If there really is no such actual thing as a devil... a real, thinking, intending, seducing spirit...if "devil" is merely a symbol or myth not a person with will and intelligence... then I am a superstitious, ignorant, pious old man. But, if there really is such a reality, it is crucial that you know him as your adversary, understand his plans, and prepare to defeat him. Thus, this series of letters.
Temptation.
This is the tactic we all understand: the seductive voice suggesting that we do what attracts us but is not right. It is portrayed in cartoons as the devil, pitchfork in hand, on one shoulder, advocating the bad thing, and an angel, on the other, encouraging the good thing. As a master psychologist, Satan knows the specific "weakness of the flesh" of each of us and aims accurately at that vulnerability: fear, anger, lust, perfectionism, greed, discouragement and so forth. This is the most straightforward of his tactics; something with which we are all familiar.
A key distinction here is the distinction between the temptation and sin which is surrender to the temptation. We are all tempted. Jesus himself was tempted by Satan in the desert for 40 days. The key is to renounce the temptation. That word again: renounce. In dealing with evil the only option is to renounce. This must be done quickly, calmly, firmly. Imagine a married person is being seduced into adultery. He/she knows it is wrong. But imagine he/she decides just to play around with the seduction, enjoy it a little, but not pursue it all the way. Bad decision! Tolerating and allowing it is already a step down the slippery slope. The need here is for an immediate, definite, firm renunciation: NO! The answer is NO! NO! And NO again!
Consenting to what we know to be wrong is a defect of the will. The good thing here is that if the intellect is not deceived, if it retains an awareness of right/wrong and a sense of guilt, there remains open a path of contrition, confession and reparation. This hope is not present when deep deception occurs. It is also true that repeated, habitual sin coarsens the conscience so that there may be little or no remorse or regret. The conscience may be peaceful, because it is misinformed. Bad! If you are sinning and regretting it and confessing, there is much hope. If there is sin without regret, you are in trouble.
Deception.
This is possibly more pervasive and catastrophic than the more straightforward temptation. In this the intellect is deceived into thinking an evil is good. So the will consents without hesitation or regret and even feels righteous about it. The deceived conscience, self-righteously, can become aggressive and violent against the innocent, feeling entirely just and good all the time.
Examples:
Abortions are procured, sometimes repeatedly, by young women who do not know any better because they haven't been taught. Related to this: it is now commonplace for unmarried young Catholics to cohabitate, contracept and be physically intimate without qualms of conscience as they are deceived.
Reports are that over 90% of Russians support the invasion of the Ukraine as a good thing. They are deceived by the powerful misinformation propaganda of the Putin regime.
Palestinian children, who may have lost family members in the conflict with the Israeli government, are inspired to become suicide martyrs by strapping explosives to themselves and blowing up busloads of Israeli children their own age. They are deceived.
Many grow up with ancient hatred of other nationalities, ethnicities, religions and tribes and are righteous and even religious in their certitude.
Subjectively all these are doing what they think is right. But their consciences are ignorant. They are doing what is really, objectively evil. And they and others are victims of this evil.
Often enough the attachment to error is so fierce that we are powerless before it. And yet, we ourselves must witness to what is true. We may not succeed or persuade, but we must witness. We must calmly, clearly, firmly say: This is true; This is false.
The good news: there is really Truth. It is not just that each of us can create our own truth. There really is objective Truth, as intended by God, whatever we may think about it. And our human minds, however wounded by sin, are created to long for that Truth. In the long run, there is a mysterious dynamic whereby the human mind is finally attracted out of error into Truth. Our mission, our task in the Spiritual Combat, is to witness to Truth, whatever the response of others.
Conclusion.
We have covered five basic tactics of Lucifer: possession, obsession, oppression, temptation and deception. In a final postscript letter we will consider the enmity between Satan and our Blessed Mother Mary.
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