19、⑻某种事物若专注于良善和真理，就是某种事物；但它若专注于邪恶和虚假，就什么都不是。前面（11节）说明，凡处于良善，同时处于真理之物都是某种真实事物；由此可知，凡处于邪恶，同时处于虚假之物都不是真实事物。“不是真实事物”是指它没有能力和属灵生命。那些处于邪恶，同时处于虚假的人（这等人都在地狱）在自己人当中的确拥有一种能力；因为一个恶人能够行恶，事实上以上千种方式行恶。然而，他只能通过恶人的邪恶伤害恶人，却不能伤害善人分毫，除非恶人通过与善人身上的邪恶结合而向他们行恶，这种情况有时也会发生。
这就是试探，也就是与人同在的恶灵所造成的侵扰的来源；争战由此接踵而来，善人通过这些争战可以摆脱自己的邪恶。由于恶人没有任何能力，所以整个地狱在主眼里不仅什么都不是，而且论到能力，绝对什么都不是，我已通过大量经历证明了这一点。然而，值得一提的是，恶人都自以为能力强大，善人都自以为没有任何能力。这是因为恶人将一切都归于自己的能力，因而归于诡诈和恶毒，丝毫不归于主；而善人则将一切归于全能的主，丝毫不归于自己的谨慎。此外，邪恶和虚假两者都不是真实事物的另外一个原因是，它们里面没有属灵生命，这就是为何地狱生命不叫生命，而叫死亡；一切真实事物都属于生命，一切不真实的事物都属于死亡。
19. (8) Whatever is impelled by good and at the same time by truth is real, and whatever is impelled by evil and at the same time by falsity is not real. It may be seen in no. 11 above that whatever is impelled by good and at the same time by truth is real. It follows, therefore, that whatever is evil and at the same time false is not something real.
By something's not being real we mean something without any power and without any spiritual life.
Spirits impelled by evil and at the same time by falsity - all of whom are in hell - do indeed have power among themselves, for an evil spirit can do evil, and also does do evil in a thousand ways. However, he can do evil to the evil only because of their evil, but cannot in the least do evil to the good. If in fact he does do evil to the good, as sometimes happens, it is by conjoining himself with their evil.
[2] This is what occasions temptations or trials, which are infestations by evil spirits present in oneself, and the resulting combats by which good people can be freed from their evils.
Since evil spirits do not have any power, therefore the whole of hell in the Lord's sight is not only as something of no consequence, but it is something totally of no consequence as regards its power. I have seen the reality of this confirmed by a good deal of experience.
Astonishing, however, is the fact that evil spirits believe themselves to be powerful, while good spirits believe themselves to be without power. The reason for this is that the evil attribute everything to their own power, and thus to their cleverness and malice, and nothing to the Lord, whereas the good attribute nothing to their own prudence, but everything to the Lord, who has all power.
Whatever is evil and at the same time false is not something real also for the reason that it is without any spiritual life. It is because of this that the life of spirits in hell is called not life but death. Consequently, since everything real is assignable to life, nothing real can be assigned to death.
19. 8. If something is focused on what is both good and true, then it is something; but if it is focused on what is both evil and false, it is not anything at all. Section 11 above shows that whatever is focused on what is both good and true is something, and it follows from this that anything that is both evil and false is nothing. "Being nothing" means having no power, no trace of spiritual life.
People who are focused on what is evil and false together (all of whom are in hell) do have a kind of power among themselves. An evil individual can do harm and in fact does harm in thousands of ways, though it is only from evil that an evil individual can harm evil people. Still, an evil person can do no harm whatever to good people. If that happens (which it sometimes does), it is through the evil one identifying with something evil in the good.
[2] This gives rise to temptations that are attacks by evil people among themselves, resulting in the struggles that enable good people to be freed from their evils.
Because evil people have no power, all hell is a virtual nothing in the Lord's sight, an absolute nothing when it comes to power. I have seen this quite convincingly time after time.
The remarkable thing is, though, that all the evil people believe they are powerful and all the good people believe they themselves are not. This is because evil people ascribe everything to their own power, their own deviousness and malice, and nothing to the Lord, while good people ascribe nothing to their own prudence and everything to the Lord, who is omnipotent.
Another reason anything both evil and false is nothing is that it has no trace of spiritual life. This is why a hellish life is called "death" rather than "life"; so since anything that exists belongs to life, nothing that exists can belong to death.
19. VIII. THAT WHICH IS IN GOOD AND AT THE SAME TIME IN TRUTH HAS REALITY; AND THAT WHICH IS IN EVIL AND AT THE SAME TIME IN FALSITY HAS NO REALITY. It may be seen above (n. 11), that what is in good and at the same time in truth has reality; and from this it follows that what is evil and at the same time false has no reality. By having no reality is meant that it has no power and no spiritual life. Those who are in evil and at the same time in falsity-and all such are in hell-have indeed power among themselves; for one who is wicked can do evil, and does it in a thousand ways. Nevertheless, he can only do evil to the wicked from their evil, but cannot do the least evil to the good, except, as sometimes happens, by joining forces with their evil.
[2] This is the origin of temptations, which are infestations by the evil who are with men; and thence combats ensue, by means of which the good can be freed from their own evils. Since the wicked have no power, the entire hell before the Lord is not only as nothing but is absolutely nothing with respect to power, as I have seen proved by abundant experience. It is a remarkable thing, however, that the wicked all believe themselves to be powerful, and the good all believe themselves to be without power. This is because the wicked attribute all things to their own power, and thus to cunning and malice, and nothing to the Lord; while the good attribute nothing to their own prudence, but everything to the Lord who is Almighty. Moreover, evil and falsity together have no reality because there is no spiritual life in them, and this is why the life of the infernals is not called life, but death; therefore, since everything that is real belongs to life, nothing that is real can belong to death.
19. (8) That which is in good and also in truth is something; but that which is in evil and also in falsity is not any thing. It may be seen above (11), that what is in good and also in truth is something; and from this it follows that what is in evil and also in falsity is not any thing. Not being any thing, means to have no power and no spiritual life. Those who are in evil and also in falsity, and all such are in hell, have indeed power with one another; for an evil person is able to do evil, and does it in a thousand ways. And yet only from evil is he able to do evil to the evil; and not in the least is he able to do evil to the good; and if, as is sometimes the case, he does evil to those who are good, it is by a conjunction with their evil.
[2] This is the source of temptations, which are infestations by the evil who are with men, and consequent combats by means of which the good can be freed from their evils. As the evil have no power, so before the Lord the entire hell is not only as nothing, but in respect to power is absolutely nothing, as I have seen proved by abundant experience. And yet, what is wonderful, the wicked all believe themselves to be powerful, while the good all believe themselves to be destitute of power. The reason is that the evil attribute all things to their own power, and thus to shrewdness and cunning, and attribute nothing to the Lord; while the good attribute nothing to their own prudence, but all things to the Lord who is Almighty. Evil and falsity together are not any thing, for the reason also that there is no spiritual life in them; and this is why the life of the infernals is not called life, but death; since, therefore, all that is any thing must be ascribed to life, nothing [that is real] can be ascribed to death.
19. VIII. Quod id quod est in bono et simul vero sit aliquid, et quod id quod est in malo et simul falso non sit aliquid: quod id quod est in bono et simul vero sit aliquid, videatur supra 11; inde sequitur, quod malum et simul falsum non sit aliquid. Per non esse aliquid, intelligitur nihil potentiae illi esse, et nihil vitae spiritualis: illis, qui in malo et simul falso sunt, qui omnes sunt in inferno, est quidem potentia inter se, malus enim malefacere potest, et quoque mille modis malefacit, attamen non nisi quam ex malo potest malefacere malis, sed ne hilum potest malefacere bonis, et si bonis malefacit, quod fit quandoque, est per conjunctionem cum eorum malo;
[2] ex eo sunt tentationes, quae sunt infestationes a malis apud se, et inde pugnae, per quas boni liberari possunt a suis malis. Quoniam nihil potentiae est malis, ideo universum infernum coram Domino est non modo quemadmodum nihilum, sed est prorsus nihilum quoad potentiam; quod ita sit per multam experientiam confirmatum vidi. Sed hoc mirabile est, quod omnes mali credant se potentes, et quod omnes boni credant se non potentes; causa est, quia mali propriae potentiae, et sic astutiae et malitiae, tribuunt omnia, et nihil Domino; at boni nihil tribuunt propriae prudentiae, sed omnia Domino, qui est Omnipotens. Quod malum et simul falsum non sint aliquid, est quoque quia illis nihil vitae spiritualis est; quae causa est, quod vita infernalium non dicatur vita sed mors, quare cum omne aliquid est vitae, non potest esse aliquid morti.