How can we resist evil? The one that knocks at our door every day through hundreds of manifestations as repeated as they are insignificant.
Evil has many faces. It can disguise itself in different ways to seduce us. It tempts us, solicits us and finally it gets into us if we are not careful. But what is evil? Is it a vague and abstract idea or is it a concrete reality that materializes before our eyes?
Evil exists and denying it exposes us to its horrors. However, the best way to fight it is not always to oppose it head-on, but rather to try to make the good in us grow.
Let’s look at 7 ideas that allow us to resist evil
Religious or spiritual traditions do not necessarily agree on the question of good and evil. For some, good is an integral part of evil (e.g. Taoism), while for others evil is the negation of good (e.g. Christianity). Despite these differences, let us try to have an approach that reconciles these visions.
1- Recognizing evil
The first trick of evil is that it manages to disguise itself and not present itself as it is. This is why the first quality of the one who aspires to goodness is to identify and recognize evil when it appears before him. The idea is to know how to “close our door” so that evil does not enter our heart or mind. Evil is ingenious in mixing with good in such a way that it takes on the form or scent of good. However, a wise person will quickly recognize the true identity of the one who hides behind this debonair or pleasant mask.
2- Knowing what good is made of
In order to identify evil, we must understand that it is the absence of good. This is why it is necessary to list the properties of good in order to see that where good disappears, evil takes its place. If we stick to the Christian tradition, goodness has a certain number of features that can be assimilated and grouped around the notion of virtue. In the end, goodness comes down to demonstrating certain qualities, just as the flower of a field can be a sign of the good quality of its soil. There are 7 qualities or virtues that are the opposites of what Catholics call the capital sins. These virtues are: humility, selflessness, purity and chastity, temperance, patience and diligence (or love of work). These qualities are the opposite of pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger or laziness. If you learn to grow these qualities in your heart, it will be easier to recognize them in others.
3- Surround yourself with luminous beings
When you embrace a spiritual path, it is always better to be well surrounded. Having fellow travelers with a pure heart and noble intentions is a great way to progress and stay on track. You may be fortunate enough to be born into a family whose parents are already on a spiritual path. If not, you always have the option of seeking out spiritual companions or spiritual teachers if you cannot find one. The search can be long in some cases but it is well worth it.
4- Learn to pray, meditate and forgive
There are tools that have proven themselves in the past in the field of initiatory sciences. Their practice may seem simple, yet they have helped raise human consciousness in order to bring peace and harmony in a world prey to some form of terror or injustice. Praying allows you to “talk to God”, to make your soul vibrate in unison with the angels. When you return from this astral journey that prayer offers you, your being has been purified. Meditating allows you to “listen to God”, to calm your mind in order to see more clearly. Forgiving allows you to live in peace with yourself and to rely on God to apply his divine law.
5- Do not side with evil
When evil is rampant and you have identified it, you must of course side with its victims. You cannot serve the good if you are not proactive when evil attacks an innocent. If you can, make sure you protect and oppose evil if it is working before your eyes and you have the opportunity to deter it.
6- Pray for your enemies
Many times we develop bitterness, resentment or even hatred towards someone or a group of people. Hate is a poison that kills the one who harbors it, so it is best to get rid of it. You are never great when you act out of hate. To be hateful is finally to have shown oneself smaller than the evil. It is difficult in some cases not to experience these “sad passions”. There is, however, a fairly simple remedy which consists in deliberately praying for our enemies by wishing, for example, that God would enter their hearts and that the evil would go away. This sounds rather naive, but it is a very good way to take the upper hand over your enemies, i.e. to have compassion for them and to fight them with love.
7- Grow the good in your heart
Every day is an opportunity to grow seeds of goodness in your heart. Nature gave you qualities of heart when you were a baby but your upbringing has corrupted the pure and innocent being you once were. It is up to you to become that person again, resplendent with kindness. To be an adult with the heart qualities of a newborn, you must cultivate these qualities at every moment: humility, selflessness, purity and chastity, temperance, patience and diligence (or love of work). The results will not be immediately visible, yet there will come a day when the flower of your soul will blossom in all its beauty because you will have succeeded in growing these qualities with patience and silence, out of sight.
