Allan Kardec-THE Spirit's Book_ The Principles of Spiritist Doctrine (1989)

227
THE SPIRITS’ BOOK
"Study its quality. Good spirits give only good counsels. It is for you to distinguish between
the good and the bad."
465. To what end do imperfect spirits incite us to evil?
"To make you suffer as they do themselves."
- Does that lessen their own sufferings?
"No; but they do so from jealousy of those who are happier than themselves."
- What kind of sufferings do they wish to make us undergo?
"Those which result from being of an inferior order, and far removed from God."
466. Why does God permit spirits to incite us to evil?
"Imperfect spirits are used by Providence as instruments for trying men's faith and constancy
in well-doing. You, being a spirit, must advance in the knowledge of the infinite. It is for this
end that you are made to pass through the trials of evil in order to attain to goodness. Our
mission is to lead you into the right road. When you are acted upon by evil influences, it is
because you attract evil spirits to you by your evil desires, for evil spirits always come to aid
you in doing the evil you desire to do; they can only help you to do wrong when you give way
to evil desires. If you are inclined to commit murder, you will have about you a swarm of
spirits who will keep this inclination alive in you; but you will also have others about you
who will try to influence you for good, which restores the balance, and leaves you of your
decision."
It is thus that God leaves to our conscience the choice or the road we decide to follow, and the liberty of
yielding to one or other of the opposing influences that act upon us.
467. Can we free ourselves from the influence of the spirits who incite us to evil?
"Yes; for they only attach themselves to those who attract them by the evil nature of their
thoughts and desires."
468. Do spirits, whose influence is repelled by our will, renounce their temptations?
"What else can they do ? When they see that they cannot accomplish their aim, they give up
the attempt; but they continue to watch for a favourable moment, as the cat watches for the
mouse."