The Devil's Battle Plan

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Leela
*
Mystery + the devil is still a mystery, so the devil just doesn’t explain anything *

The devil explains things to Christians, even if not to non-Christians. To non-Christians all the teachings of the Catholic Church explain nothing.

Wouldn’t you agree? 😉

Catholicism is a mystery religion. We embrace our mysteries. We are not so presumptuous as to think we have to know entirely the mind of God or else we have to conclude there is no God. 🙂
 
I read with interest the stopping of clocks when someone died. In my case, it wasn’t clocks, but I understood that a statement was made by Heaven when each of my parents died. Both were strong Catholics. When my Dad died, a huge rubber plant died in spite of efforts to keep it going. I didn’t think anything of it at the time until when my mother died (just recently) the enormous tree by her bedroom window was struck by lightening during a storm. Now these may be random events, but I learned to look for signs and understand there is often an underlying meaning to events happening in our lives.

Also, a few years after my father’s death, I was bothered by the fact that I wasn’t there with him when he died. I prayed for a sign that he was all right, especially since my mother had a dream that he was killed by drugs in the nursing home. It just so happened that for the first 3 or 4 years since we had lived in a new home, a white deer could be seen in a woody area not far away. I wondered if the Lord was trying to get something across to me. But I made a mental reservation that the deer would have to come into our yard if there would be any substance to a revelation. On my birthday in April, which happened on Divine Mercy Sunday that year, I asked God if He would show me that my Dad is safe (if He didn’t mind). I forgot all about the subject, and we didn’t see the deer UNTIL my daughter’s birthday in June IN OUR YARD. We’ve never seen the deer since, and it’s been several years. This certainly doesn’t prove the existence of another world beyond ours, but, for me, these events have a deeper meaning.
 
Getting back to the topic:

Many don’t want to hear about evil forces in our lives and in the world, so they shut their eyes and block their ears. They have “itching ears” for philosophies that appeal to their sensibilities, afraid to step out of their comfort zones and test the spiritual waters.

An incredible event occurred (and I should have marked the day) a while back when one son was nearly 2-years old. I wasn’t sure whether to relate this although I had done so on a thread several months ago. But since today is May 13th, the anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima’s first visit to the three children in Fatima, Portugal, I thought it was a good time to reveal the following event.

My little boy was jumping on our bed while I was sitting on the edge talking on the phone. He was twirling a Rosary over his head when my eye caught sight of him. I immediately ended the conversation, and attempted to grab the Rosary when, suddenly - like out of the clear blue - the Rosary was breaking into pieces flying to land in different spots. I was astounded. Even my son knew this wasn’t suppose to happen ( though he hadn’t studied Physics yet!) and looked surprised. I picked up pieces of varying sizes as well as single, double beads in the bedroom. I was doubly shocked to find the pieces in the hallway, and for the next 2 or 3 days or so. I knew in my heart what this meant. I had gathered my children together each night to pray the Rosary. It had turned into a religious education experience This had been going on for a few months (can’t remember how many). Eventually, the older kids who were teens made it difficult to continue, and I felt I couldn’t maintain the discipline. 😦

There is a saying that “the family that prays together, stays together.” I won’t detail the problems that occurred later. I really don’t know if these could have been avoided had we continued the Rosary. But I think so.
 
*Eventually, the older kids who were teens made it difficult to continue, and I felt I couldn’t maintain the discipline. *

You were right not to insist. The rosary is not for those who resent it. Hopefully, they will return to the practice when they are more mature and realize what they have given up was worth more a good deal more than what they got in return.😉
 
Charlemagne_II said:
*Eventually, the older kids who were teens made it difficult to continue, and I felt I couldn’t maintain the discipline. *

You were right not to insist. The rosary is not for those who resent it. Hopefully, they will return to the practice when they are more mature and realize what they have given up was worth more a good deal more than what they got in return.😉
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I’m hoping and praying for my family members all the time. Now when I think about the situation, I wish I had just sat in my prayer seat where we all met and just prayed the whole Rosary by myself ALOUD! I think now that maybe one or two may have joined in. Part of the problem was the schedule for sports and music activities.

However, the devil knows our weak spots and capitalizes on them. Although he can’t get into our minds to change our wills, he is able to reach the affective part of our thinking and he is able to work on our emotions, especially when we are at a low point during the day or periods of our lives. The mystics explain how demons work in the world and in our personal lives as they have been targets in various ways. (St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Faustina, Blessed Josepha Menendez, the Cure of Ars, St. Catherine of Sienna, etc. . .) I’m just starting a book called Mystics – Ten Who Show Us the Ways of God. 🙂
 
*However, the devil knows our weak spots and capitalizes on them. Although he can’t get into our minds to change our wills, he is able to reach the affective part of our thinking and he is able to work on our emotions, especially when we are at a low point during the day or periods of our lives. *

“Be ever engaged, so that whenever the devil calls he may find you occupied.” Saint Jerome
 
4Horsemen said:
I’m hoping and praying for my family members all the time. Now when I think about the situation, I wish I had just sat in my prayer seat where we all met and just prayed the whole Rosary by myself ALOUD! I think now that maybe one or two may have joined in. Part of the problem was the schedule for sports and music activities.

However, the devil knows our weak spots and capitalizes on them. Although he can’t get into our minds to change our wills, he is able to reach the affective part of our thinking and he is able to work on our emotions, especially when we are at a low point during the day or periods of our lives. The mystics explain how demons work in the world and in our personal lives as they have been targets in various ways. (St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Faustina, Blessed Josepha Menendez, the Cure of Ars, St. Catherine of Sienna, etc. . .) I’m just starting a book called Mystics – Ten Who Show Us the Ways of God. 🙂
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I’m afraid I’ll have to quote my old Protestant pastor again.

When he was a young pastor he was visiting an elderly lady, a member of his congregation, in hospital, where she was dying. As he sat there, she was unconscious, and clearly struggling. She’d been a saintly old soul.

Suddenly she sat bolt upright, reached out to something only something she could see, her features aglow, and said, “I’m coming Lord!”

Then she fell back dead. He said her features looked just that of a young girl, yet she’d been desperately ill a minute ago.

In his own words, “It was an eye-opener for a young pastor, I can tell you.”
 
His battle plan is very simple: “CHANGE”
From my many years involvement in Church movements, I have come to realize that by using some of our best he wreaks the most havoc. By convincing some of our leaders to make “A CHANGE” immediatly friction is created between the “Old timers” and current leaders. After a few years and a few more CHANGES the original program as become unrecognizable and most of the OLD TIMERS have left the movement. The ones remaining are shunned and kept away from participating or staffing ongoing programs.
After a while membership decreases, and the movement goes on life support or becomes inactive. I have seen it happening in Cursillo, TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) Life in the Spirit Siminars, YMCA and other great programs.
Ever since the beginning, a constant struggle with “Changers” as dogged our Church and continues to this day and keeps satan bussy picking off lost souls.
Once a “CHANGE” has krept in, it is very difficult or almost impossible to restore the orriginal version. A simple" DOMINUS VOBIS CUM" ( THE LORD BE WITH YOU" Response:"“ET CUM SPIRIT DI TU” (And with your Spirit) As become; “And also with you.” Pope Benedict has requested we return to the older versions of this and a few other sayings during the Mass, but there seems to be no progress forthcomming in these matters. ED
 
edgarddb said:
His battle plan is very simple: “CHANGE”
From my many years involvement in Church movements, I have come to realize that by using some of our best he wreaks the most havoc. By convincing some of our leaders to make “A CHANGE” immediatly friction is created between the “Old timers” and current leaders. After a few years and a few more CHANGES the original program as become unrecognizable and most of the OLD TIMERS have left the movement. The ones remaining are shunned and kept away from participating or staffing ongoing programs.
After a while membership decreases, and the movement goes on life support or becomes inactive. I have seen it happening in Cursillo, TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) Life in the Spirit Siminars, YMCA and other great programs.
Ever since the beginning, a constant struggle with “Changers” as dogged our Church and continues to this day and keeps satan bussy picking off lost souls.
Once a “CHANGE” has krept in, it is very difficult or almost impossible to restore the orriginal version. A simple" DOMINUS VOBIS CUM" ( THE LORD BE WITH YOU" Response:"“ET CUM SPIRIT DI TU” (And with your Spirit) As become; “And also with you.” Pope Benedict has requested we return to the older versions of this and a few other sayings during the Mass, but there seems to be no progress forthcomming in these matters. ED
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Now where did I hear that word “change” before? From a current political leader smoking a hope-ium pipe? 😛 But that’s another topic. Point is, satan can sow confusion during times of change, not that all change is bad. But it’s not the devil who is orchestrating the universe, but our God, even with our free will–especially with our free will. He wants to save His wandering children with the help of His Christ-followers, Christians. He could easily end all wars, poverty, homelessness, abortion, pornography and other evils by His own will, but He works with us drawing all humanity back to Himself.
 
Charlemagne_II said:
This is a thread to test your powers of intellect and imagination. C.S. Lewis (The Screwtape Letters) and Peter Kreetft (The Snakebite Letters) would approve.

If you were one of the Devil’s lieutenants, how would you counsel him to ruin the human race and increase the population of hell?

Or, what strategies has the Devil already used with greatest success?

Any takers?
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The word “Diobolic” means to seperate and divide. The Devil wants to divide and conquer. The Devils favorite color is “Grey”; he is quite content with secular indifference because it leads us away from God. Pride is another tactic; More money, more accolaids, look at me, inward looking instead of outward towards others. St. Michael the Archangel defend us in Battle!
 
Exactly 33 years to the day prior to the great Miracle of the Sun in Fatima, that is, on October 13, 1884, Pope Leo XIII had a remarkable vision. When the aged Pontiff had finished celebrating Mass in his private Vatican Chapel, attended by a few Cardinals and members of the Vatican staff, he suddenly stopped at the foot of the altar. He stood there for about 10 minutes, as if in a trance, his face ashen white. Then, going immediately from the Chapel to his office, he composed the prayer to St. Michael, with instructions it be said after all Low Masses everywhere.

PRAYER:

Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell, Satan and all the other evil spirits, who prowl throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
 
I think it entirely possible that Leo had a vision in which he discerned that Satan was going to claim the next century as his own. Given the great wars and persecutions of the 20th century, especially by atheist dictators, I think he was right on target. We have survived the 20th century, even if in a crippled state.

Perhaps in no small measure due to Michael.
 
So . . . where are all the friendly atheists on this thread? 🤷 Have they conceded the argument to the Christians that there is such a thing as the personification of evil in the form of the devil (Satan, Beelzebub, Evil One, including various pagan gods, et al.) ?
Will the atheists admit their loss? Or totally ignore the posts that demonstrated evil that was inexplicable any other way? (Besides, the evidence is all around us). Will they come to admit and acknowledge the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell?

In the meantime, the 4 Horsemen speed through the Apocalypse: Famine, Pestilence, Destruction and Death–the effects of sin in the world and the reality of evil.
 
4 Horsemen

*So . . . where are all the friendly atheists on this thread? *

Friendly? 😃

Yes, well atheists may dislike the idea of devil even more than of God. Is it possible they have a haunting suspicion that maybe they have been duped by the devil after all?
 
4Horsemen said:
Have they conceded the argument to the Christians that there is such a thing as the personification of evil in the form of the devil (Satan, Beelzebub, Evil One, including various pagan gods, et al.) ?
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Uh, no.
the posts that demonstrated evil that was inexplicable any other way?
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You are using the word “demonstrate” in a radically new way here.

If you’re seriously claiming that the only way that we could ever explain the existence of “bad stuff” is that a magical bad guy is pulling the strings of history – you are out of your mind.
 
Charlemagne_II said:
4 Horsemen

*So . . . where are all the friendly atheists on this thread? *

Friendly? 😃

Yes, well atheists may dislike the idea of devil even more than of God. Is it possible they have a haunting suspicion that maybe they have been duped by the devil after all?
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I treat with absolute incredulity the unprovable notion that I might have an imginary friend. The idea of an imaginary enemy seems equally preposterous to me.
 
AntiTheist said:
Uh, no.

You are using the word “demonstrate” in a radically new way here.

If you’re seriously claiming that the only way that we could ever explain the existence of “bad stuff” is that a magical bad guy is pulling the strings of history – you are out of your mind.
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I didn’t see him write “magical bad guy”. Poor atheist…I think you need glasses.
 
MindOverMatter2 said:
I didn’t see him write “magical bad guy”. Poor atheist…I think you need glasses.
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A “magical bad guy” is exactly what this “Devil” character is – he is a supernatural (i.e. “not natural,” i.e. “magical”) entity whose nature is to do things that people consider bad. That, in my book, is a magical bad guy.

To claim that the only possible explanation for bad things is the existence of a magical bad guy is plain ridiculous.
 
MindOverMatter2 said:
I didn’t see him write “magical bad guy”. Poor atheist…I think you need glasses.
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And I think you need to stop passing the buck to the devil. If you want a look at an example of the entities that are responsible for evil, go find a mirror. Human beings are the one lifeform on this planet that can contemplate the consequences of their actions. Evil comes from us, not from invisible demons.
 
Moonstruck

And I think you need to stop passing the buck to the devil.

No Catholic passes the buck to the devil, and it is evidence of your sublime ignorance of Catholic theology that you would say such a thing. The devil is a tempter only. We accede to his temptations or we overcome them. The buck stops with each of us. That is why the devil is in hell … paying for his own sins … as we may be in hell, paying for our own.
 
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