We learn in Christian Science always to have full faith in the omnipotence of God, good, and to realize the consequent utter absence of power, presence, or reality in His seeming opposite—evil, error, disease, discord, death. The student of Christian Science, therefore, when confronted with any manifestation of the "adversary," described by Peter as the devil, who walks about as "a roaring lion" (I Pet. 5:8), is equipped to silence the roaring with the Word of Truth. He expects immediate results because he knows the power of the Word.
But what if immediate results do not follow? Shall he become discouraged or admit into his thought the smallest doubt of his ability to cope with this or any other situation through his understanding of Christian Science? Indeed not! Discouragement is one of the adversary's most subtle and potent weapons and must be grappled with and eliminated from thought. How can we do this? By holding steadfastly to the fact that there never is, there never can be, any diminution or temporary eclipse of the all power of Truth, God. Thus reassured, the student is ready to examine the position anew, with confident certainty of his ability to know and rely upon the truth in this and every test.
It is always helpful to commence any such examination with a study of Jesus' method of healing. One example of this method can be found in the familiar story of his raising of Jairus' daughter, as told in the fifth chapter of Mark's Gospel. As the Master was going to the house where the sick girl lay "at the point of death," he was delayed by a woman in the throng who touched his garment and was healed instantaneously. Then Jairus received a message that the girl was dead. Jesus instantly met this thought with the statement, "Be not afraid, only believe."
