It is not a pleasant task to have to highlight the tactics of our common enemy in the faith. It would bring greater joy to be able to speak of the immeasurable love of our heavenly Father or the richness of His mercy. However, our being called to help bring to surface the severity of what is happening everyday in the realm of things invisible and unseen does have it's benefits. Even while researching material for our blogs we get first hand experience of the very thing we're writing about. The tactics of the one we're researching begin to surface before our very eyes. By the grace of the Holy Spirit we suffer for a time in wonderment but then He quickens us, opens up our eyes and reveals what's happening and why. It truly is an amazing phenomenon. As a result, two things happen. First, we gain invaluable insight on the very subject matter we're are called to bring to light and secondly we grow in knowledge of our own walk with Christ. Virtue grows and fruit is borne. Now we have that extra "push" to be able to tell you, our readers, the reality of this demonic chess game Satan plays.
Our goal in this blog is to sear into the minds of our readers, and every faithful practicing Catholic, that we must be on full alert every single day. The reality of what happens each day on a supernatural level must not be ignored or taken lightly by any Christan. Indeed, it must be on the forefront of all of our minds when we first wake up. We need, first of all, a mind and conscience formed to that of Christ and His Church. In other words, know your faith! Know what the Church teaches and why She teaches it. Receive frequent Holy Communion and utilize the sacraments. Commit yourself to prayer daily and get to know Jesus personally. Have the understanding that the lives we lead here on earth have heaven as their ultimate end and goal. This is of the utmost importance. Otherwise, whatever we say will be foreign and make but little sense. Until this is achieved, even if in degrees, the wiles of the devil will be hidden and have a more profound effect on you.
Hollywood's portrayal of the devil having horns, a pitchfork and a long red tail which he uses to simply scare us is far fetched. However, the old cartoons featuring the devil on one shoulder whispering temptations and other hostilities into our ear and an angel on the other shoulder telling us not to listen to the devil is not entirely far off! All of our choices, decisions and thoughts are being influenced each day in a way not far different than this. Satan is clever, he would more often disguise himself as an angel of light to deceive his foes than as a horrific beast of some sort. The world, the flesh and the devil all play a role in this celestial game of tug-of-war. Since, therefore, the world and the flesh are consumed mostly by wickedness we can safely hold Satan as our primary "care giver" of our bad choices. Our will is what is utilized as the lasting "judge" as to whether or not thought becomes sin. Sin, as we know, results in death and separation from the Almighty. Ideas are conceived within our minds and if acted out sin is born. Once this trail of sin continues to snowball downhill sin becomes easier and easier to commit and before long we are in bondage to it. We become sin's slave, having no ability within ourselves to sever the bonds. All because of the powers of darkness whispering seemingly harmless nothings into our conscience.
We need to know that once we understand our faith we can discern things spiritually more easily. One of the greatest impressions made on me when reading about the spiritual life was how we can easily decieve ourselves into thinking we are on the path of righteousness when in reality we've veered away. Satan usually penetrates our minds with certain subtle ideas or lofty thoughts of piety. As a result, little-by-little, we go off course and lose sight of why it is we were striving for holiness to begin with. The focus, then, turns away from God and onto ourselves.
We will be discussing these clever schemes of our enemy in the following blog. We want to make sure you know exactly what you are to do and why you do it. Everyone one of us is called to live a life of virtue and love. All of us long for authentic and lasting happiness and our Precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is always quick to help and guide us! In the meantime, pick up the Catechism of the Catholic Church, read Sacred Scripture and pray like you've never prayed before because glory is on the horizon!
May the love of God the Father, His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Spirit be praised, honored, worshiped and glorified! forever and ever!
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