Defend Us this day in our daily battle...

Over at Vivificat, Fr. Nicolas Schwizer asks: "Does the Devil Really Exist?"

But the ultimate question for mankind today is…..does the devil exist as a person or not? As it is, modern man and inclusively the modern Christian man hardly even believes in the devil. The devil has been able to succeed today with his best maneuver: to put his existence in doubt.

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The inhabitants of hell seek to counterattack the power and the dominion of God. And because they cannot confront God directly, they do it indirectly. They try to take from Him his favorite creation on earth: man.

Thus, each one of us is a battlefield where the good and the bad confront each other…..the divine forces and the diabolic forces.

Who would deny such a reality? None of us would be so naïve to believe that we would be free from that permanent struggle. Each one of us experiences this tension, this conflict in his/her own body and in his/her own soul. We become aware that a strong being works in us and wants to impose his will on us and we need another stronger being to liberate us.

Questions for reflection 

1. Do I really believe in the activity of the Devil?

2. Am I aware of the battle that takes place within me?

3. Do I know my weak point where the Devil attacks me most?

You really should read the entire piece. He makes very good points, but the one that I want to focus on is the idea that we shouldn't, although many if not most do, ignore the fact that the devil exists and that the battlefield is us.

I don't think spiritual warfare, the devil, and the spiritual realm should be taken lightly. I also don't think folks should mettle in it without first protecting themselves in various ways. But like it or not, the spiritual battle for our souls is upon us whether we want it to be or not.

We must continually ask ourselves the three reflection questions above, and make sure that we not only know the answers, but that we know how to correct any problems within such answers.