BACKGROUND
You may wonder why I chose the picture above to illustrate Satan. In our society, especially Halloween, the devil is often portrayed as a buffon dressed in red with black goatee, gaunt cheek bones, horns, and piercing red eyes. The devil is far from a buffoon and is a spirit that hardly wears Marvel comic attire.
The devil is a fallen angel. I chose to show Satan alone and isolated. Separtion from God means all we have is ourselves. That is a “hell” of a notion for all eternity. Think about it!
Recently, the Superior General of the Jesuits said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper, El Mundo, “Satan is a symbolic figure who doesn’t really exist, but just a way of talking about evil” Really! I guess Jesus was delusional when He was tempted by Satan in the desert??? Matthew 4:1-10
This kind of mythologizing of Satan has larger ramifications. It encourages those pastors already playing down sin and the existence of hell in their homilies. No devil, no hell, no sin (No God)
Jesus constantly warned his listeners about the reality of hell in his preaching and parables, it is better to lose part of your body than for your whole body to be “thrown into hell” (Matt. 5:29). He urged his followers to be afraid of being destroyed “both body and soul in hell” (Matt. 10:28). On many occasions Jesus spoke of a place where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 22:1-14).
This talk of the devil being just a symbol reminds me of another prevalent false teaching by clergy and believed by lay catholics. Some say that the Eucharist is just a symbol and not the Real Presence of Jesus Christ.
Catholic author, Flannary O’ Connor had it right when confronted by someone that claimed the Eucharist is just a symbol. O’ Connor said, “if that is all it is then the hell with it” Today, according to Pew Research only a third of Catholics, 1 in 3, believe in the Real Presence of Jesus who said THIS IS MY BODY!
Beware of false Shepherds! When Catholic nuns began leaving our Catholic grade schools after Vatican II for social work, all the foundations of faith that I had the pivilege to receive in my youth, slowly disappeared for generations to come. These Catholic children who had been abandoned in their faith formation became Catholic parents who were ill equipped to raise their children in the faith. Some teachers in our Catholic grade schools are not even Catholic, others are in irregular marriages or in some cases co-habitting.
We who still believe and witness the faith Jesus taught and His Church nourished must speak out against any watering down of our faith that attacks the uniqueness and attractiveness of the Faith proclaimed by Jesus Christ, Our Savior! Who is it anyway that think making the Catholic Church like everyone else will attaract people to Jesus! Crazy thinking, but a trend we the faithful have endured for decades..
We have been warned of false shepherds by Jesus! Jesus said to them in reply, “See that no one deceives you…. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many;and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold…. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved… Behold, I have told it to you beforehand. Matthew 24:4-24
In the Old Testament we were warned of shepherds who might lead their flock astray.
The Lord said thus, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel…thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel… You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the stray or seek the lost So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd… Ezekiel 34:1-24
WHAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (MAGISTERIUM) REALLY TEACHES
Lateran Council IV of the Church (1215) stated, “The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing.” These angels irrevocably chose through their free will to rebel against God and not to serve Him. For this rebellion, they were cast into hell.
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURC 391 teaches that Satan was at first a good angel made by God. In his original state he was very powerful, most beautiful, and wise. The devil and the other demons irrevocably rejected God and his reign thus becoming evil by their own doing.
COMMENTARY
Many will question why God allows evil; why not just annihilate Satan. True, we are too weak to defend ourselves; but God’s grace is sufficient. God can bring great good from evil and He does. “Where sin abounds, Grace abounds the more.” Romans 5:20
At the Easter Vigil Service, we pray, “O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the death of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!”
God knew Adam and Eve would fall to temptation. He was ready with His plan B, cursed Satan and promised mankind, a Savior. Genesis 3:15 “I will put an enmity between her seed and your seed and her seed will crush your head.” God’s own Son, Jesus Christ will defeat the devil and death!
Satan is the Prince of Darkness: He lurks about and is crafty. He fills us with the pessimistic thoughts, the bad thoughts, hateful thoughts. He shows us all the hurts, frustration and troubles of this world and of our own lives hoping to lead us to despair.
BOOK OF JOB OLD TESTAMENT
The Book of Job is an interesting tale of a righteous man, a devious tempter, and perseverance in faith. One day God and Satan met as the story goes, and God asked Satan if he had noticed His servant Job in his roaming about the earth. Job had wife, many children, much livestock, and fertile ground to plant. He certainly was blessed but much more Job was righteous with his God.
God told Satan, “there is no one on earth like him, blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil.” Satan answered the LORD and said, “Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing? Have you not surrounded him and his family and all that he has with your protection? You have blessed the work of his hands, But now put forth your hand and touch all that he has, and surely he will curse you to your face. The LORD said to the Satan, “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on him.”
So Satan does his dirty deeds, wiping out Job’s livestock, wife and children, inflicting Job’s skin with boils, all the time encouraging Job to reject God. But Job persists in his faithfulness. Even Job’s friends came to mock him and make fun of him but being such a fool for God.
Satan can only afflict Job with God’s permission–and only within the limits God Himself has established. When the story ends, Job’s faith has been deepened, and he is worshipping God. Job’s final condition and blessings are far better than his first. Job has been blessed, and Satan’s purpose has been frustrated.
CONCLUSION
Satan has considerable power, but his power is not infinite. He is a creature not God. God permits Satan to do only that which is a part of His plan. Satan’s power comes from God’s divine providence which allows him to do what he does.
Satan is allowed to do only that which God has planned for His glory and our good. He does nothing apart from divine permission. He does nothing contrary to God’s plan. God’s purposes are fulfilled, and Satan’s purposes are frustrated.
The ultimate destiny of Satan is defeat and doom. Jesus spoke of his defeat in John 16:11, “The ruler of this world is condemned.” He is defeated through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We ask the candidates in our Baptismal liturgy, “Do you reject Satan? And all his works? And all his empty promises?” We must make that rejection every day. Satan knows how weak and vulnerable we are.
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen. .