Tactics of the Enemy

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I think we need to watch not only our words but ourselves as we participate in this forum.

The Enemy is foremost the enemy of our souls. He doesn’t mind our trying to do good while arming ourselves with good arguments and even scripture, if along the way, he can introduce a bit of sarcasm, haughtiness, and the like; punctuated, perhaps, with a touch of subtle distain. We can lose touch with our “conferees” whose good we supposedly desire. Satan wins if good thoughts are skewed by bad attitudes.

By watching our thoughts and feelings as we compose away on these threads we can detect what St. Ignatius refers to as “the serpent’s tail,” and not only stop the snake in its tracks, but we can learn from the encounter.

Ignatius’ 4th, 5th and 6th rules of discerning of spirits can forewarn us and inform us.

ccel.org/pager.cgi?file=i/ignatius/exercises/exercises1.0.html&up=i/ignatius/exercises/exercises.html&from=RTFToC155
 
T.A.Stobie:
Feel free to share your insights to Father Corapi’s words of wisdom about the tactics of the enemy with us here.

Every time, I hear him I get more out of it.
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I don’t know how much justice I could do for Father Corapi’s words of wisdom. While I was folding laundry, I was listening to the first two talks in the New War Old War series. The second one was on Spiritual Training.

He talks a lot about faith being strengthened in the crucible of trial & tribulation.

Satan never eats, never sleeps and never gives up. His battle is already lost, but he won’t admit defeat. He is the master terrorist who uses darkness, lies and obscurity. The moral demise of a nation always precede’s it’s ultimate demise, and a morally weak people is easy to enslave.

Tomorrow, I’m going to listen/watch the talk on Spiritual Weapons & Tactics. I like his talks. It’s as if we’re all being called to be stronger spiritual warriors through prayer, greater trust in God, and strengthening our virtues by way of our struggles in life.

I know all the responses have been much better than this synopsis, but I wanted to add it for anyone who’d might be interested in the talk.
 
Satan’s works are simultaneously macrocosmic and microcosmic. For instance, in a free society, he and his legions endeavour to erode the underpinnings of morality by confusing the “rights” of individual sinfulness with principles of individual liberty. The result is to validate sin. Once that is accomplished, individuals themselves can be more easily tempted. Individual sinners then reinforce general sinfulness while an air of sinfulness reinforces the individual sinner.

Homosexualty, once an abomination, is now “valid” as an alternative lifestyle. The effect on the individual homosexual, who may privately be struggling with his sin, is to tempt him “out of the closet” and into the public forum. The increasing result of this is to give voice to homosexuality as a valid alternative, not a sin at all. The result increases further to the attempted validation of homosexual marriage. And what about free-wheeling sexuality that contributes to a high rate of divorce? The sin of lust itself, manifested first in the hearts of individual sinners, became unleashed in the “sexual revolution”. The sanctity of marriage as an institution of love and order was already being destroyed way before the idea of homosexual marriage became a matter of public debate, and it might be argued, was a prelude to it. The devil has been working it from both angles.

The Supreme Court recently stymied an attempt by lawmakers to limit a child’s access to internet porn. In the name of free speech, the court decided to block the new laws. In this case, the democratic ideal of individual liberty was corrupted and the result was to “protect” porn peddlers. It’s now up to parents to police their children’s web surfing - a web that is rife with the most foul pornographic images. Pornography catering to lust has been brought generally into the secular realm as something that is not really sinful, or if it is sinful, it’s up to the individual to abstain from it. The devil wins again, because pornography IS proliferate on the web and certain individuals, some of them children, will undoubtedly fall prey to it.

Obesity has been defined by medicaid as a disease. What about the sin of overeating?

Greed is viewed simply as a motive force in our rapacious corporate culture and “globalization” means nothing more than the exploitation of another country’s poor while further causing the impoverishment of our own working-class citizens. Would things be different if greed itself was viewed as a sin?

I’ll leave it to other posters to provide more examples as I think about this some more myself.

Love and Peace to all of you!
 
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AmandaPS:
I don’t know how much justice I could do for Father Corapi’s words of wisdom. While I was folding laundry, I was listening to the first two talks in the New War Old War series. The second one was on Spiritual Training.

He talks a lot about faith being strengthened in the crucible of trial & tribulation.

Satan never eats, never sleeps and never gives up. His battle is already lost, but he won’t admit defeat. He is the master terrorist who uses darkness, lies and obscurity. The moral demise of a nation always precede’s it’s ultimate demise, and a morally weak people is easy to enslave.

Tomorrow, I’m going to listen/watch the talk on Spiritual Weapons & Tactics. I like his talks. It’s as if we’re all being called to be stronger spiritual warriors through prayer, greater trust in God, and strengthening our virtues by way of our struggles in life.

I know all the responses have been much better than this synopsis, but I wanted to add it for anyone who’d might be interested in the talk.
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You sure make me want to hear Fr. Corapi’s talk. Good post!
 
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AmandaPS:
I don’t know how much justice I could do for Father Corapi’s words of wisdom.Tomorrow, I’m going to listen/watch the talk on Spiritual Weapons & Tactics. I like his talks. It’s as if we’re all being called to be stronger spiritual warriors through prayer, greater trust in God, and strengthening our virtues by way of our struggles in life.

I know all the responses have been much better than this synopsis, but I wanted to add it for anyone who’d might be interested in the talk.
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I think your synopsis was quite good. I like his tapes and programs too. I try to catch him on EWTN as much as possible. He teaches in such a powerful way. I found a nice site which has some of his talks online. Even just reading them I can almost hear his powerful voice speaking out for Christ. His teachings move hearts and minds and souls to accept the battle and know that we will win if we choose humility and the Cross of Christ. He is a real blessing to the church, especially in this day and age of confusion.
Fr Corapi:
Christ came to cast out the evil one and his works of lying and death, and did so through the humble obedience which led him always to accept the Father’s will, even unto the death of the cross. The essence of the diabolic is that pride and arrogance which leads to disobedience. This leads to fracturing and division. Stepping outside of the truth who is God himself results in this division.

Those who are most powerful in Christ through his church, which is called to fight against “the liar and father of lies, the murderer from the beginning” (cf… Jn 8:42f) (the devil), are those who are most humbly obedient to God’s authority working through the church. The devil can do nothing when he comes up against those who obey most humbly Christ’s church and her teachings. On the other hand, he is most powerful and untiringly active working through those who imagine themselves to be above the church’s teaching authority. Humility leads to obedience, which leads to life. Pride leads to disobedience, which leads to death. This is the lesson of the book of Genesis. It is the lesson of the cross.

With the angels of the Lord we humbly and obediently praise and give thanks to the Father through Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit for all that God’s creative and redemptive power has wrought.
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Teachings by Father John Corapi, S.O.L.T.
 
Here is an article I found via Spirit Daily. I am quite disturbed to learn about this.

catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=1554

Can anyone explain what a Santanic wants with a consecrated host? Jesus is present within it but what harm can they do to Christ through the host? What are the effects on the satanist of defiling the host? I guess I don’t know much about it at all and am open to any info on the subject.

We need to pray for all those disturbed and afflicted with devil worship! :gopray:
 
What I find scary is how often the devil tries to work through us. I’m sorry to say that he worked through me majorly-without my fully realizing that the father of lies himself was guiding my actions, causing me to lead others astray…as well as myself.

I can’t say how many times I’ve led my friends into sin, and I just hope the Lord forgives me for destroying their innocence. While I did nothing physically, my words helped to influence them.

Even now, when I’ve had conversations about morality with a very religious friend of mine, I suddenly get a tingle down my spine when I have to stop myself from making a comment that I know to be from Satan himself…even when it is subtle. I thank God that I’m now more able to recognize it when it happens, and apologized to the friend who has given me much spiritual guidance. The topic we were on was about humility, and part of me was about to attempt to plant seeds of pride in him. I typed out my comment, reread it, and was shocked as I came to the realization that what I was saying was evil-if only subtely.

May the Lord give us the strength and guidance we need to combat against the enemy’s traps.

~Max
 
**Max **gives a great defense against Satan. Be aware of his attack on you and defend against that first. Paul’s spiritual armor is designed foremost for personal defense.

I sincerely hope that Satan’s influence in our conversations here is diminished by the Holy Spirit’s gift of charity. Or at least that the moderators can locate his username and ban him.
 
Hi Friends.

There are many ways satan tempts us and tries to overtake us.
One of the best answers I have received to date is one I read in the book ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT. It states there that those in the school of the Holy Spirit are satans main targets. If you are a pupil of the Holy Spirit and enrolled in His school of learning then your temptations will come by means of others.
Think about it. The school of the Holy Spirit invites us to enter. Through the love of God we have access, however, satan can never have access to it. All teachings of the Holy Spirit are in silence. Words are never used. The lessons involve illumination of the conscience amongst others. Since it is run in silence satan prowls about its walls listening but never hears anything. In desperation he uses others to gain insight into the state of your being. For example praise from another. it leads to pride and of course we know the rest. So my friends be on your guard. If you feel that those around you are lavishing you with all kinds of praise and earthly glory never forget to always remind them that God is the author of all good actions. Remind them that they do well also to give thanks to Him above for allowing His gifts to be manifested in such a fashion.

At present I am participating in the 33 day total consecration to Jesus through Mary. The first 12 days are an initial shedding of oneself. I in one sense used to smile and accept praise until I read the parable about being the light of the world and the salt of the earth. This parable finishes as follows: "and so seeing all your good works they may give praise to your heavenly Father."
May all creation praise the one who has animated it.
Fergal
Naas
Ireland
 
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EsclavoDeCristo:
Here is an article I found via Spirit Daily. I am quite disturbed to learn about this.

catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=1554

Can anyone explain what a Santanic wants with a consecrated host? Jesus is present within it but what harm can they do to Christ through the host? What are the effects on the satanist of defiling the host? I guess I don’t know much about it at all and am open to any info on the subject.

We need to pray for all those disturbed and afflicted with devil worship! :gopray:
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Gosh. See even though they are antichrist look at the belief they have in the true presence of God in the Blessed Sacrament. They realise in all their hatred that God is there Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity therefore it is their greatest way of inflicting outrage and sacrilage on our Divine Lord. They know it is the closest they can get to Him to inflict their hideous blasphemy.
Now if Catholics believed out of love what they believe out of hatred imagine the glory that would be given to God.

Just a thought!
Fergal,
Naas
Ireland
 
Another tactic of the enemy is to encourage Disobedience Against Lawful Authority, particularly the Church.

We are required under the 4th commandment to be obedient to lawful authorities in everything except where being obedient would be immoral. The enemy likes to get us to disobey, lead others to disobey, distort the law, and rebel against the authority without valid moral reasons, usually starting with small things and leading to larger ones.

For instance, under most circumstances (excepting where it is unsafe or an true emergency and being late is not a true emergency), we are obligated to obey the speed limit (without bending it) under the 4th commandment but we are pressured into bending it generally through our (name removed by moderator)atience.

Now in terms of obedience to the Church, we as Catholics are blest. We have been granted by God a teaching magisterium that cannot lead us into error in the areas of faith and morals. This means that we can trust the Church totally and obey completely the teaching magisterium of the Church. This ability to trust the Church completely provides us a excellent shield against the enemy. When we surrender to the teaching authority of the Church, we become protected from many of the lures and tricks of the enemy. The more we surrender, the more protected we become.

In terms of practices of the Church, if the church grants multiple forms that something (such as Mass) can be done, we have to accept that each are equally valid and cannot lead people into the belief that one way is more valid than the other. The enemy will use our preference for option as a tool to divide us if we let him. Extremism is a tool of the enemy used to divide and cause infighting (see early post on that topic).

The counter for disobedience is obedience to lawful authorities, particularly the Church.
 
:clapping: A lot of good posts so far. 👍 This thread has turned out better than I expected. 🙂 My guess is we have still have lots to talk about on this topic. :clapping:

(one of the tactics of the enemy is doubt “is my post useful?” and by posting affirmation and praise we remove some of it and thus help counter that weapon.)

:gopray2: May the Lord protect us from the enemy on this thread and this forum. :gopray2:
 
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Max:
What I find scary is how often the devil tries to work through us. I’m sorry to say that he worked through me majorly-without my fully realizing that the father of lies himself was guiding my actions, causing me to lead others astray…as well as myself.

I can’t say how many times I’ve led my friends into sin, and I just hope the Lord forgives me for destroying their innocence. While I did nothing physically, my words helped to influence them.

Even now, when I’ve had conversations about morality with a very religious friend of mine, I suddenly get a tingle down my spine when I have to stop myself from making a comment that I know to be from Satan himself…even when it is subtle. I thank God that I’m now more able to recognize it when it happens, and apologized to the friend who has given me much spiritual guidance. The topic we were on was about humility, and part of me was about to attempt to plant seeds of pride in him. I typed out my comment, reread it, and was shocked as I came to the realization that what I was saying was evil-if only subtely.

May the Lord give us the strength and guidance we need to combat against the enemy’s traps.

~Max
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Pope John Paul II’s first words to the Church were “Be not Afraid.” Word’s of encouragement! He knew what we faced and that, “the One Who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

The other day while I was praying I offered God all my short-comings. Immediately, I wanted to laugh, thinking what a treasure-trove God would have by the end of my life.

I try to remember Who my Father is, Who my Brother is and Who my Mother is. With the war already won, our battle loses are like battle wounds and scars to testify to our brotherhood with the saints. Paul knew what to boost of and he was great.

We can all take Our Lady of Guadalupe’s words to her Diegito to heart:

“Listen and let it penetrate your heart . . . do not be troubled or weighed down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?”
 
Joanna brought this one up.

The enemy uses fear to turn us away from what we ought to do in this spiritual combat. The enemy wants our fear of the unknown, of confrontation, and of being wounded (through the words and actions of others) to drive us into inaction, so that we do not (1) do what we should or need to do and (2) counter his actions. Fear also leads to a lack of trust in God to help us and protect us.

Pope John Paul II continually has preached “Be Not Afraid!” as does St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy Image. The counter to fear is to ** trust in God and prayer**.

:gopray2: Jesus I trust in You. :gopray2:
 
Faithful 2 Rome:
Father Corapi also says that too many people mistake the meaning of the word Freedom and actually are exercising “License” How true.
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I was thinking that perhaps we should expand on “freedom” and “license” for anyone reading who may be wondering exactly what this means. I took notes. 😃 So this is actually part of the notes I took down for the first part of New War, Old War.

Freedom and fear are at war. Freedom is not, “being able to do whatever you want to do.” That is license. If you have license, rather than authentic freedom, your house is built on sand and will collapse. Authentic freedom is the power to do what we ought to do; the power to choose the good, the true, and the beautiful. That will vanquish fear every time. If your concept of freedom is really license, fear will come out on top every time.

Freedom has to be united with truth. There is no fredom outside of the truth: No authentic human freedom outside of the truth. “If you are truely my diciples, you will abide in my word. You will know the truth, and the truth till make you free.” True freedom is rooted in God.
 
The enemy likes to persaude us into extremism in how we spend our time and view things.

The enemy knows that if our lives are out of balance, we cannot serve and love God as good as we could. He encourages us to overdo one area at the expense of others hurting not only ourselves but those around us as well.

See my meditation "Living our Lives in Balance" and the discussion on "How do you keep your life in Balance?". We need to keep a watch on ours lives and correct when necessary to keep them in balance.

In many areas there is a wide range of valid morally-legimate positions. (There are some that there is only one valid position. Abortion is always morally wrong, for instance.) The enemy likes to get us to take a narrow part of this and claim that other valid positions are invalid morally (which is not the case). This is what I mean by excessive exclusiveness. The enemy then encourages us to become more and more hostile towards those outside our area of exclusiveness (see the earlier division and infighting post). We need to learn the different positions and whether they are morally-legimate or not and treat them accordingly. As Catholics we can (as mentioned in prior posts) rely on the Church totally about the morality of a position.
 
As mentioned above, the enemy and those who aid him use hidden agendas to sneak part of their objective past us and then go after the next part.

Be aware when people and organizations claim their purpose is something, but what they do does not completely fit their purpose. Sometimes you will have the clue that earlier statements that were made are reversed. This can be a sign that it was just a smoke screen to advance part of their agenda. Now it is a hinderance to taking it to the next step so it is got thrown out.

Remember there is a difference between secrecy to protect individuals and secrecy to protect your goals. If goals have to be hidden or obscured, there is something “fishy” going on. Be very careful around those with these goals.
 
I can only speak for myself on the tactics of the devil against me. The one I have discovered after much prayer is the thought that “God will understand.” as a rationale for my actions.

I believe that the devil gets us to rationalize alot of small and very big sins that way, i.e. contraception (God will understand), abortion (God loves me and will understand), etc.

We are weak human beings and we all understand what leads us to sin and we sympathize with others in sin because we feel bad for them, their circumstances, etc. Today there is alot of understanding going on about sin, but it has become “politically incorrect” and “judgmental”, etc. to call a sin a sin.

I try to remember that we are to correct each other to help us to turn our backs on sin. That’s exactly what Jesus was saying to Judas when he said to him to get away from me Satan.

When I was reading about Padre Pio once they said he was going to hear confessions one day. As he walked along past all of the penitents waiting to have their confessions heard, he said he saw the devil whispering in their ears. He asked the devil what he was doing. The devil said he was going to give something back to them. Padre Pio said What? The devil said “Their shame.” The devil said “I took their shame away so that they would commit these sins and now I want to give it back so they won’t confess them.”

We need to remember what shame is. But we need to run back to the confessional and confess to be released from our shame.

God bless and this is a great thread.
 
T.A.Stobie:
Nice article link. Another way this is put is

Truth is Subjective.

Again all of these are wrong and misdirections the enemy uses to obscure the Truth which is objective.
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I think another tool used against Truth is apathy and tolerance.

Apathy: Satan deceives people into feeling or thinking that it “doesn’t affect them, so why should they care or worry about it?”

Tolerance: Truth is subjugated to personal interpretation. Truth is made to accept what it knows to be wrong/sinful or Truth is branded as “intolerant” or “bigotted.”

And the ultimate: “It’s not hurting anyone!”
 
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