4129. Evil spirits ought to obey
I spoke with myself, or thought with myself, about what is to be understood by the word rib, from which the woman was built [Gen. 2:22], and evil spirits spoke and thought with themselves in the same way as I. Soon afterwards they were saying they had done this, but that a little later they were opposed [to my view]. From this one can tell that when the Lord is ruling man's thoughts and speaking, through the angels, spirits cannot help thinking in the same way, and that they then do not know otherwise than that they do so from themselves; and that the case is like that of a preacher having an evil life, that when he is preaching good things the evil spirits think the same, and arouse [the people to goodness]; but when the preacher is in his own evil life, then the evil spirits dominate. This and earlier experience shows how the evil can speak good things. 1748, 29 Dec.
4129. THAT EVIL SPIRITS ARE BOUND TO OBEY.
While speaking with myself, or thinking with myself, concerning the import of the word rib of which the woman was built, evil spirits spoke and thought with themselves precisely as I did. Shortly after they said that they had done so, and yet that subsequently to this they acted in opposition to me. Hence it was given to know, that while the Lord rules the thoughts and speech of man through the angels, evil spirits cannot but think in like manner, and that then they know no otherwise than that it is from themselves. The case is similar with the preacher of bad life, when he commends what is good; evil spirits think and excite the same, but when the preacher is in his true life, then evil spirits have the ascendancy. Thus it is clearly manifest how the evil bring forth good things. - 1748, December 29.
4129. Quod mali spiritus debeant obedire
Loquutus mecum, seu cogitavi apud me, de intellectu vocis costae, ex qua aedificata mulier [Gen. II: 22], et mali spiritus similiter ac ego secum loquuti et cogitabant, mox post, dicebant quod ita fecerint, et quod usque postea contrarii essent: exinde scire datum, quod dum Dominus regit hominis cogitationes et loquelas per angelos, quod spiritus mali non possint non similiter cogitare, et quod tunc non sciant aliter, quam quod ex se; quodque similiter se res habeat cum praedicatore malae vitae, cum bona praedicat, quod usque mali spiritus idem cogitent, et excitent, at cum praedicator in vita sua est, tunc dominantur spiritus mali: inde et prius constitit, quomodo mali bona loqui possint. 1748, 29 Dec.