The people of the Ancient Church at the time described in this story were in a state of external worship - meaning they had rituals and stated beliefs, which in their minds made them holy, even though their desires, intentions and actions were evil, filled with selfishness. The remnant represented by Lot were pretty much the opposite - despite the teachings of the church, they clung to the idea that being good mattered, that they should care for others and act in a caring way. So while the people of the church felt threatened when the Lord connected with that state of caring and wished to deny Him, they felt all the more threatened by the idea that it was important to be good, and were prepared to attack it with even more violence. And in coming near to break down the door, they threatened to attack that desire for good on an even deeper level, and to attack ideas of the Lord as well.

Again, this also represents part of the process we go through in battling temptation. Like Lot, we try to protect and internalize things that are good while staying on friendly terms with our evil desires - we may not want to internalize them, but we don't quite want to get rid of them either. But when we deny their attack on our trust in the Lord, they will directly attack our desires to be good.

Consider an alcoholic, proud that he's been sober for several months. He's felt doubts about the Lord: What if there's nothing to it? Should he fight so hard to stay sober if this life is all there is? But he's pushed those ideas back. Then more doubts assail him: Who is he to be proud? Look at the damage his weakness has done! How can he hope to be better? Who does he think he is? If those doubts can overcome his desire to stay sober, then they can invade and destroy everything.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 2368)

81. THE INTERNAL SENSE

The subject in this chapter is the celestial man; in the previous chapter it was the spiritual man who progressed to being spiritual from having been a dead man. But since people nowadays do not know what the celestial man is, and scarcely know what the spiritual man is or what the dead man is, let the nature of each one be presented briefly, in order that it may be known how they differ.

First. The dead man acknowledges no other truth or good than that belonging to the body and the world. This he also worships. The spiritual man acknowledges spiritual and celestial truth and good. But he does so not so much from love as from faith, which is also the basis of his actions. The celestial man believes and perceives spiritual and celestial truth and good, and does not acknowledge any other faith than that which stems from love, which is also the basis of his actions.

Second. The dead man has solely the life of the body and of the world as his ends in view. He does not know what eternal life is, or what the Lord is. Or if he does know, he does not believe. The spiritual man has eternal life, and therefore the Lord, as his ends in view. The celestial man has the Lord and therefore His kingdom and eternal life as his ends in view.

Third. The dead man when involved in conflict nearly always gives in. And when there is no conflict evils and falsities reign supreme within him, making him their slave. His bonds are external ones, such as fear of the law, loss of life, wealth, profits, and reputation on account of these. The spiritual man is involved in conflict, but he always conquers. The bonds which restrain him are internal, and are called the bonds of conscience. The celestial man is not involved in conflict. If evils and falsities assail him, he treats them with contempt, and is therefore called a conqueror. No visible bonds restrict him, for he is a free man. His bonds, which are not visible, are perceptions of good and truth.