Jesus said, “The kingdom of the father is like a certain man who wanted to kill a powerful man. In his own home he drew his sword and struck the wall in order to find out whether his hand could carry through. Then he slew the strong man.”
In the Talmud, the rabbis tell us that one must first purify oneself and only then can one purify others. It is the same for the holy tzaddik, acting as the preacher or prophet of the Word of God, giving musar (a message of reprove or rebuke) to the circle of companions. First, the holy tzaddik must rebuke him- or herself and repent of the sin being rebuked. Only then can he or she give musar to the assembly, having first purified him- or herself of the klippot to be shattered and driven out. In this way, the holy one is bound to the assembly and inseparable from the people, and so can act to purify and elevate them along with him or herself.
Is not the Master speaking here of the disciple becoming a spiritual warrior? Indeed, he is. But the first and foremost battle to be won is within our own house, within our own heart, soul, mind, and body, severing all links with the dark and hostile forces and driving out the enemy from within us—hence, cutting off the sitra ahara, the inclination to evil. Only to the degree we are victorious in Christ within our own consciousness, against the enemy, and against the inner demons that are the subjective expression of evil, can we then combat the objective evil in our environment and the world.
This is a most important matter for everyone chosen to be a disciple of Christ and ordained through the Christ-Spirit as a holy priest and apostle. Central to the mission of every disciple and apostle is the ministry of exorcism, that is to say, dispelling and driving out the dark and hostile forces wherever they are found. If one is not strong in one’s own faith, having cultivated the ability to distinguish good from evil, and purifying oneself of the inclination to evil, how could one possibly combat an outwardly manifest evil or demonic spirit? How could one render assistance to another in order to drive out darkness?
Dear child of Light, do not be ignorant in such matters. Pay close attention to the teachings and example of the perfect Master. Every true adept or master has spoken of the enemy and his hordes. Without exception, spiritual teachers of every Wisdom Tradition of the world affirm the relative reality of evil and the enemy. Let us not be so foolish as to disregard the Word of God in the holy ones, or to write off a central part of their teachings as something fanciful and unreal. Quite the contrary! Every authentic spiritual practitioner will affirm in his or her own experience the reality of opposing cosmic forces and the truth of dark and hostile powers that seek to prevent, for whatever reason, the ascent of humanity to its fulfillment in enlightenment or God.
You must know and understand that, whatever power or dominion such beings-forces might have over you, it is on account of an inner affinity in vibration within your own thoughts and emotions, your own desires and fears. Through these psychic complexes, they have a link and influence upon you. If you purify yourself of dark and negative thoughts and emotions, perverted desires and fears, and the root of all of these evils—namely selfishness or self-grasping—no dark or hostile force can ultimately have any power or dominion over you. Rather, in the holy name of the Lord and the Divine powers, all such beings-forces will be subject unto you, according to the Will of God and the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you.
If you ask me of evil, I must tell you that every action that breaks down faith and trust between human beings, and breaks down faith in goodness and God, is the work of evil. The man who beats a dog, so that the dog cowers in his presence, no longer trusting in him or feeling safe, has committed an act of evil. How much more so are any of our actions evil that break down the trust between our brothers and sisters in humanity and our faith in God? Are not such actions the meaning of sin or missing the mark? We must say of evil that most of its manifestations are not so gross and obvious as with a character, such as a Hitler, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, and the like, who embodies demonic forces. Evil typically lurks in the shadows and hides itself. It perverts and acts in more subtle and sublime ways, through thousands of little and seemingly harmless actions, all of which serve to erode any bond of solidarity and unity among ourselves and with God. Consider the little nothing of mere gossip. Whether it is true or not, there is injury to all parties involved. The one of whom it is spoken, the one to whom it is spoken, and the one who speaks it are all harmed. If nothing else, there is less trust and less positive thought and emotion between everyone involved following the gossip than before the evil was committed. Goodness is eroded by evil actions.
Now, consider what sacrifice (or means of drawing near to God) the Lord has spoken of through his prophets and apostles. God calls us to look after one another, to build up and uplift one another, to consider our individual and collective welfare. God calls for compassion and kindness, social justice, charity, care for the poor, the orphan and the widow, defense of the oppressed, genuine and active concern for others—the love of our neighbors as ourselves. We are called to evolve individually, to cultivate our humanity and the Divine potential within us, and together, to develop enlightened societies that act in harmony and unity with God. Here is the practical sacrifice, our means of drawing near.
Bear in mind that the root of what opposes this is selfishness, greed, and fear. Moreover, the opposition occurs first within our own thoughts and vital emotions. Therefore, the place to make a change is in our own consciousness. Only in this way shall we transform the world and bring about the resurrection of the world. With this knowledge, you possess the key to the defeat of the enemy and the victory of the Anointed One of God.