9324. 'And I will remove sickness from the midst of you' means protection from falsifications of truth and adulterations of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'removing from the midst of you' - when it refers to falsified truths and adulterated forms of good, meant by 'sickness' - as protection, for when the Lord protects someone from them He removes them, 9313, [9316;] and from the meaning of 'sickness' as falsified truth and adulterated good. These are the sicknesses of spiritual life, for spiritual life receives its existence from and is kept in existence by the truths that belong to faith and the forms of good that belong to love. When these are falsified and perverted, a person is ill; and when they are completely rejected in the heart the person is dead spiritually. Regarding 'sicknesses', that they mean such things and correspond to them, see 4958, 5711-5727, 8364, 9031 (end).

9313. 'I will act as enemy to your enemies' means that the Lord will turn away all falsities arising from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'acting as enemy', when it refers to Jehovah or the Lord, as turning away, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'your enemies' as falsities arising from evil. These are 'enemies' in the spiritual sense, because they constantly molest, attack, and try to destroy truths springing from good; for they are opposites. The reason why 'acting as enemy', when it refers to Jehovah or the Lord, means turning away - turning away falsities arising from evil - is that the Lord never acts as enemy. For He is Mercy itself and Goodness itself, and enmity finds no place for itself in Mercy itself and Goodness itself, not even enmity against falsity and evil. But falsity and evil act in enmity against goodness and truth, that is, those ruled by falsity and evil do so against those governed by truth and good. And since they destroy themselves when they try to destroy those governed by truth and good it seems as though the Lord acts as their enemy, when in fact He is simply keeping safe His own. This shows how to understand the explanation that 'acting as enemy', when it refers to the Lord, means turning away falsities arising from evil. For more about the nature of this arcanum, see what has been shown in 4299, 7643, 7679, 7710, 7926, 7989, 8137, 8146, 8265, 8945, 8946.