DAILY HOMILIES #satan

Job was not privileged to attend the meeting where his matter was discussed. Little did he know that his unfortunate circumstance was not coincidental. Job had no idea that he was being tested. Yet, he passed the test. We are told: “In all these, Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” Job’s success came from his childlike attitude and his willingness to accept things as they are.

Jesus started with prayer, and all through His public ministry, Jesus never joked with prayer. He would rise early in the morning, go to a quiet place to pray (Luke 4:42), and at the end of the day, after dismissing the crowd, he would go again to a lonely place to pray. (Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:46). He would even spend a whole night praying (Luke 6:12). When you are prayerful, a certain aura goes with you; you don’t need to shout or make noise. Your very presence in any space is already a threat to demons. Jesus did not break a sweat dealing with the demon-possessed man. As we often say: “power pass power.”

Remember, a little sleep can cause poverty. A little relaxation in our spiritual life can give room for the devil and his agents who seek candidates for spiritual destruction. St. Peter would say: “Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

Let’s face it: though we live in the world, we do not belong to this world, and the world hates us. (John 15:18-19) If you have not been experiencing this hatred (if you have never suffered anything for the sake of God), it is because you have been compromising your Christian values. As the saying goes: “If the devil is not fighting you, it is because you have been working for him.” Do not be conformed to this world.

Just as there are two separate kingdoms, we cannot belong to both at the same time. Just as satan cannot cast out satan, we cannot claim to belong to Jesus and still be involved in falsehood. We are either children of God or agents of darkness. Hence, Jesus concluded today saying: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Luke 11:23).

If you have ever been duped before by a trickster, then you have just experienced a tiny percentage of satan’s deceptive abilities. Satan is a master of disguise; he never shows his true colours, he comes either as a close friend or as a good adviser and sometimes, he even tempts us through those we hold in high esteem. This is exactly what plays out in today’s Gospel passage.

Having realized what they had done, Adam and Eve became ashamed and hid away from God. Their eyes had become open and they suddenly felt unworthy of God’s presence, they died to innocence. They could no longer approach God freely as before. God can never lie; He wasn’t joking when He said they would die if they ate of the forbidden tree.

we cannot hide our real identity from the devil and his agents. We cannot pretend to be mighty Christians when our lives are full of hidden sins. Satan laughs at us when we hide under the shadow of pretence. It is human beings who need signs and wonders to be displayed in other to believe and it is human beings who can be deceived. Satan does not need any of that. He is capable of recognizing a true Christian from that who is not.

I feel ashamed when I see Christians panicking at the thought of witches and wizards or pastors exulting the devil in their sermons, literally putting fear in the minds of their listeners without also preaching about God’s power as greater than that of the devil. Today’s Christians are willing to ascribe every single negative event in their lives to the power of the devil (including headaches) but are very slow to praise and thank God for positive events in their lives.

As we struggle to make progress in our spiritual lives every day, let us realize that every step we make in the right direction pisses off the devil more and more. This is a truth clearly hidden from the worldly-minded; a truth which St. Paul says in our first reading, always sounds like mere gibberish to the unspiritual man.