AC 8179 - Temptations and Prayer; AC 8195, 8197 - The Pillar that Protected the Israelites from the Egyptian Army

AC 8179

Those who are in temptations
are wont to slack their hands
and betake themselves solely to prayers,
which they then ardently pour forth,
not knowing that prayers will not avail,
but that they must fight against the falsities and evils
which are being injected by the hells.
This fight is performed by means of the truths of faith,
which help because they confirm
goods and truths against falsities and evils.
Moreover in the combats of temptations,
the man ought to fight as of himself,
but yet acknowledge and believe that it is of the Lord.
If man does not fight as of himself,
the good and truth
which flow in through heaven from the Lord
are not appropriated to him;
but when he fights as of himself,
and still believes that it is of the Lord,
then they are appropriated to him.
From this he has an own [proprium] that is new,
which is called the heavenly own,
and which is a new will. 

AC 8195

And the pillar of cloud set out from before them,
and stood behind them.
(Exodus 14:19)

That this signifies the presence of the Lord
protecting the things of the will,
as it had previously protected those of the understanding,
is evident from the signification of "the pillar of cloud,"
as being the presence of the Lord,
it being an angelic choir in which the Lord was;
and from the signification of "from before them,"
as being the understanding,
and of "behind them," as being the will;
that protection is meant is evident.

AC 8197

. . . the pillar brought darkness upon the Egyptians,
and gave light to the sons of Israel,
the case is as follows.
The presence of the Lord,
here signified by "the pillar,"
is heavenly light itself, from which heaven has its light,
and this light is a thousand times brighter
than the noonday light of the world.
But the same light becomes thick darkness with the evil:
even if they are in the light itself,
and it becomes thicker darkness
in proportion as the falsity from evil is denser with them.
The reason is
that the truth Divine proceeding from the Lord
appears before the eyes of the angels as light,
but to those who are in falsities from evil
it cannot appear as light,
but as thick darkness,
for falsity is opposite to truth and extinguishes truth.
So it is that the pillar,
which was the presence of the Lord,
brought cloud and darkness on the Egyptians,
because by "the Egyptians"
are signified those who are in falsities from evil,
and that it lighted up the night with the sons of Israel,
because by "the sons of Israel"
are signified those who are in truth from good.
That the Lord appears to everyone
according to his quality.