Satan's influence

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In the teaching about angels it is said that they cannot read our minds. They can take a good guess, though.
 
As to your first question, we are influenced by the “world, the flesh, and the devil”.
 
normdplume said:
I don’t know if I agree with the statement that Satan cannot read our minds. From what I’ve read about demon possession, if you’re possessed, they are fighting for control of your mind as well as your body. If a demon can do it, surely Satan, their master, can as well.
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There is a big difference between possession, which is rare, and temptation, which happens daily.
TheLittleLady said:
I’d suggest you read Peter Kreeft’s work on Angels & Demons.
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I also suggest CS Lewis Screwtape Letters.
normdplume said:
I’m trying to understand the nuances of how Satan works his evil. It’s research for a book.
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Have you considered using the Bible as a source?
 
guanophore said:
Have you considered using the Bible as a source?
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I’ll assume you’re not being snarky. The Bible is my primary source, as are many study guides, websites, Christian movies and documentaries, and forums, of which this is the best. Why shouldn’t I engage others here, many of whom know far more about Catholicism than I do, have thoughtful opinions, and can direct me toward further resources?
 
normdplume said:
I’ll assume you’re not being snarky.
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Not at all. Some professors refuse to accept the Bible as a scholarly source.

What type of studies have you done with scripture to help you? Do you do word or thematic studies?
 
The research is for a trilogy of Catholic-oriented novels about the Second Coming, so the Bible is naturally the definitive resource. I was working on another novel, but decided to switch gears, as the Second Coming has become more interesting to me as I plan the trilogy. It’s taken me seven study guides for Revelation to find something I can wrap my head around. I’ve chosen the best of the guides as my source for interpreting Revelation from a Catholic perspective and am currently converting that into detailed notes. I occasionally pop in to this forum to ask questions since the folks here are very knowledgeable and helpful. Next, I’ll pore over the NT and the Prophets (Daniel is especially relevant) for related material. I’ve read them in the past, but I’ve never really “studied” them, which is a must for writing the story. I’ll probably buy study guides for those as well since a well-written study guide usually does a terrific job of explaining hidden meanings and cross-referencing other parts of the Bible. To be honest, when I read the first study guide for Revelation, I thought John was off his meds when he wrote it. It turned out I was reading a Dispensationalist interpretation, which didn’t advertise itself as such. Apparently, the author didn’t think it was worth mentioning that there are other interpretations besides his own. Having finally read two really great Catholic interpretations, I now realize John was brilliant. I’ll put up some info about the study guides I’ve used in the next day or two. The two best ones actually differ significantly in their interpretations, but both are well-researched and (mostly) coherent.
 
I have found word studies using Strong’s to be very informative. Following a certain tern through the text to glean the way it is used in different contexts is fascinating. Do you use an electronic resource such as Verbum?
 
I hope that you have read Olsen’s work “Will Catholics Be Left Behind?” and Currie’s “Rapture”.

For fiction, Michael O’Brien’s “Children of the Last Days” series is the best I’ve read as far as the Catholic perspective.
 
Hello.

Are you saying that Jesus never thought out the commands to exorcise demons? And also that he wasn’t every bit human?

I don’t think this is quite correct. Please, someone correct me on this if I’m wrong.
 
Every instance in the Gospels indicate that demons
cannot fathom Christ’s thots! He must SPEAK out
to command them out of the person!! But He was
human in that He can have Free will so as to sin.
See Lk. 22:42 He has His OWN will!!
 
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Thanks for this list. I’ll add them to my ever-lengthening list of things to read. It’s a bummer that someone beat me to the idea of a Catholic end-times series. I never stumbled across it in all my time hunting for relevant books on Amazon.
 
Verbum looks fantastic. Funny that it never came up in all my research online. Unfortunately, I can’t afford it. My books may never make a dime in sales, and I’ve already spent hundreds on Catholic resources I really needed. I’m not in it for money (although that would be nice), just trying to fight my declining memory.
 
There was an earlier series published by Bud Macfarlane published back in the late 90’s. First title was “Pierced By The Sword” IIRC.
 
No, what is that? I’m a member of some writing groups on Facebook, but they’re useless, except for an occasional coffee break.
 
I found Children of the Last Days (all except for book two) on Amazon in the US (I’m in Canada). Fortunately, the summaries of his novels are totally different than what I have in mind. My story is centered around a fourteen-year-old orphan who is at the center of the struggle between the Church and the beasts/dragon of Revelation. The summary for the first book follows:

Living in a Catholic orphanage in Rome, fourteen-year-old Connor has special gifts. He comforts the grieving, heals the sick, and casts out demons from the possessed. As the Church struggles to understand his supernatural abilities and reconcile them with accepted doctrine, priests, bishops, and cardinals in Rome are dying at an alarming rate, either by accident, suicide, or murder. Soon the Pope’s Council of Cardinal Advisers concludes the Church is being stalked by the Antichrist, and Connor becomes his main target. The Council must move swiftly to save Connor, who may be the Church’s long-awaited Christ returned in the flesh. What follows is a desperate struggle between good and evil that could decide the fate of Christendom and all of humanity with it.

The second book reveals the False Prophet.
Book three is about the final conflict between Christ and the enemies of God.
 
I’d really suggest getting in with the CWG if you want to craft this into a Catholic novel. Little things in your summary make it read protestant-ish ( for instance, lay persons cannot cast out demons, only a Bishop or a priest delegated by the Bishop may perform an exorcism). Getting with some solid Catholic writers will help you find and correct those things.

And Christ will not return as a 15 year old boy. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.
 
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