Armageddon: a daily duty

In the Bible, the place where the last, decisive battle between the forces of good and evil is fought just before the day of judgment, is called Armageddon (see Revelation 16:16).

Christ Jesus indicated that Scriptural prophecy does not pinpoint the day or year of the end of the world. He said, ''Heaven and earth shall pass away. . .But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.'' n1

n1 Mark 13:31, 32.

At many times in history, when there has been general turmoil and danger, some Christians have felt sure the end of the world was near. Even some of Jesus' immediate disciples thought that it would come in their lifetime. Our own times are so eventful that there are those who believe the final moment must be imminent.

Christianity, however, is rooted in faith -- not fatalism. The focus of the life of a Christian is the daily defeat of evil in his own thought and experience. To the Christian, then, every day is a judgment day, even every hour a judgment hour.

Christ Jesus made it clear that everyone must take up his own cross. Each of us must defeat animality and selfish will. Each must conquer fear and sin in his own heart through understanding and loving God. And, he must help others to do so. One's individual battle of Armageddon is a daily duty. It takes place in one's own consciousness, conscience, and experience.

How and when universal salvation, the ultimate defeat of all evil, comes, surely depends on how successfully we follow the example of Christ Jesus in our own lives.

Our Father-Mother God is Love. His will is the salvation of all earth's children. His saving grace is law, a force and an intelligent energy emanating from His own infinite, all-pervasive presence. His nature is good -- exclusively good.

The devilish, destructive forces in human life are neither God-created nor God-permitted. Good cannot create evil.

Christian Science teaches that evil is not the will of God; it is ignorance of God, omnipotent good. Salvation, individual and collective, is an awakening to understand and demonstrate the goodness of God, Spirit, and His spiritual creation. Man and the universe are actually spiritual, as perfect and eternal as is infinite Spirit itself. Jesus' life was proof of this fact. Sooner or later, all mankind will discover and realize that good only is real, and that evil impulses are flickering shadows of spiritual ignorance, or nothingness.

In Isaiah, a time is prophesied when ''the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.'' n2

n2 Isaiah 11:9.

Human history will no doubt continue to encounter challenges as the forces of Christ, Truth, relentlessly stir up evil beliefs, motives, and impulses and cause them to bolt into oblivion. Wresting evil beliefs, or the belief in evil, from human consciousness will be difficult. But divine Love destroys all that is unreal -- and only what is unreal, unlike the divine nature. The spiritual man and universe will exist forever as ideas in eternal Mind, God.

Within each of us, to be recognized and welcomed, is the Christ-spirit, the divine influence that will enable us to win our daily Armageddon. Each of us has a mission to contribute to universal salvation. Our prayers for mankind are effective if they express absolute faith in the willingness of Almighty God to regenerate and save the whole human race. And our prayers are effective if they embrace the understanding that true creation is spiritual, perfect, governed by God alone.

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, gave the members of her Church a daily prayer. Every day, each one is to pray, '' 'Thy kingdom come;' let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin; and may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!'' n3

n3 Manual of The Mother Church, Art. VIII, Sect. 4.

The battle of Armageddon is really ''forewon.'' Step by step this fact will be demonstrated. The opposite of God Almighty never really had any existence or power. Omnipotent Love will prove its eternal authority and all of earth's children, washed clean of sin and error, will be victors, co-winners with Christ. DAILY BIBLE VERSE Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24