3085. People on earth and spirits are withheld from evil and suspended, so to speak, away from the evil, which lies below
By experience I have been given to know that I had been withheld by the Lord from evil by which I was attacked, so that if I were at all let go, I would fall at once into the evil, and into the danger of thinking and doing the evil. So I appeared as if suspended away from the evil, which was then below, thus in an inward realm, when the evil was being aimed by the world of evil spirits.
From this experience I was given to learn how good angelic spirits and angels are held so to speak above evil, or inside away from it, so that it cannot touch them. In this way mankind also is guarded lest evil spirits stream in, being held in thoughts of faith - something of which the person is unaware. 1748, 6 Sept.
3085. THAT MEN AND SPIRITS ARE DETAINED FROM EVIL, AND, AS IT WERE, SUSPENDED AWAY FROM THE EVIL WHICH IS BELOW.
It was granted me to know from experience, that I was detained by the Lord from the evil wherewith I have been infested, so that if the least remission should occur, I would immediately fall into evil, and into danger, into evil thinking and acting, so that I appeared as if suspended from evil, which thus is below. Thus [I was] in an interior sphere, when evil was intended by the world of spirits. Hence it was given to know how good angelic spirits and angels are held, as it were, above evil, or within it, so that it cannot touch them. Therefore is man guarded, lest evil spirits inflow, when he is held in the thoughts of faith. - 1748, September 6.
3085. Quod homines et spiritus detineantur a malo, et quasi suspendantur a malo, quod infra
3085. Ab experientia nosse mihi datum, quod a malo, quo infestatus, detentus sim a Domino, sic ut si remitterer aliquantulum, illico in malum laberer 1
, et in periculum, malum cogitandi agendique, sic ut apparuerim quasi suspensus a malo, quod sic infra, ita in sphaerae interiori, cum malum intenderetur a mundo spirituum malorum, inde datum scire quomodo spiritus angelici boni et angeli teneantur quasi supra malum, aut intra illud, ut attingere eos nequeat: ita praecavetur etiam homo, ne mali spiritus influant, dum in cogitationibus fidei tenetur, quod homo nescit. 1748, 6 Sept.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition: "laberer pro labere"