(61) the Devil can reach half into this Birth, so far as the Wrath comprehends or reaches, and no deeper, and thus far goes his Dwelling, and no deeper; therefore the Devil cannot know how the other Part in this Birth has a Root; and so far Man is come in his Knowledge from the Beginning of the World to this Time, since his Fall. But the other Root, called the Heaven, the Spirit has kept that hidden and concealed from Man till this time, lest the Devil should have learned it from Man, and should have strewed Poison into it for Man before his Eyes.

(117) Which Thing Reason, or the outward Birth or Geniture of Man, without the Experience of this Fight or Battle, cannot comprehend. For the third or outermost Birth or Geniture in Man, which is the carnal or fleshly Birth, and which Man through the first Fall in his Lust has raised and prepared for himself, is the Devil’s Castle, or the Fort of Prey or Robbery, and Dwelling-house, wherein the Devil as in a Bulwark fights with the Soul, and gives it many a hard Thump upon its Breast, which goes to the very Heart.

(73) I know very well what the Devil intends; for that Part of the earnest and austere Birth or Geniture, wherein Love and Wrath are set opposite one to another, fees into his very Heart. For when he comes with his fierce and hellish Temptation, like a fawning Dog, then he sets upon us with his Wrath in that Part, wherein the austere Birth and Geniture stands, and therein the Heaven is set in Opposition to him, and there the fair Bride is known.

(43) On the other hand, the life of the natural man, where he hath a lively, subtle, cunning nature, is so manifold and complex, and seeketh and inventeth so many turnings and windings and falsehoods for its own ends, and that so continually, that this also is neither to be uttered nor set forth. Now, since all falsehood is deceived, and all deception beginneth in self-deception, so is it also with this false Light and Life, for he who deceiveth is also deceived, as we have said before. And in this false Light and Life is found everything that belongeth to the Evil Spirit and is his, insomuch that they cannot be discerned apart; for the false Light is the Evil Spirit, and the Evil Spirit is this false Light. Hereby we may know this. For even as the Evil Spirit thinketh himself to be God, or would fain be God, or be thought to be God, and in all this is so utterly deceived that he doth not think himself to be deceived, so is it also with this false Light, and the Love and Life that is thereof. And as the Devil would fain deceive all men, and draw them to himself and his works, and make them like himself, and useth much art and cunning to this end, so is it also with this false Light; and as no one may turn the Evil Spirit from his own way, so no one can turn this deceived and deceitful Light from its errors. And the cause thereof is, that both these two, the Devil and Nature, vainly think that they are not deceived, and that it standeth quite well with them. And this is the very worst and most mischievous delusion. Thus the Devil and Nature are one, and where nature is conquered the Devil is also conquered, and, in like manner, where nature is not conquered the Devil is not conquered. Whether as touching the outward life in the world, or the inward life of the spirit, this false Light continueth in its state of blindness and falsehood, so that it is both deceived itself and deceiveth others with it, wheresoever it may. From what hath here been said, ye may understand and perceive more than hath been expressly set forth. For whenever we speak of the Adam, and disobedience, and of the old man, of self-seeking, self-will, and self-serving, of the I, the Me, and the Mine, nature, falsehood, the Devil, sin; it is all one and the same thing. These are all contrary to God, and remain without God.

(116) then Man first knows what the Devil is, how much an Enemy he is to him, and how great his Power is; also how he must fight with him very secretly every Day, Hour, and Moment.

(110) The Spirit alone understands this hidden Secret, which must fight daily and hourly with the Devil, the outward Flesh cannot comprehend it; also the astral Spirits in Man cannot understand it, neither is it comprehended by Man at all, unless the animated or soulish Spirit unites, qualifies, and operates with the innermost Birth or Geniture in Nature, in the Center, where the Light of God is set opposite against the Devil’s Kingdom, that is, in the third Birth or Geniture, in the Nature of this World.

(51) "From hence, in the Creation, Good and Evil are existed: And I exhort the Reader to conceive our very deep Sense right, and not mistake or go astray here, but to read our other Writings, where these Things are sufficiently explained." Of the great Sin, and contrary or opposite Will; and of the eternal Enmity of King Lucifer, together with his whole Host or Army against God.

(34) Now then, seeing the Devils kindled their own Bodies, intending thereby to domineer over the whole Deity, therefore the Creator also, in his Wrath, kindled this third Spirit, or this third Birth or Geniture in Nature, and imprisoned the Devil therein, and made an eternal Lodging therein for him, that he might not be higher than the whole God. [decorated X] Understand, in the outward Sources or Qualities; for the outermost of all, is also the inmost of all.

(20) But seeing the Seed, or Mass, or Lump, out of which Adam was made, was somewhat infected with the corrupt Disease or Malady of the Devil, Adam therefore longed after his Mother, that is, to eat of the Fruit of the corrupted Earth, which then in its outward Comprehensibility was become so evil, and in the Wrath-fire was become so hard, palpable, and comprehensible.