3821. Evil spirits have the constant urge to do evil
When I was on the street, I very often noticed that they wanted to cast me under the wheels of the carriage, so that this desire had become habitual with them. Today I observed once more that they had the constant urge to do so, for I was enabled to sense it when they were trying the same thing, and indeed, that the aura of their endeavors is constantly of this character, and is their very life, and I realized that the Lord is constantly preserving mankind, and blocking their efforts. This shows that unless the Lord at every moment, even the very least, keeps us, even our least step, we would at once perish, for such is the effort of the world of spirits. 1748, 2 Nov.
3821. THAT EVIL SPIRITS ARE CONTINUALLY IN THE EFFORT OF EVIL.
It was often observed that when I was in the streets, [evil spirits] wished to cast me under the wheels of a carriage, so that this was in fact familiar to them. Today I particularly observed that they were in such a perpetual endeavor, for it was given to perceive it when they thus made the attempt, and indeed that the sphere of their endeavor is continually such that it is their life; and I perceived that man is continually preserved by the Lord, and their endeavors frustrated. Hence it appears that unless the Lord in every, even the smallest moment, preserved man, yea, even the least of his steps, he would immediately perish; such is the effort of the world of spirits. - 1748, November 2.
3821. Quod spiritus mali continue in conatu mali sint
Observatum saepius cum essem in platea, quod me conjicere vellent sub rotas currus, sic ut hoc factum iis familiare, hodie adhuc magis observabam, quod in perpetuo tali conatu sint, nam percipere id datum, cum similiter tentabant, et quidem quod sphaera conatuum eorum jugiter talis sit, quae est eorum vita, et percepi quod Dominus jugiter praeservet hominem, et dematur iis conatus, inde constat, nisi Dominus unoquovis momento etiam minimo conservet hominem, imo minimum ejus passuum, quod illico periret, nam talis conatus est mundi spirituum. 1748, 2 Nov.