The Enemies of the Soul
1. It is Christian teaching that we have three enemies which are a
constant threat to our salvation. The first is the devil, an invisible
but very powerful foe.
The devil was once an angel of beauty.
He had gifts superior to those of men and was in a state of happiness.
But God required from him a proof of his fidelity before he could merit
the everlasting reward for which he had been destined.
Lucifer was proud of his beauty and power. Believing that he was equal
to the Most High God, he rebelled against his Creator and drew with him
into eternal ruin innumerable bands of disloyal angels. Their sin was
greater than ours because they had been endowed with a superior
intellect and their will was not subject to the pull of the sensitive
appetites of a material body. This is why God did not give them time to
repent but condemned them immediately to the everlasting torments of
Hell. It is false to imagine, however, that they are confined as it
were, in one place. Being pure spirits, they can with God's permission
wander throughout the world, carrying their hell within themselves.
Moreover, they can endanger in a thousand ways our eternal salvation.
The Gospel often speaks of diabolical temptations and obsessions, and
St. Peter warns us to be continually on our guard against the onslaughts
of the enemy. “Be sober,” he says, “be watchful! For your adversary the
devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking someone to devour. Resist
him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same suffering befalls
your brethren all over the world.” (1 Peter 5:8)
It is the same now as it was in the time of Jesus and His Apostles.
We do not see this infernal spirit, but we feel his presence. Let us
remember what St. Augustine wrote about him. “The devil,” he said, “is a
mastiff in chains. He can bark, but he cannot bite unless we yield to
his evil suggestions and approach him. Watch and pray.”
2. The
second enemy is the world. There are so many beautiful things around us,
reflecting the power and the goodness of God. These should be an
invitation to us to love their Creator, and a spiritual ladder which
leads us towards Him. Unfortunately, we often go astray in the midst of
the passing beauty of this world. Often we set our hearts upon this
beauty, our hearts which should belong wholly to God and which can find
peace and happiness in Him alone. Sometimes worldly objects deceive the
senses and ensnare the will. Riches, pleasures, and honours attract us
and we fail to remember that everything on earth passes like a shadow
and that when we shall stand before the judgment seat of God, only our
good works will accompany us.
3. Our most terrible enemy,
however, is in ourselves - our body, which by sinning can rebel against
the soul and against God. “The flesh lusts against the spirit,” says St.
Paul, “and the spirit against the flesh.” (Gal. 5:17) Although he had
reached the highest peak of sanctity, Paul still complained of the
temptations of the flesh, which continued to buffet his soul like
messengers of Satan. (2 Cor. 12:7)
We experience carnal urges
far more strongly than he did. We should resist them by faith and by
prayer, keeping close to Almighty God. It is fatal to lay down our arms,
for the flesh with its evil designs will seize its advantage and become
the relentless tyrant of the soul. Then, under the guise of satisfying
our desires, it will make us unhappy in this life and will condemn us
forever in the next.
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