If you think that devil will leave you alone
after tempting you once or twice, you’re mistaken. He will come back... again
and again. Our victory depends on how we can thwart his attempts again and
again. Devil will try to trap us through many ways. It can be through somebody
– even a close relative – or internet or our devious and deceitful thoughts and
actions instigated by the Satan. It can be our jealousy, envy, greed, adultery
or arrogance.
If we are trapped by the devil and remain
oblivious to that situation, my God, it’s quite serious. This situation can
keep us away from eternal life in Heaven. We can’t give our souls to Satan. It
belongs to God.
As Pope Francis says, the devil always comes
back to us; he never stops tempting man. “The devil has patience. He never
leaves that which he wants for himself… that is, our souls,” he says.
Devil can come back again and again through
other people or a sinful situation. After the temptations in the desert, when
Jesus was tempted by the devil, in Luke’s version it says that the devil left
Him for a time, but during the life of Jesus he returned again and again.
Pharisees and Sadducees tested Jesus several
times. Who inspired them? “When they put
Him to the test, when they tried to trap Him, in the Passion, finally on the
Cross… ‘But if you are the Son of God… but you come, you come from us, so we
cannot believe,” Pope says.
In Luke 23:8, we read that Herod questioned
Jesus about many things. But He kept silent. Who was acting through Herod? The
answer is very clear. Luke 23:36-37
says, “the soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine,
and saying, ‘If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!"
Our Lord Jesus was tested repeatedly. We will
also face situations when our faith gets tested again and again. Don’t succumb
to the machinations of the devil. This detestable creature will act through
your relatives, friends, colleagues and superiors. We should be able to see
through the devil’s games. Devil has patience. He wants our souls for ever.
Internet is a great trap laid by devil to lure people these days. Hundreds of
porn sites on the internet are booby traps laid by devil. Many of our children
and adults are being trapped by devil through this devious route.
The biggest problem is that we lose the sense
of sin occasionally. There’re others who have lost it for ever. Pope Francis
earlier warned that when the Lord is absent among men, they “lose the sense of
sin” and others risk falling victim to “Christian mediocrity.” The Pope
referred to the “grave sin” of “adultery” as an example.
Rev Fr Xavier Khan Vattayil, a well-known
preacher, says constant prayer and a life in Jesus Christ is essential to keep
away evil forces. How can we guard ourselves from the attacks of devil?
“We need to guard our hearts, where the Holy
Spirit dwells so that other spirits do not enter. To guard the heart, as a
house is guarded, with a key. And then to watch the heart, like a sentinel: How
often do wicked thoughts, wicked intentions, jealousy, envy enter in? So many
things that enter in. But who has opened that door? Where do they enter from?”
Pope says.
“We know – Jesus says clearly – that the devil
always returns. Even at the end of life, He, Jesus, gives us an example of
this. And to guard, to watch, so that the demons don’t enter in, we must be
able to gather ourselves, that is, to stand in silence before ourselves and
before God, and at the end of the day ask ourselves: ‘What happened today in my
heart? Did anyone I don’t know enter? Is the key in its place? And this will
help us to defend ourselves from so much wickedness, even from that which we
could do if these demons, who are very clever and at the end would cheat all of
us, even if they enter,” Pope says.
We need to understand that devil is roaring
around like a lion. He’s waiting for an entry. We must slam the door on his
face. Holy Spirit will guide us in our efforts to reject Satan. If we are in
constant prayer, as Rev Fr Xavier Khan says, we will be able to identify
devil’s machinations to trap us.
