Chapter 5 (part 10)

119 The evil spirits are especially inimical to man; but they cannot injure him if his will is directed towards the divine, and if he does not permit himself to be captured by evil desire. No man, except he who is regenerated in the spirit, is free and his own master. It is always either divine or diabolical influences acting through him; but he is endowed with a certain amount of divine reason to choose either the one or follow the other. "If we leap into earthly desire, we shall be captured by it, and then will the anguish of the abyss be lord over us. But if by the power of our will we ascend beyond this world, then will the world of life capture our will, and God will be our Lord." ( Theosophical Points , vi. 5.) "Let no man think that it is in the power of the devil to tear from his heart the works produced by the light. He can neither see them nor understand what they are. Therefore, even if in the most external generation the devil rages and storms, as long as you do not yourself transfer the products of wrath into the light of your heart, your soul will be safe from being injured by the devil, he being deaf and blind in the light." ( Aurora , xix. 97.) Lucifer anticipated the misery which he was bringing upon himself; but his knowledge was only a "science"—that is to say, it was not a condition fully realised by his experience; it was rather of a theoretical character than actual self-knowledge, and having lost the spiritual power of faith to aid him to maintain his position, this "science" was not sufficient to keep him from his fall. Moreover, Ile was curious to attain something entirely new. "Did then Lucifer not know of the judgment of God and the fall? Yes, he knew it well; but he had this knowledge not in his feeling (he did not realise it as an actual experience); it was with him merely a science, an intellectual conception." ( Mysterium , ix. 9.) p. 120 "Lucifer knew that he was not God, and he also knew the extent of his power; but he wanted some entirely new experience, he wanted to be higher than God, and to elevate his power over all kingdoms, and over all of the Godhead." ( Aurora , xiv. 14.) God also knew, in His eternal wisdom, that the fall of Lucifer would take place. "In eternal wisdom, or, to speak more correctly, in eternal nature, the fall of the devil (and also of man) has been perceived even before the world was created." ( Three Principles , ix. 22.) "The image of the created being has been seen in wisdom according to its aspects in wrath and love. Herein also has the Spirit of God, issuing eternally from the the light and the fire of the Father, foreseen the fall--namely, that this image, if shaped into a corporeal being, would be attracted by the wrath, and lose its divine splendour." ( Stief . iii. 58.) Although God foresaw that fall, nevertheless it could not be prevented. "It may be asked why God did not restrain Lucifer from his evil desire? But how could this have been done? If this being of fire would have been led into still more mildness and love, his glorious light would then have become still more manifest to him, and his fiery self-will would thereby have increased. Should He educate him by punishing him? It was already Lucifer's purpose to excite within himself the magic foundation, and to play with the centre of the qualities." ( Mysterium , ix. 14.) Lucifer wanted to know the darkness, and had no desire for the light.