252. 4. People who worship themselves and the world justify their rejection of divine providence when they base their thinking on the observation that victories come to the prudent side and sometimes not to the just side. It does not matter, either, whether an officer is a person of integrity or not. The reason it seems as though victories come to the prudent side and sometimes not to the just side is that we judge by appearances. We lean toward one side rather than the other, and we justify the side we prefer by rationalizations. Then too, people do not know that the rightness of a cause is spiritual in heaven and earthly in this world, as has just been explained, and that these two levels are united by a connection between things past and things to come, a connection known only to the Lord.

[2] The reason it makes no difference whether the leader is a person of integrity or not is the same as the reason argued in 250, namely, that evil people are just as useful as good people and because of their fire are more avid than good people. This is true especially in wars because evil people are more skilled and ingenious than good people in devious strategizing, and because of their love for glory they find more pleasure in murdering and plundering people they recognize and identify as enemies. Good people have only care and passion for protecting, and rarely any care and passion for aggression.

It is much the same with spirits of hell and angels of heaven. Spirits of hell attack, and angels of heaven protect.

We may conclude, then, that it is appropriate for all to protect their country and their fellow citizens against invading enemies, even using evil officers; but it is not appropriate to make enemies for no cause. When the cause is one's own glory, that is essentially diabolical, since it comes from self-love.

602. 13:15 It was also granted it to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast might speak. This symbolically means that the clergy were permitted to use the Word to defend the doctrine, so as to cause the doctrine to be seemingly animated by it.

Its being granted means symbolically that it was permitted. For all doctrinal falsities, like evil life practices, come about by permission (on which subject, see Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Providence, nos. 234-274 275-284, 296). The image of the beast symbolizes the doctrine (no. 601). To give breath to the image of the beast means, symbolically, to defend the doctrine by the Word, for no church doctrine has any spirit or life from any other source. That the image of the beast might speak means symbolically that this caused the doctrine to be seemingly animated.

To give breath to the image of the beast that it might speak has this meaning because there is a spirit and life in every part of the Word. For the Lord spoke the Word. Therefore He is present in it, and He spoke it such that every particular there has a communication with heaven and through heaven with the Lord. It contains a spiritual meaning which makes the communication possible. That is why the Lord says, "The words that I speak to you are spirit and life" (John 6:63).