Does Your Bishop Believe in the Devil?

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The reason I am so certain that the devil is unworthy of attention is that:​

  1. St. Philip Neri had the same attitude - at a time when Christians on both side of the recent splits were obsessed with the devil.
  2. It is very probable that he learnt it from the Desert Fathers
  3. “The devil is a proud spirit, and cannot endure to be mocked” - St. Thomas More
  4. Christianity is not about the devil but about Our Lord Jesus Christ
  5. We can adore God and by doing so, think rightly about what is unworthy of Him - but thinking of the devil brings no certainty that we shall think of, let alone adore, God.
  6. I believe the Scriptures - but why should any Christian give something so self-conceited as the devil any attention ? it’s unworthy of it.
  7. People become like that of which they think - if we have our hearts and minds set on Jesus Christ, we shall become like Him 🙂
  8. If we darken our minds with thinking of the other thing, we shall become like it - which will weaken our sensitivity to good and our ability to respond to good: which would be self-defeating.
  9. “The devil fell by force of gravity” (Chesterton) - St.Philip was a Saint because he had no such attitude, but refused to take himself seriously - and refused to allow those whom he loved, to do so either :). Hence his constant practical jokes 🙂 He lacked all self-importance and self-conceit: things which in us are just what the enemy takes advantage of.
Let us rather think of what is good and holy and full of light, peace, joy, gladness, & truth - not of the devil.

The devil is like a thoroughly nasty child - always seeking to be the centre of attention. I say we ignore it. Not least because it is by nature a foe beyond any of us - but seeing Our Lord has crushed its head, that is all we have to do too, by sticking close to Him, and thinking of Him, and being filled with Him 🙂 ##
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Gottle of Geer,

We need to be “aware” of the activities of evil spirits and do the “offensive” as well. Saint Paul tells us that we are in a battle, and this battle is constant, it’s happening every single day until Christ comes in glory. This battle is “against principalities and powers, the rulers of the world of darkness.” So if we are in a battle, can a soldier of Christ just sits down and watch the battle going on? In fact, in a real battle, we need to know how the enemy works. We need to know their strategies. We need to study their tactics so we can be better prepared to battle them. Of course we don’t need to know them for the purpose of just “knowing” them. We Christians are ALL involved in this battle, we are the soldiers of Christ our Lord. So whether we like it or not, or whether we are aware or not, the enemy constantly attacks us in every side of this battle. So can we afford to just let them attack us? We need to do the offensive. We have to cloth ourselves with the armor of God. And since we are cloth in this armor, how do you think we look like? Are we not posed to do the battle against the enemy?

Pio
 
hlgomez, Thank you for stating the case so well. Just like danger signs help us avoid an automobile accident on the highway, a knowledge of the kinds of attacks Satan uses helps us to avoid his temptations.

JustinC, Thank You for your posts. Maybe you have more to contribute.

Gottle of Geer, Your second post was just great! You made a number of excellent points. But if you say we should completely ignore the existance of Satan, I will have to disagree with you…again.

The Benidiction that I heard at the end of Mass for years and years was what I call the Saint Michael’s Prayer…why was it said?
Holy Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray. And do Thou, Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen
 
St Bridget of Sweden (1303–1373): “Forty years before the year 2000, the devil will be let loose for a period to tempt men. When all will seem losyt, God Himself will suddenly bring all evil to and end. The sign of when these events will occur will be when priests will have discarded their holy habits and dress themselves in lay clothes and when women will dress like men and men like women.”
 
Gottle of Geer said:
## The reason I am so certain that the devil is unworthy of attention is that:
  1. St. Philip Neri had the same attitude - at a time when Christians on both side of the recent splits were obsessed with the devil.
  2. It is very probable that he learnt it from the Desert Fathers
  3. “The devil is a proud spirit, and cannot endure to be mocked” - St. Thomas More
  4. Christianity is not about the devil but about Our Lord Jesus Christ
  5. We can adore God and by doing so, think rightly about what is unworthy of Him - but thinking of the devil brings no certainty that we shall think of, let alone adore, God.
  6. I believe the Scriptures - but why should any Christian give something so self-conceited as the devil any attention ? it’s unworthy of it.
  7. People become like that of which they think - if we have our hearts and minds set on Jesus Christ, we shall become like Him 🙂
  8. If we darken our minds with thinking of the other thing, we shall become like it - which will weaken our sensitivity to good and our ability to respond to good: which would be self-defeating.
  9. “The devil fell by force of gravity” (Chesterton) - St.Philip was a Saint because he had no such attitude, but refused to take himself seriously - and refused to allow those whom he loved, to do so either :). Hence his constant practical jokes 🙂 He lacked all self-importance and self-conceit: things which in us are just what the enemy takes advantage of.
Let us rather think of what is good and holy and full of light, peace, joy, gladness, & truth - not of the devil.

The devil is like a thoroughly nasty child - always seeking to be the centre of attention. I say we ignore it. Not least because it is by nature a foe beyond any of us - but seeing Our Lord has crushed its head, that is all we have to do too, by sticking close to Him, and thinking of Him, and being filled with Him 🙂 ##
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You ever hear the expression…“keep your friends close and your enemies closer?” Why is this important. Because you need to know who the enemy is and what his tactics are in order to defend yourself against him.
 
Steve Girone:
You ever hear the expression…“keep your friends close and your enemies closer?” Why is this important. Because you need to know who the enemy is and what his tactics are in order to defend yourself against him.
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The best defence against the devil, is be, think, and do whatever is unlike the devil - which is what we should be, think, and do as Christians anyway.​

That way, we are protected against the devil without even trying to be 🙂 - which kills two bird with one stone ##
 
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hlgomez:
Gottle of Geer,

We need to be “aware” of the activities of evil spirits and do the “offensive” as well. Saint Paul tells us that we are in a battle, and this battle is constant, it’s happening every single day until Christ comes in glory. This battle is “against principalities and powers, the rulers of the world of darkness.” So if we are in a battle, can a soldier of Christ just sits down and watch the battle going on? In fact, in a real battle, we need to know how the enemy works. We need to know their strategies. We need to study their tactics so we can be better prepared to battle them. Of course we don’t need to know them for the purpose of just “knowing” them. We Christians are ALL involved in this battle, we are the soldiers of Christ our Lord. So whether we like it or not, or whether we are aware or not, the enemy constantly attacks us in every side of this battle. So can we afford to just let them attack us? We need to do the offensive. We have to cloth ourselves with the armor of God. And since we are cloth in this armor, how do you think we look like? Are we not posed to do the battle against the enemy?

Pio
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See my reply to post. no. 25 🙂​

I agree with you - as translated into in everyday life, the kind of militancy I think your post emphasises boils down to the kind of thing I outlined in that earlier post.

God has created us to love Him - and by loving God, we “crush satan underfoot”, as St. Paul says. satan has no way of attacking Christ, save by attacking us. But, by being “in Christ”, we trample him, just as St. Paul says. Not by our non-existent strength, but by Christ’s - for He is that stronger man who has, already, overcome the strong man and ransacked his household, as in the parable. satan is merely a mad dog in chains, whose power to harm extends no farther than Our Lord allows. We need not go near him - it is our fault if we do.

And we are meant to be “in Christ” anyway. This warfare is not an add-on to our life in Christ, but a that Life seen from another perspective. So, by loving God in Christ, we do what you think we should anyway.

Satan is of no importance in comparison with Christ - so our life in Christ is called “life in Christ” much more than “warfare against satan”; they co-incide, without being identical. We would love God even if there were no satan, because love of God is how creatures respond to God: God has designed us with a tendency toward Him. As there is a satan, our “life in Christ” upon earth is, as a by-product, a warfare as well.

So the important thing is to love God - that is the best way to fight satan. for there can be a warfare against satan that does not involve loving God - a hopeless one, which we cannot win. But if we love God, then there is nothing to fear. That is why satan is unworthy of notice 🙂
 
The Pope’s(JP II) own Excorcist, Father G. Amorth in his book “An Exorcist Tells His Story”, said that the devil is mentioned almost 1000 times in the OT and almost 500 times in the NT.

That is 1500 times in the Bible. Was God joking around when He had the devil’s name written that many times. It seems to be obvious that God meant what He said…that Satan exists.
 
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DominvsVobiscvm:
Father Amorth, with all due respect, is kinda looney, so take what he says with a grain of salt. I think old age has krept up with him.

For more info on his works, go here.
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If DominusVoBiscum is using just the “book review” by Edward Peters of one of Fr. Amorth’s Book he is taking the word of some lower-level writer. A bit more work is required to pry out Amorth’s thoughts. Such as read the book.

Father Groeshell wrote the introduction for that book, he would not do that for some “fly-by-night”. Amorth is the Chief Exorcist for the Diocese of Rome. He works for the Pope! Amorth is a very traditional Catholic.

To modern Americans he may seem quaint is a European sence. Bot one would suppose that any Exorcist would be "quaint’ to unlearned Americans. Stop and think, if the Pope hired him, he must be in line with the Pope. So, take it up with the Pope if Fr. Amorth’s books hit you wrong. I believe Fr. Amorth.
 
my bishop “wrestles with the devil” on a regular basis, he has no illusions at all about the depth and presence of evil and the necessity to fight it at all times. He is extremely serious about his position as a guardian of souls.
 
Steve Girone:
I just heard a talk from Father Corapi, and he will tell you that the devil is certainly real. But sadly, I think he would also agree that Satan has done a great job in convincing a great many within the Church (Priests and Bishops) that he does not exist. When was the last time anyone heard a homily on the devil?

Sad. Pray and pray some more that this turns around.
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It strikes me as something akin to a doctor who says he no longer believes in practicing medicine. How strange that the existence of the devil is now being “debated” at all, by those who claim to be Christians.

Gerry 🙂
 
Sometimes I think Keyser Soze had it right: “The greatest trick the devil has ever pulled is to convince the world he did not exist.”
 
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Almeria:
Sometimes I think Keyser Soze had it right: “The greatest trick the devil has ever pulled is to convince the world he did not exist.”
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:rotfl: That was a good movie indeed.

Back on topic,

I really enjoyed the provided article. Although, i found it a little disturbing to say the least.

How can we not trust this man? With such a reputation, and with so much experience.

I agree with RobedwithLight.
 
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