that all their power comes from Him, and that if they seek to act against Him they will have no power at all. Indeed, if they think for a single moment that the power they exert is their own, they find themselves weak and helpless, so that any evil spirit could hurt them. All power - either in heaven or on earth - is derived from the Lord. And it is the Lord who lends power to angels and to the people of our world that they may seem to be strong and to have power of themselves.

But you will say at once that this is not so on earth, for there are many evil people who exercise power. There have been wicked kings who oppressed their people, and caused them to suffer hard things. There have been leaders in every country of the world who have been cruel, harsh, and wicked at heart, who have nonetheless been very powerful. But did you ever consider that even then it was the power of heaven that gave them strength? No king could long exercise power over his subjects if they all knew and believed that he was wicked. They would soon rise up and slay him, and set another on the throne in his place. No leader could possibly get people to do as he wished if he allowed them to know that he was evil. It is because he makes them believe that he is good and that he is trying to do what is right that they are willing to serve him. Even the leader of a band of robbers - that everyone knows is evil - must make the robbers who serve him believe that he intends to treat them honestly and squarely, and give them their full share of the spoil. If he does not, they will overthrow him.

Thus power comes from what is right, and just and good, and thus from the Lord. An evil person can have power only so far as they claim to be just and good, and thus steals justice and goodness from the Lord, and claim its power for themselves. Such power, however, is only temporary. It is not real. Some day the mask of deceit will be torn off, and people will see the evil person for what they are, and then all power will be taken from them. This may not be done in this world, but it will surely be done in the other world; and then the evil person will find themselves weak and powerless. This is clear from the evil spirits of whom we read in the lesson. Their power was given them by the Lord, and they were allowed to hurt only the evil. But one who is really good - one who does not put on goodness to be seen by others, but sincerely tries to serve the Lord, and claims no goodness nor power to themselves - they will not have to steal power in order to exercise it. The Lord will give it to them freely, and they will enjoy it, even as the angels do, forever, because then it will be a real power, coming from the Lord Himself.

There are many times when you will be tempted to think that there is more power in evil than in good. This is what the devil would have you think. He makes you imagine that you have power of yourself, and so tempts you to do wrong, if it seems to be to your advantage. This is the way people are led into evil. They desire money, and they are led to think that it is so much easier to steal it or to get it by some unlawful means than it is to earn it with honest labor, giving a fair return for what they receive. They desire some position, and it seems so much quicker to get it by telling a falsehood, or by doing some mean and unworthy trick, than by trying to merit it by honest work. And so long as they can hide this purpose; so long as they can make people think that they are acting honestly and honorably, they may exercise a stolen power. But they are in constant danger of being discovered. They are sure to be discovered sooner or later; and then not only is their power taken from them, but they are severely punished.. They have had no real power. They have merely made themselves imagine that they were strong. But being cut off from the Lord, they have cut themselves off from all true strength. Remember that the power of heaven, which is the only true and lasting power, is the Lord's, and is given to people only as they truly seek to serve the Lord in uprightness and sincerity of heart. Then will you be protected from all temptation, and will be able to drive away whole armies of evil spirits.

Lesson: Revelation 9: 1-10

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