DP 251 - war

DP 251
It is not owing to Divine providence that wars exist,
because they are accompanied by murders, lootings,
acts of violence and savagery, and many other heinous evils
which are diametrically contrary to Christian charity.
But still, they cannot but be permitted,
because since the time of the most ancient people . . .
people's life's love has become such that it wishes to rule over others,
and in the end over all others,
and to possess the world's riches,
and in the end all riches.
These two loves cannot be kept bound,
since it is according to Divine providence
that everyone be permitted
to act in freedom in accordance with his reason . . .
and because without permissions
a person cannot be led by the Lord away from evil
and so be reformed and saved.
For if evils were not permitted to break out,
a person would not see them,
and therefore would not acknowledge them,
and so could not be brought to resist them.

It is on this account that evils cannot by any providence be prevented.
For in that case they would remain shut in,
and would, like the diseases called cancer and gangrene,
spread and eat away every human spark of life.

For from birth a person is like a miniature hell,
and between it and heaven there is perpetual dissension.
No one can be withdrawn from his hell by the Lord
unless the person sees that he is in it and wishes to be led out of it;
and this cannot come about without permissions,
the reasons for which are found in the laws of Divine providence.

A natural person . . . has complete freedom
to think affirmatively of Divine providence
or in opposition to it,
indeed affirmatively of God
or in opposition to Him.
Only let him know that not a whit of any strategy or plan
originates from him.
Everything flows in either from heaven or from hell --
from hell by permission,
from heaven by providence.

DP 252
Spirits of hell attack,
and the angels of heaven defend themselves.