Enemies

An enemy is an unfriendly or hostile person, one that cherishes hatred, that wishes or seeks to do ill to another, also an adversary, antagonist, opponent, one who hates or opposes a cause, custom, state of things, something that operates prejudicially upon, counteracts the action of.Oxford English Dictionary. Synonyms for enemy include adversary antagonist, foe, opponent, nemesis, ill-wisher.—Merriam-Webster Dictionary


“Never try to love what people do. Love them for what they are, the children of God. Love them ‘out there,’ not up close.”—Ruth Johnson quoting Edna Lister


Enemies provide you with endless initiation opportunities. You can never be successful in dealing with enemies if you view them in personal terms, or take their speech and actions personally. You can pass every initiation when you realize that the enemy opposes God or somw principle that you are expressing.








Edna Lister on Enemies

Pay no attention to seeming enemies.—Edna Lister, September 14, 1938.


Contact God’s high Power until even your enemies bow before the grace that emanates from the Light in you.—Edna Lister, September 22, 1939.


Greater love has no man than this: That he lay down his life for his enemies. In this all law shall be fulfilled. If a man lay down his life for a friend, it is well, for so shall it be expected of him, and it has been said of old that he shall so do. To give your life for an enemy is the greatest, and your reward shall be exceedingly great, for in this you shall convert all enemies to be friends of God, which is the end of life, to be a friend to your Father, even as He is a friend to you, from the beginning of all law. This shall be the fullness of all sacrifice to be given, none shall be greater in law: First shall come the giving of your life for one you love. Second shall be that giving which gives to your enemy, and it shall be counted the greater of the two.—Edna Lister, November 30, 1939.


Love your enemies.—Matthew 5:44 is sweet incense unto God. Let it burn night and day.—Edna Lister, November 30, 1939.


Watch at all hours for enemies of self.—Edna Lister, November 24, 1939.


You can change and be so filled with love that love changes all that touches you and adds it to your power. That is what Sit thou at My right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool means. (Psalm 110:1)—Edna Lister, February 2, 1940.


You may entertain no enemies anytime. You have not one enemy in your life. Not one enemy may enter your life. Always accept, believe and stand, lest you be in danger of the judgment.—Edna Lister, February 26, 1940.


The Light you send to those who feel they must be your enemies, past, present or future, will uncover their taints of darkness.—Edna Lister, February 10, 1942.


When you assume the role of judge, jury and executioner, you think in terms of enemies, and those so declared surely become adversaries who then judge you.—Edna Lister, Five Keys to the Kingdom, 1945.


Work at agreeing with the so-called adversary until you have no enemy to agree with, no wrong to forgive, no harm or hurt ever given or spoken to you. When you accept all that the balance of law gives you as yours, and value it as precious jewels, you will be free of the small self. Then only do you truly accept all that comes to you as your own.—Edna Lister, March 12, 1945.


You create most enemies by making the other fellow look stupid or as knowing less than you.—Edna Lister, June 27, 1947.


When you love the enemy with the love of God for God, he eventually becomes your footstool.—Edna Lister, June 3, 1948.


You have no enemies says the law. You are your own worst enemy, unless you are all-gracious, all-seeing, all-justice tempered with mercy and compassion.—Edna Lister, April 15, 1950.


No one gets anywhere until he has fifty active, powerful, dynamic enemies. Lift your head above the crowd; you can never achieve until you rise above them.—Edna Lister, Ye Are Gods, November 30, 1952.


People who say, I cannot agree, still believe in enemies. To believe in an enemy then creates an adversary, a dark cloud of force, an entity that clings to you. If you hold a single enemy-thought in your subconscious, you will create an adversary.—Edna Lister, I Accept, June 27, 1954.


You subject yourself to the idea of outer enemies but you, yourself, are your greatest enemy. You create the adversary who rides you with a whip and spurs. Each alone must conquer the enemy-idea, the enemy of self. No power on earth can make you have an enemy if you refuse to accept the enemy idea or give it form and substance. Another may tell you that you have an enemy but you create it.—Edna Lister, The Well of Living Waters, July 31, 1955.


You subject yourself to enemy ideas. No one on the outside can ever create your adversary, yet they may suggest" them to you with a look, a word or an action that tempts you to mistrust.—Edna Lister, Living Waters, September 4, 1955.


Your enemies advertise you.—Edna Lister, December 17, 1956.


No enemy can stand against you when you learn to lift them into Light. Light will bury them in the compassionate love you bear them and the way you cover their transgressions.—Edna Lister, November 3, 1957.


You are your own enemy with idle words, sorry thinking and negative expressions.—Edna Lister, February 5, 1958.


Your real enemies are fear, hate and resentment.—Edna Lister, March 13, 1958.


When you truly hunger and thirst to be one with God, you forget every enemy and adversary.—Edna Lister, As I See the World, June 15, 1958.


You must admit that you are your own worst enemy.—Edna Lister, September 1, 1958.


You find that you have no enemies when you ascend.—Edna Lister, As God Sees Me, June 8, 1958.


This is the secret of making enemies your friends, just say, You are so wonderful, no matter what they’ve done, even if they spit on you. The day comes when they dry up, spit no more and return as friends.—Edna Lister, March 25, 1963.


Stand in the Light, grin at your enemies, and they can do nothing about it. I can last one day longer than this test. This, too, shall pass away under the power of love.—Edna Lister, April 11, 1963.


Your enemies are your footstools. The more they express their hatred, the greater God can invoke the laws of protection for you.—Edna Lister, December 13, 1965.


Stand, gird your loins, take a deep breath and say, You are good, to leave your enemy speechless.—Edna Lister, October 28, 1969.

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Treatment for Perceived Enemies

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.—Psalm 23. Change this to in the presence of mine loved ones as a prayer treatment for those burdened with enemies. Use it every morning.—Edna Lister, New Thought: The New World, June 29, 1958.

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New Testament on Enemies

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.—Matthew 5:44

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.—Matthew 10:34-36

Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom [consciousness] divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.—Matthew 12:25

The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool—Matthew 22:44

Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.—Luke 6:35

Behold, I [Christ] give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.—Luke 10:19

David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.—Luke 20:41‑43

And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.—Luke 23:33-34

Every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man [Christ], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.—Hebrews 10:11-13


The friendship of the world is enmity with God; whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.—James 4:4

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The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.—Psalms 110:1

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Enemies in Other Sacred Writings

Separate yourself from your enemies, and take heed of your friends.—Wisdom of Ben Sirach 6:13

A friend cannot be known in prosperity: and an enemy cannot be hidden in adversity.—Wisdom of Ben Sirach 12:8

Never trust an enemy: for as iron rusts, so is his wickedness. Though he humble himself, yet take good heed and beware of him, and you shall be to him as if you had wiped a looking glass, and you shall know that his rust has not been altogether wiped away.—Wisdom of Ben Sirach 12:10-11

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Edna Miriam Lister
1884—1971
The original Pioneering Mystic,
Christian Platonist philosopher, American Idealist, Founder, Society of the Universal Living Christ, minister, teacher, author, wife, and mother.


Edna Lister


Etymology of enemy: Latin inimicus: in-, "not" + amicus, "friend."

Enemies provide initiations.


Quote

Man’s wisdom is his best friend; folly his worst enemy.—William Temple


References

Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, 2024.

The Holy Bible. King James Version (KJV).

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 2024

The Nag Hammadi Library. James M. Robinson, ed. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1988.

The Oxford English Dictionary: Compact Ed., 2 vols. E.S.C. Weiner, ed. Oxford University Press, 1971.

Temple, William. The Works of Sir William Temple. London: J. Brotherton, 1814, p. 531.


Related Topic

Agreeing and Adjusting