198. The nature of a spiritual crisis caused by lack of truth, and the longing for truth that results from it: 2682, 8352. How little children are tested in the other life, a process by which they learn to resist evils: 2294. How spiritual crisis, persecution, and devastation differ from each other: 7474.
How and when crises of the spirit take place. Spiritual battles are waged primarily by means of truths that belong to religious faith: 8962. Therefore truth is the first requirement for the battle: 1685. The crises of the spirit that people of the spiritual church undergo concern the truths that belong to their religious faith, so their battles are waged by means of truths; the crises of the spirit that people of the heavenly church undergo concern the good that they love to do, so their battles are waged by means of goodness: 1668, 8962. For the most part, the people of the spiritual church do not have genuine truths to use in the battle, but instead things they believe to be true because they were taught them by their church; to be effective, though, these teachings need to be capable of being joined to what is good: 6765.
When we are being regenerated we have to experience crises of the spirit. Apart from such crises regeneration is impossible (5036, 8403), and that is why spiritual crises are necessary (7090). As we are being regenerated, we come into spiritual crises when evil tries to gain control over goodness and our earthly self tries to gain control over our spiritual self: 6657, 8961. We also come into spiritual crises at the point when goodness needs to take the lead: 4248, 4249, 4256, 8962, 8963. When we are being regenerated we are brought first into a tranquil state, then into spiritual crises, then back to the tranquil state of peace that has become our goal: 3696.
