To Defend

To defend is to vindicate; to assert; to uphold; to maintain uninjured, by force or by argument; to secure against attacks or evil; to fortify against danger or violence; to set obstacles to the approach of any thing that can annoy.
  Defense is Any thing that opposes attack, violence, danger or injury; vindication; justification; apology; that which repels or disproves a charge or accusation.Webster’s American Dictionary
  Synonyms for defend include protect, shield, guard, safeguard.—Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary


“The Almighty is the defense of the righteous.”Psalm 59:16


  To Defend, with to Improve and to Expand, forms the sixth lesser trinity of Via Christa Degrees, whose keynote is to Conquer. To stand on truth is your best defense. You can withstand anything when you stand with God.






Edna Lister on to Defend

Defend your faith, and avoid anyone who tries to kill it, for they have the lowest type of mentality. Let no one rob you of your faith; defend it as your companion of soul.—Edna Lister, Faith, October 3, 1934.


Defend your faith by good works.—Edna Lister, July 12, 1939.


Speak wisely under need to defend truth, not self.—Edna Lister, November 8, 1940.


You must hold every inch of ground gained and defend it with love and Light, then earth shall ascend and continue its ascent.—Edna Lister, October 7, 1941.


Let your love of God be your defense.—Edna Lister, November 1, 1944.


Joy is your weapon and defense against all darkness in the world.—Edna Lister, March 13, 1945.


Law is a shield and a buckler, a glory and a defense.—Edna Lister, May 24, 1945.


The Master’s Path is steps, and only by climbing one step at a time, while building the next step and gaining the strength for standing upon and defending that new step, can you become a Master in law.—Edna Lister, August 1, 1945.


Whenever another asks, prods or snoops about your loved ones, defend them with silence.—Edna Lister, September 4, 1945.


You must hold, honor and defend your spiritual position; make no concessions to evil.—Edna Lister, October 12, 1945.


You may defend the body but you may not defend the self ever.—Edna Lister, June 3, 1947.


Defend principle only by standing in love. You never need to defend personality.—Edna Lister, August 10, 1949.


Silence under blame is incomprehensible to the average individual, but is one of the greatest soul defenses.—Edna Lister, The Golden Chalice, September 21, 1952.


We traveled a long path coming forth from the Light, made a long pilgrimage from God into the idea of being separated and alone, which creates a defensive attitude. Self-preservation defends me and mine, and has caused every lie ever told. It is as primitive as cave men huddling together in fear.—Edna Lister, The Three Loves, April 15, 1956.


Faith is the substance of your body. You use unconscious faith in everything you do. Your present desire comes under unconquerable faith. Your prayer pattern comes under lavish love. Defense comes under your goal. God told the Children of Israel that they must possess every foot of ground they had taken. You must stand and defend the faith. Yet your only necessary defense is to say, “Darling, you are wonderful! I love you!” No one can resist love.—Edna Lister, December 15, 1956.


Speak gently, walk softly, hold golden silence and use wise speech; these rules maintain an unconquerable defense.—Edna Lister, March 7, 1957.


Your prayer pattern comes under lavish love defense: You must stand and defend your faith. Love is a defense and fulfilling of the law.—Edna Lister, December 15, 1957.


Lukewarmness leaves you defenseless.—Edna Lister, December 26, 1957.


God said, Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, have I given you.—Joshua 1:3. You must defend every foot of ground whereon you stand; to do this you must love God enough.—Edna Lister, Promises Made, May 4, 1958.


Pride makes you try to save face and puts you on the defensive.—Edna Lister, September 2, 1958.


To justify means to defend yourself. Truth needs no defense, nor does law; it stands. Stand on truth!—Edna Lister, October 9, 1958.


Curses are a mode of self-justification, not self-defense.—Edna Lister, Love Unquenchable, December 7, 1958.


To defend, you must triumph over temptation to run away or to let go.—Edna Lister, The 33 Degrees of Soul Conquering, October 27, 1959.


Nonresistance is an aggressively defensive law that upholds its own.—Edna Lister, November 6, 1964.


If you step beyond someone’s defense mechanism, you will get hurt.—Edna Lister, The Religion of Jesus, October 22, 1967.


Don’t let the world ideas touch you; defend your idea of a loving God.—Edna Lister, May 16, 1968.

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A Treatment for Self-Defense

You must have what it takes to defend the truth you know. Cross your arms (right hand underneath) with your hands folded over the Breastplate of Righteousness, before your breastbone [sternum], just stand and love God. This attitude sends the power of nonresistance into action as the Mother Love ray to quell a riot. The masses stand with their hands on their hips in resistance. We release all Power through this attitude of defense. Use it only when someone is outrageous, dictatorial, demanding or when you are in physical danger. Cross your arms in a natural way to invoke this protection, or to quiet another; it will rout any enemy.—Edna Lister, March 7, 1957.

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Old Testament on Defense

Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense.—Job 22:25.

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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 defense: Latin defensa, from defendere, to ward off.


Defense is a Via Christa Degree.


Quotes

Many great deeds are done in the small struggles of life. There is, we are told, a determined though unseen bravery, which defends itself, foot to foot, in the darkness, against the fatal invasion of necessity and of baseness.—Albert Pike

Virtue and Wisdom, only, perfect and defend man.—Albert Pike


References

Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, 2024.

The Holy Bible. King James Version (KJV).

Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. 2024

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

Webster, Noah. Webster’s American Dictionary. New York: S. Converse, 1828.

Pike, Albert. Morals and Dogma. Charleston, SC: 1871.


Related Topics

Conquer

Expansion

Improving