8096. 'Perhaps the people will change their minds when they see war' means that they will fall away from the truth as a result of attacks. This is clear from the meaning of 'changing one's mind' as falling away from the truth, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'war' as spiritual conflicts, dealt with in 1664, 1788, 2686, and so as attacks. The reason why 'changing one's mind' means falling away from the truth is that the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, their stay in the wilderness, and their introduction into the land of Canaan mean that they were being led constantly to good, and so to heaven. So it is that changing one's mind and returning to Egypt means moving away from good and so falling away from the truth; for 'Egypt' or 'the Egyptians' means those who are governed by faith separated from charity and are opposed to the Church's truths, 6692, 7039, 7097, 7317, 7766, 7926.

[2] With regard to attacks from those governed by the truth of faith which does not spring from good, that is, those meant by 'the Philistines', it should be recognized that in the next life they molest the upright and constantly make attacks on the good of faith, which is charity. For they take with them into the next life the basic ideas they adopted in the world, and they retain them until they have undergone vastation, that is, been deprived of all their knowledge of the cognitions of faith, and have been sent down to hell. At the present day there is a great number of spirits such as these; and they live out in front on the right, on a level below the soles of the feet. The place where they live is a sort of city. I have been allowed many times to speak to spirits from there, and to listen to their reasonings in favour of faith alone, which are sharp, and their attacks on charity, which are persistent. These then are the things which are meant in the internal sense when it says that the people were not led by the way of the land of the Philistines, and that if they were they would perhaps change their minds when they saw war.

1788. That 'a shield' means protection against evils and falsities which is able to be trusted is clear without explanation, for repeated usage has made the saying familiar that 'Jehovah is a shield and buckler'. But what is meant specifically by 'a shield' becomes clear from the Word, namely that in reference to the Lord it means protection, and in reference to man trust in the Lord's protection. As 'war' means temptations, as shown in 1664, so every implement of war means some specific aspect of temptation and of defence against evils and falsities, that is, against the devil's crew who bring temptation about and do the tempting. Consequently 'shield' means one thing, 'buckler' another, 'target' another, 'helmet' another, 'spear' and also 'javelin' another, 'sword' another, 'bow and arrows' another, and 'breastplate' another. In the Lord's Divine mercy these will be dealt with individually later on.

[2] The reason why in reference to the Lord 'a shield' means protection against evils and falsities, and in reference to man trust in the Lord, is that it was a means of protection to the breast, and 'the breast' meant good and truth - good because the heart is within it, and truth because the lungs are within it. That 'a shield' has this meaning is clear in David,

Blessed be Jehovah my rock who trains my hands for battle and my fingers for war; my mercy, and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I trust. Psalms 144:1-2.

Here 'battle' and 'war' are the battle and war of temptations, and in the internal sense, of the Lord's temptations. 'A shield' in reference to Jehovah is protection, and in reference to man trust, as is quite evident.

[3] In the same author,

O Israel, trust in Jehovah! He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in Jehovah! He is their help and their shield. You who fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah! He is their help and their shield. Psalms 115:9-11.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same author,

Jehovah is my fortress, my God in whom I will trust. He will cover you with His wing, and under His wings will you put your trust. His truth is a buckler and target. Psalms 91:2, 4.

Here 'buckler and target' stands for protection against falsities.

[4] In the same author,

Jehovah is my rock (petra) and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock (rupee) in whom I trust, my shield and the horn of my salvation. Jehovah is a shield for all who trust in Him. Psalms 18:2, 30.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same author,

You who test the heart ¹ and reins, a righteous God; my shield is with God who saves the upright in heart. Isaiah 7:9, 10.

'Shield' stands for trust. In the same author,

You have given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand will support me. Psalms 18:35.

'Shield' stands for trust.

[5] In the same author,

The shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted. Psalms 47:9.

'Shields' stands for trust. In the same author,

Jehovah God is a sun and shield; grace and glory will Jehovah give; no good thing will be withheld from those walking blamelessly. Psalms 84:11.

'Shield' stands for protection. In Moses,

Your blessings, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved in Jehovah, the shield of your help, and One who is the sword of your excellency! Your enemies will be mistaken in regard to you. Deuteronomy 33:29.

'Shield' stands for protection.

[6] Even as weapons of war are attributed to those engaged in conflicts brought about by temptations, so also are the same weapons attributed to the enemies assailing and tempting. When attributed to the latter, the contrary meanings held by those weapons is being expressed; for example, 'a shield' in this case means the evils and falsities from which those enemies fight, and which they defend, and in which they put their trust, as in Jeremiah,

Prepare shield and buckler, and advance for battle. Harness the horses, and mount, O horsemen! Take up your stations in your helmets, polish your lances, put on your breastplates. Jeremiah 46:3-4.

There are many more examples besides these.

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