661. Evil spirits are eager to kill and torment every single person, but in the person they are with, they are restrained in a twofold manner
Evil spirits, or rather, the devil's gang, desire nothing more than to destroy people, both body and soul, as well as to torment them in a thousand ways. This is evident from numerous experiences involving not only those who have been within me in bands, attempting to [destroy me] in many wicked ways, but also souls in the hells, who take the greatest pleasure in barbarically tormenting each other, one after another. And if the sensation were not intercepted by the Lord, the one being tortured would undergo unspeakable suffering.
Evil spirits who flit about freely are also of this nature, and yet they are joined to people in order to arouse their life, as told before [635]. However, because they do not know otherwise than that they are the very one with whom they are present, therefore they do not want to bring any harm upon that person, for this would be as if they were doing it to themselves.
This is the first reason why they do not direct such attacks against the person with whom they are present, but nonetheless, if they were not restrained by the bonds of law, they would try to treat companions who do not worship them as gods and give them all of their resources, in the same way they treat each other in hell. This is quite evident from their souls after death, when their nature is not restrained by any such bonds of law. It is also plain from kings, from soldiers, and others.
The second reason they do not torment and destroy the person is that at the same time good angels are also present, and the Lord controls them in accordance with the permissions and allowances spoken of elsewhere [398, 401]. 1748, the 6th day of February.
661. THAT EVIL SPIRITS DESIRE TO KILL AND TORTURE EVERY MAN: BUT AS REGARDS THE MAN WITH WHOM THEY ARE, THEY ARE RESTRAINED IN A TWOFOLD MANNER
That evil spirits, or rather, the devil's crew, desire nothing else than to destroy man body and soul, and also to torture him in a thousand ways, is made evident from manifold experience: not only from those who have been with me in troops, and who have tried to do so in many nefarious ways; but also from souls in the hells, who take the greatest pleasure in successively torturing each other in a barbarous manner, and if this sensation were not intercepted by the Lord, the one who is being tortured would suffer unspeakable torments.
The evil spirits who fly about freely are also of such a nature, but yet they are adjoined to men in order that, as said before, they may excite their life. Since they then know no otherwise than that they are the same man as the man with whom they are, they therefore do not desire to bring any harm upon him, for this would be, as it were, to bring it upon themselves. This is the first reason why they do not intend such things to the man with whom they are. Nevertheless, unless they were restrained by the bond of the law, those among their companions who do not adore them as gods and give them all their resources, they would desire to treat in like manner as they treat each other in hell. This is sufficiently evident from the souls of such after death, when their nature is restrained by no such bonds of law. It is also manifest from kings, soldiers, and others.
The other reason why they do not torture and destroy man is because good angels are also at the same time present, and the Lord governs them according to permissions and concessions, as stated elsewhere, [nos. 193, 617]. 1748, Feb. 6.
661. Quod mali spiritus unumquemvis hominem interficere et cruciare cupiant, sed penes hominem, apud quem sunt, duplici modo arcentur
Quod mali spiritus, seu potius diaboli turba, nihil aliud cupiat, quam hominem, corpus ejus animamque perdere, tum etiam cruciare mille modis, hoc experientia multiplici constat, non solum ab iis qui penes me, turmatim fuerunt, et id tentarunt 1
nefandis et multis modis, sed etiam ab animabus in infernis, quae summam voluptatem capiunt ex eo, ut semet successive barbaro modo crucient, et si non a Domino, interciperetur sensatio, ei qui cruciatur, foret cruciatus ineffabilis.
Spiritus mali, qui circumvolitant libere, tales quoque sunt, sed usque hominibus adjunguntur, ut eorum vitam excitent, ut prius dictum [635], tamen quia non aliud sciunt, quam quod homines iidem sint, ac homo, penes quem sunt 2
, ideo, non cupiunt ei inferre aliquam noxam, nam id foret quasi sibimet; haec causa prima est, quod non similia intendant homini penes quem sunt, sed usque, nisi vinculis legis retinerentur in 3
socios, qui non eos sicut deos adorant, et omnes suas facultates eis 4
darent, cuperent similiter ac in inferno se mutuo tractare, quod satis constat ab eorum animabus post mortem, quando natura eorum, nullis legis talis vinculis retinetur; patet etiam a regibus, a militibus, ab aliis. Altera causa quod non hominem crucient et perdant, est quia boni angeli simul etiam adsunt, et Dominus eos regit, secundum permissiones et concessiones, ut alibi [398, 401]. 1748, die 6 Febr.
Footnotes:
1. imperfectum in the Manuscript
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has est
3. hoc est quoad
4. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has ei