第七节 内外之争，胜者掌权
596# 当此事发生时，内在人与外在人之间便兴起争战；那得胜的一方，便辖制另一方。争战之所以在此时兴起，是因为内在人已借真理得以改造，并由这些真理看见何为恶、何为伪谬；而这些恶与伪谬仍留在外在人，即属世人之中。因此，首先兴起的是上面的新意志与下面的旧意志之间的不和；既然不和发生在两种意志之间，也就发生在二者各自的快乐之间。因为众所周知，肉体与灵相争，灵也与肉体相争；肉体连同其情欲，必须先被制伏，灵方能行动，人也方能成为新人。
在这种意志的不和之后，便兴起争战，这争战就是所谓的属灵试探。然而，这试探或争战，并不是善与恶直接相争，而是善之真与恶之伪相争；因为善不能凭自身争战，而是借真理争战；恶也不能凭自身争战，而是借它自己的伪谬争战。正如意志不能凭自身争战，而必须借理智争战，因为真理所在之处乃是理智。
【2】 人对这争战的感觉，只以为是在自己里面发生，并且如同良心的刺痛。然而，实则是主与魔鬼——也就是地狱——在人里面争战；他们所争的是在人身上的统治权，也就是谁将占有他。魔鬼，或说地狱，攻击人，并唤起他的恶；主则护卫人，并唤起他的善。
虽然这争战发生在灵性世界，然而也同时发生在人里面，在他里面的善之真与恶之伪之间。因此，人必须全然像出于自己一样争战；因为他处在自由意志之中，既能为主而行动，也能为魔鬼而行动。若他停留在由善而来的真理中，就是为主而行动；若他停留在由恶而来的伪谬中，就是为魔鬼而行动。
由此可知，无论得胜的是内在人，还是外在人，得胜者都将辖制另一方。这完全如同两个敌人交战，争夺谁将成为对方国度的主人；得胜者取得国度，并使其中一切都归于自己的顺服。因此，在这里，若内在人得胜，他便掌权，并制伏外在人一切的恶，于是重生继续进行；但若外在人得胜，他便掌权，并驱散内在人一切的善，于是重生归于败亡。
596# 那时，一场争战或冲突就会产生，因为内在人通过真理被改造；这些真理使他看到什么是邪恶和虚假，这些邪恶和虚假仍留在外在人或属世人中。因此，不和谐首先出现在上面的新意愿和下面的旧意愿之间；这种不和谐因在两种意愿之间，故也在它们各自的快乐之间。因为众所周知，肉体反对灵，灵反对肉体；肉体及其欲望必须先被征服，然后灵才能行动，人才能变新（加拉太书5:16-17，24-25; 彼得前书2:11）。两种意愿的这种不和谐出现后，一场争战或冲突就产生了；这种争战或冲突被称为属灵的试探。属灵的试探或冲突不是发生在良善和邪恶之间，而是发生在良善的真理和邪恶的虚假之间。因为良善不能凭自己争战，而是通过真理争战；邪恶也不能凭自己争战，而是通过自己的虚假争战；就像意愿不能凭自己争战，而是通过它的真理所住的理解力争战一样。
人只感觉这种争战或冲突在自己里面，就像良心的悔恨或痛苦；然而，在人里面争战的，是主和魔鬼（即地狱），他们在争夺对他的统治权，或决定谁将拥有他。魔鬼或地狱攻击人，唤起他的邪恶，而主保护他，唤起他的良善。尽管这种争战或冲突发生在灵界，但它仍在人里面发生在良善的真理和他里面邪恶的虚假之间。因此，人必须完全貌似凭自己争战，因为他享有自由意志或自由选择，既可以为主行动，也可以为魔鬼行动；他若继续处于源于良善的真理，就是为主行动；他若继续处于源于邪恶的虚假，就是为魔鬼行动。由此可知，无论哪一方获胜，无论是内在人还是外在人，都会掌控或统治对方。它们就像两支敌对势力在争夺谁将成为对方王国的主人；获胜者将占领王国，并使它的所有居民都服从他自己或他的权威。因此，在这种情况下，内在人若获胜，就会获得控制权或统治权，并征服外在人的一切邪恶，然后重生继续进行；但外在人若获胜，就会获得控制权或统治权，并驱散内在人的一切良善，重生就停止了，或说重生的一切可能性都被摧毁了。
596. Once Our Inner Self Is Reformed, a Battle Develops between It and Our Outer Self; Whichever Self Wins Will Control the Other Self
The reason why a battle develops at this point is that our inner self has been reformed through truths. These truths allow us to see what evil and falsity are; but we still have evil and falsity in our outer or earthly self. At first, therefore, a disagreement arises between our new will, which is above, and our old will, which is below. Because these two wills are in disagreement, what they delight in is incompatible as well.
As we know, the flesh is against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh; the flesh and its lusts have to be brought under control before the spirit can become active and we can be a new person [; Galatians 5:16-17, 24-25; ; 1 Peter 2:11].
After this disagreement of wills occurs, a battle develops, which is what is known as a crisis of the spirit. This inner conflict, this battle, is not between good and evil [directly], but between truths that defend what is good and falsities that defend what is evil. Goodness cannot do its own fighting; it fights through truths. Evil, too, cannot do its own fighting; it fights through falsities. Likewise, the will is unable to do its own fighting; it fights through its intellect, where its truths are kept.
[2] That battle is something we feel inside ourselves and nowhere else; we experience it as an attack of conscience. In reality, though, it is the Lord and the Devil (meaning hell) that are fighting inside us. They fight for control over us, or to see whose we will be. The Devil, or hell, attacks us and summons the evils that are inside us. The Lord protects us and summons the good things that are inside us.
Although this battle takes place in the spiritual world, it is also a battle inside ourselves between the truths that defend what is good and the falsities that defend what is evil within us. Therefore we have to join the fight as if we were acting completely on our own. We have free choice to act either on the Lord's behalf or on the Devil's behalf. We are on the Lord's side if we stay with the truths that defend what is good. We are on the Devil's side if we stay with the falsities that defend what is evil.
It follows from this that whichever self wins, whether it is our inner self or our outer self, it will control the other. It is entirely the same as two enemy monarchs who fight over which of them is going to rule the other's country; the one who wins gains control of the other's territory, and all who live there have to obey their new ruler.
In this case, if our inner self wins it rules and gains control of all the evils in our outer self; our regeneration then continues. If on the other hand our outer self wins, it rules and drives away all the good qualities in our inner self; our regeneration then ceases.
596. VII. When this happens, a struggle ensues between the internal and the external man, and the victor then controls the other.
The reason why a struggle then ensues is that the internal man is reformed by means of truths, which enable him to see what is evil and false; and these truths are still in his external or natural man. First, therefore, there is dissension between the new will, which is above, and the old will, which is below. Since it is dissension between wills, it is between the pleasures of either, for it is well known that the flesh opposes the spirit, and the spirit the flesh, and the flesh with its lusts must be tamed, before the spirit can act and the person can become a new man. Following this dissension of the wills, a struggle, known as spiritual temptation, takes place. But this temptation or struggle is not between good and evil, but between the truths that accompany good and the falsities that accompany evil. For good is unable to struggle of itself, but does so by means of truths. Nor can evil struggle of itself, but does so by means of its falsities. This is like the will being unable to struggle of itself, but doing so by means of the understanding, which is where its truths are.
[2] A person does not feel this struggle to be anywhere but in himself, and he feels it as the pangs of conscience. Yet it is the Lord and the devil (that is, hell) who struggle in man; their struggle is to gain control of the person, to see which is to possess him. The devil, or hell, attacks the person and calls forth the evil in him, while the Lord protects him and calls forth the good in him. But although that struggle takes place in the spiritual world, at the same time it takes place in the person between the truths that accompany good and the falsities that accompany evil present within him. A person ought therefore to struggle exactly as if of himself, since he has the free will to act on the Lord's side or on the devil's. He is on the Lord's side if he holds to truths from good, on the devil's if he holds to falsities from evil. The consequence of this is that the victor, whether it is the internal or the external man who wins, controls the other. It is exactly like two enemies engaged in a struggle to determine which is to be master of the other's kingdom; the winner takes the kingdom and reduces all in it to subservience to him. In this case then, if the internal man wins, he imposes his rule and suppresses all the evils of the external man, thus continuing the process of regeneration. But if the external man wins, he imposes his rule and scatters all the good in the external 1 man, thus putting an end to regeneration.
Footnotes:
1. Possibly an error for 'the internal man.
596. VII. WHEN THIS TAKES PLACE A CONFLICT ARISES BETWEEN THE INTERNAL AND THE EXTERNAL MAN, AND THEN THE ONE THAT CONQUERS RULES OVER THE OTHER.
A conflict then arises because the internal man is reformed by means of truths; and from truths he sees what is evil and false, which evil and falsity are still in the external or natural man; consequently disagreement first springs up between the new will, which is above, and the old will, which is below; and as the disagreement is between the two wills, it is also between their delights; for the flesh, it is well known, is opposed to the spirit and the spirit to the flesh, and the flesh with its lusts must be subdued before the spirit can act and man become new. After this disagreement of the two wills a conflict arises; and this is called spiritual temptation. This temptation or conflict does not take place between goods and evils, but between the truths of good and the falsities of evil. For good cannot fight from itself but fights by means of truths; nor can evil fight from itself but by means of its falsities; just as the will cannot fight from itself but by means of the understanding where its truths reside.
[2] Man is not sensible of that conflict except as in himself, and as remorse of conscience; and yet it is the Lord and the devil (that is, hell) that are fighting in man, and they are fighting for dominion over him, or to determine who shall possess him. The devil or hell attacks man and calls out his evils, while the Lord protects him and calls out his goods. Although that conflict takes place in the spiritual world, still it takes place in man between the truths of good and the falsities of evil that are in him; therefore man must fight wholly as if of himself, for he has the freedom of choice to act for the Lord, and also to act for the devil; he is for the Lord, if he abides in truths from good, and for the devil, if he abides in falsities from evil. From this it follows that whichever conquers, the internal man or the external, that one rules over the other; precisely like two hostile powers contending as to which shall be master of the other's kingdom-the conqueror takes possession of the kingdom, and places all in it under obedience to himself. In this case, therefore, if the internal man conquers, he obtains dominion and subjugates all the evils of the external man, and regeneration then goes on; but if the external man conquers, he obtains the dominion, and dissipates all the goods of the internal man, and regeneration perishes.
596. VII. WHEN THIS TAKES PLACE THERE ARISES A COMBAT BETWEEN THE INTERNAL AND THE EXTERNAL MAN; AND THEN WHICHEVER CONQUERS RULES OVER THE OTHER.
A combat then arises because the internal man is reformed by means of truths, and from these which still remain in the external or natural man, he sees what is evil and false. Hence discord first arises between the new will above and the old will beneath, and also between their respective delights. For it is well known that the flesh is opposed to the spirit, and the spirit to the flesh; and that the flesh with its lusts must be subdued before the spirit can act and the man become new. Following this discord between the two wills there arises a combat which is called spiritual temptation; but this temptation or combat is not between good and evil, but between the truths of good and the falsities of evil. For good itself cannot fight, but it fights by means of truths; nor can evil fight of itself, but by means of its own falsities. Similarly the will of itself cannot fight, but it does so by means of the understanding, where its truths reside.
[2] A man supposes that this is only a combat within himself, and is felt as pangs of conscience; yet it is the Lord and the devil, that is, hell, that are fighting in him, and they contend for dominion over him, or as to which shall possess him. The devil, or hell, attacks him and calls forth the evil in him, while the Lord defends him and calls forth the good. Although this conflict takes place in the spiritual world, still it is waged within the man between the truths of good and the falsities of evil that are in him. He ought, therefore, to fight wholly as of himself, for he enjoys free will to act with the Lord or with the devil; he acts with the Lord if he continues in the truths that spring from good, and with the devil if he continues in the falsities that spring from evil. Hence it follows that whichever conquers, whether the internal man or the external, rules over the other. They are like two hostile kings who contend which shall be the ruler of the other's kingdom; he who conquers takes the kingdom and subjects all its inhabitants to his authority. In this case also, if the internal man conquers, it obtains the rule, and subdues all the evils of the external man, and regeneration proceeds; but if the external man conquers, it gains the mastery, and disperses all the good of the external man, and thus all possibility of regeneration is destroyed.
596. Quod cum hoc fit, pugna inter Internum et Externum hominem oriatur, et tunc qui vincit, dominatur super alterum.
Causa, quod pugna tunc oriatur, est quia Internus homo reformatus est per vera, et ex his videt quid malum et falsum est, et haec sunt adhuc in Externo seu naturali homine, quare primum oritur dissensio inter voluntatem novam, quae est supra, et inter voluntatem veterem, quae est infra, et quia est inter voluntates, est inter jucunda utriusque, nam notum est, quod caro sit contra spiritum, et spiritus contra carnem, et quod caro cum ejus concupiscentiis domanda sit, antequam spiritus potest agere, et homo novus fieri; post hanc dissensionem voluntatum, exoritur pugna, quae est quae vocatur Tentatio spiritualis; sed haec tentatio seu pugna non fit inter bona et mala, sed inter vera boni et falsa mali; bonum enim non potest ex se pugnare, sed pugnat per vera, nec malum ex se, sed per sua falsa, sicut nec voluntas potest pugnare ex se sed per intellectum, ubi ejus vera sunt.
[2] Homo non sentit pugnam illam aliter quam in se, et sicut morsus conscientiae; attamen est Dominus et diabolus, hoc est infernum, qui in homine pugnant, et pugnant de dominio super hominem, seu quis possidebit illum; diabolus seu infernum aggreditur hominem et evocat ejus mala, et Dominus tutatur illum, et evocat ejus bona. Sed tametsi illa pugna fit in spirituali Mundo, usque tamen fit in homine inter vera boni et falsa mali, quae in illo sunt, quare homo pugnaturus est prorsus ut a se, est enim in libero arbitrio agendi pro Domino, et quoque agendi pro diabolo; pro Domino est, si in veris ex bono manet, et pro diabolo si in falsis ex malo: Ex his sequitur, quod qui vincit, sive internus homo sive externus, dominetur super alterum; prorsus sicut duo hostes, qui pugnant, quis futurus est Dominus alterius regni, qui vincit accipit regnum, et omnes ibi mittit sub suam obedientiam; hic itaque, si Internus homo vincit, imperat et omnia mala externi hominis subjugat, et tunc continuatur regeneratio; at si externus homo vincit, imperat ille, et omnia bona Interni 1 hominis dissipat, et tunc perit regeneratio.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Externi.