Spiritual Warfare vs. Living in the Love of God

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This isn’t very clear. Would you mind explaining what you mean by this?
 
mary15, that’s an interesting topic, but a bit off topic for this thread. Could you perhaps make your own thread?
 
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Limoncello4021 said:
In general, in regards to your question, I think there is a bifurcation between those in the Church that emphasize “spiritual warfare” and those that emphasize virtue, goodness, etc. I certainly see this kind of thing in classic spiritual writers going way back, and it probably has to do with both one’s experience and one’s personality. So it is nothing new. Both sides seem necessary, with a balance in between.
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This is one of the better comments posted. Catholics do need to embrace BOTH lives of virtue and goodness AND spiritual warfare, but it is best done as a unified Church. This is because the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are different among individuals, but are given to the Church as a whole. Spiritual discernment, one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, is required to identify spiritual enemies. For most part, those enemies are defeated with spiritual weapons, such as prayer, fasting, and the sacraments.

Gifts Of The Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 12

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

COMMENT: It is obviously silly to think that any group within the Church has claim to all of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, including discernment of spirits, by which spiritual warfare is waged. That is what St. Paul is saying. There are many different gifts, and we need to respect the gifts given to each individual by the Holy Spirit, who unites us. Our perspectives differ according to our Gifts.

It is not a question of “Converts” vs “Cradle Catholics.” It is not a question of “Younger Catholics” vs “Older Catholics.”

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
 
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I personally feel that the devil is powerless against the faithful. The only time the devil gained anything from me is when I allowed it. Seems like no real power there.
 
We are all vulnerable and need to be on guard of what voices are demonic, and which voices are the nudging of the Holy Spirit.

But I do agree that sensationalized hyperfocus on the demonic is wrong. But simply sharing a demonic account can keep people on their toes and pull them out of tepid waters. I believe Christ wants zeal. Sometimes it wakes us to the fact that Christ lives. There is a reason Christ allows a bit of this danger to be seen. Though the day-to-day grind is of primary focus.

The best way to keep the devil away is to stay out of mortal sin and go to confession. Its pretty simple. I do agree with the OP, the world needs less sensationalism and more old-fashioned grit virtue and Christian kindness. But I can only control myself, and maybe my family to an extent. Wagging my finger and getting grumpy about it doesn’t do much to change the world.
 
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