he
man, used as his own. If this strength were not to all appearance his
own, no one would be able to fight against the flesh and its lusts,
which, nevertheless, is enjoined upon all men. He would not think of
combat. Because man is a rational being, he must resist evils from the
power and the abilities given him by the Lord, which appear to him as
his own; an appearance that is granted for the sake of regeneration,
imputation, conjunction, and salvation.

--_True Christian Religion, n._ 438

THE WARFARE OF REGENERATION

"Blessed be the Lord my strength,
Who teacheth my hands to war,
And my fingers to fight:
My goodness, and my fortress;
My high tower and my deliverer;
My shield, and He in whom I trust;
Who subdueth my people under me."

--_Psalm,_ CXLIV, 1, 2

"TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH"

Because man is reformed by conflicts with the evils of his flesh and
by victories over them, the Son of Man says to each of the seven
Churches, that He will give gifts "to him that overcometh."

--_True Christian Religion, n._ 610

Without moral struggle no one is regenerated, and many spiritual
wrestlings succeed one after another. For, inasmuch as regeneration
has for its end that the life of the old man may die and the new and
heavenly life be implanted, there will unfailingly be combat. The life
of the old man resists and is unwilling to be extinguished, and the
life of the new man cannot enter, except where the life of the old has
been extinguished. From this it is plain that there is combat, and
ardent combat, because for life.

--_Arcana Coelestia, n._ 8403

REPENTANCE AND THE REMISSION OF SINS

He who would be saved, must confess his sins, and do repentance. _To
confess sins_ is to know evils, to see them in oneself, to acknowledge
them, to make oneself guilty and condemn oneself on account of them.
Done before God, this is to confess sins. _To do repentance_ is to
desist from sins after one has thus confessed them and from a humble
heart has besought forgiveness, and then to live a new life according
to the precepts of charity and faith.

He who merely acknowledges generally that he is a sinner, making
himself guilty of all evils, without examining himself,--that is,
without seeing his sins,--makes a confession but not the confession of
repentance. Inasmuch as he does not know his evils, he lives as
before.

One who lives the life of charity and fait