manifest here and these do not
constitute the church. This is seen, however, in the spiritual world
where internal conditions appear and in these the church itself consists.
There all are united according to their various states. Conflicts between
them correspond to wars, which on both sides are governed by the Lord
correspondentially in accordance with His divine providence.

[5] The spiritual man acknowledges that wars on earth are ruled by the
Lord's divine providence. The natural man does not, except that at a
celebration of a victory he may thank God on his knees for having given
the victory, and except for a few words on going into battle. But when he
returns into himself he ascribes the victory either to the prudence of
the general or to some counsel or incident in the midst of the fighting
which escaped notice and yet decided the victory.

[6] It may be seen above (n. 212) that divine providence, which is called
fortune, is in the least things, even in trivial ones, and if you
acknowledge divine providence in these you will certainly do so in the
issues of war. Success and happy conduct of war, moreover, are in common
parlance called the fortune of war, and this is divine providence, to be
found especially in a general's judgments and plans, although he may at
the time and also afterwards ascribe all to his own prudence. This he may
do if he will, for he has full freedom to think in favor of divine
providence or against it, indeed in favor of God or against Him; but let
him know that no judgment or plan is from himself; it comes either from
heaven or from hell, from hell by permission, from heaven by providence.

252. _A worshiper of self and of nature confirms himself against divine
providence when he thinks, as he sees it, that victories are on the side
of prudence and not always on the side of justice, and that it is
immaterial whether a commander is upright or not._ Victories seem to be
on the side of prudence and not always on the side of justice, because
man judges by the appearance and favors one side more than the other and
can by reasoning confirm what he favors. Nor does he know that the
justice of a cause is spiritual in heaven and natural in the world, as
was said just above, and that the two are united in a connection of
things past and of things to come, known only to the Lord.

[2] It is immaterial whether the commander is an upright man or not
because, as was established above (n. 250), the evi