Posted on 07/23/2013 3:20:20 PM PDT by NYer
One of the key elements in any contest is to understand the tactics of your opponent and to recognize the subtleties of the strategy or moves they may employ. In the spiritual battle of life we need to develop some sophistication in recognizing, naming, and understanding the subtleties of common tactics of the Devil.
A 2011 book by Fr. Louis Cameli, The Devil You Don’t Know is of great assistance in this matter. Having read it recently, I think it would be of value to reflect on four broad categories of the Devil’s tactics that Fr. Cameli analyzes.
While the four categories are Fr. Cameli’s, the reflections here are largely my own, but surely rooted in Fr. Cameli’s excellent work, so recently read by me. I recommend the work highly to you where these categories are aptly and fully described more than my brief reflection here can do.
And thus we examine four common tactics of the devil.
I. Deception – Jesus says The devil was a murderer from the beginning he does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies he speaks according to his own nature, he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44).
The devil deceives us with many false and empty promises. Most of these relate to the lie that we will be happier and more fulfilled if we sin, or deny aspects of the truth. Whatever passing pleasures come with sin, they are in fact passing. Great and accumulated suffering eventually comes with almost all sinful activity. Yet, despite this experience, we human beings remain very gullible, we seem to love empty promises and put all sorts of false hopes of them.
The devil also deceives us by suggesting all sorts of complexities, especially in our thinking. And thus he seeks to confuse and conceal the fundamental truth about our action. Our minds are very wily and love to indulge complexity as a way of avoiding the truth and making excuses. So we, conniving with the devil, entertain endless complications by asking “But what if this….and What about that….??!” Along with the devil, we project all sorts of possible difficulties, exceptions, or potential sob stories, to avoid insisting that we or others behave well and live according to the truth.
The devil also seeks to deceive us with “wordsmithing.” And thus the dismemberment and murder of a child through abortion becomes “reproductive freedom” or “Choice.” Sodomy is called “gay” (a word which used to mean “happy”). Our luminous Faith and ancient wisdom is called “darkness” and “ignorance.” Fornication is called “cohabitation.” And the redefinition of marriage as it is been known for some 5000 years, is labeled “marriage freedom.” And thus, through exaggerations and outright false labeling, the devil deceives us, and we too easily connive by calling good, or “no big deal,” what God calls sinful.
The devil also deceives us through the sheer volume of information. Information is not the same as truth, and data can be assembled very craftily to make deceitful points. Further, certain facts and figures can be emphasized, in exclusion to other, balancing truths. And thus even information or data which is true in itself becomes a form of deception. The news media, and other sources of information, sometimes exercise their greatest power in what they do not report. And this too is a way that the devil brings deceptions upon us.
We do well to carefully assess the many ways Satan seeks to deceive us. Do not believe everything you think or hear. While we ought not be cynical, we ought to be sober, and seek to verify what we see and hear and square it with God’s revealed truth.
II. Division – One of Jesus’ final prayers for us was that we would be one (cf John 17:22). He prayed this, at the Last Supper just before he went out to suffer and die for us. As such, he highlights that a chief aspect of his work on the Cross is to overcome the divisions intensified by Satan. Some argue that the Greek root of the word “diabolical” (diabolein) means to cut, tear, or divide. Jesus prays and works to reunify what the devil divides.
The devil’s work of division starts within each one of us as we experience many contrary drives, some noble, creative, and edifying, others base, sinful, and destructive. So often, we struggle within and feel torn apart, much as Paul describes in Romans chapter 7: The good that I want to do, I do not do…, and when I try to do good, evil is at hand. This is the work of the devil, to divide us within. And as St. Paul lays out in Romans 8, the chief work of the Lord is to establish within us the unity of soul and body, in accordance with the unity of His truth.
And of course the devil’s attack against our inner unity, spills out into many divisions among us externally. So many things help drive this division, and the devil surely taps into them all: anger, past hurts, resentments, fears, misunderstandings, greed, pride, and arrogance. There is also the impatience that we so easily develop regarding those we love, and the flawed notion that somehow, other more perfect and desirable people should be sought. And thus many abandon their marriages, family, churches and communities, always in search of the elusive goal of finding better and more perfect people and situations.
Yes, the devil has a real field day tapping in to a whole plethora of sinful drives within us, but his goal is always to divide us within ourselves, and among ourselves. We do well to recognize that, whatever our struggles with others, we all share a common enemy who seeks to divide and destroy us. As St Paul writes, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph 6:12). Feuding Brothers reconcile when there is a maniac at the door. But step one is notice the maniac, and then set aside our lesser divisions.
III. Diversion – To be diverted is to be turned away from what is our primary goal or task. And for all of us, the most critical focus is God and the good things waiting for us in heaven. Our path is toward heaven, along the path of faith and obedience to the truth, love of God and love of neighbor. And thus the devil does all that he can to divert, that is, turn us away from our one true goal.
Perhaps he will do this by way of making us to be absorbed in the passing things of the world. So many claim that they are so busy that they have no time to pray, or get the church, or seek other forms of spiritual nourishment. They become absorbed in worldly things which pass, and ignore lasting reality which looms.
Anxieties and fears also cause us many distractions. And by these, the devil causes us to fixate on fears about passing things, and thereby not to have a proper fear of the judgment which awaits us. Jesus says Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt 10:28). In other words, we should have a holy reverence and fear directed towards the Lord, and in this way, many of our other fears will be seen in better perspective, or will go away altogether. But in this matter of fear, the devil says just the opposite: we should fear 10,000 things that might afflict us on this passing earth, and not think at all of the one most significant thing that awaits us, our judgment.
At the heart of all diversion is that the devil wants us to focus on lesser things to avoid focusing on greater things, such as a moral decisions, and the overall direction of our life.
Once again, we must learn to focus on what matters most, and decisively refuse to be diverted to lesser things.
IV. Discouragement – As human beings, and certainly as Christians, we ought to have high aspirations. This is good. But as in all good things, Satan often seeks to poison that which is good. For having high aspirations, it is also true that we sometimes lack the humility that recognizes that we must make a journey to that which is good, and best. Too easily then, Satan temps us to impatience with our self or others. And, in our aspirations, expected in unreasonably quick time, there comes a lack of charity toward our self or others. Some grow discouraged with themselves or others and give up on the pursuit of holiness. Others give up on the church because of the imperfections found there.
The devil also discourages us, because aspirations are generally open-ended. The fact is, there is always room for improvement, and we can always do more. But here the devil enters, for, when we can always do more, it is also possible to think we’ve never done enough. And thus the devil discourages us, sowing thoughts of unreasonable demands within us as to what we can or should do they day by day.
The devil also discourages us through simple things like fatigue, the personal failings that we all experience, setbacks, and other obstacles that are common to our human condition, and common to living in a fallen world with limited resources.
In all these ways to devil seeks to discourage us, to make us want, at some level, to give up. Only a properly developed sense of humility can help to save us from these discouraging works of Satan. For the fact is, humility, which is reverence for the truth about ourselves, teaches us that we grow and develop slowly and in stages, and that we do in fact have setbacks, and live in a world that is hard, and far from perfect. Recognizing these things, and being humble, helps us to lean more on the Lord, and trust in his providential help, which grows in us incrementally.
Here then are four common tactics of the devil. Learn to recognize and name them. In this way we start to gain authority over them. Consider buying the book by Fr. Louis Cameli to learn more.
bkmk
Oh-—and you honestly think it is “evil” to point out “evil” and “corruption” when the Bible/Jesus instructs us to do just that!
Do you honestly think the Catholic Church can not be infiltrated/corrupt-—or ever have a Judas, as a priest or Pope???????? Really-—with understanding the history of the Catholic Church and the encyclicals of the popes?
The Catholic Church is corrupt. Fr. Oko’s Report proves it. All the scandals in the Church prove it-—the words of Bishops/Cardinals that shout out “Biden”—prove it. “The Smoke of Satan!!! exists when parishioners money (millions) supports Abortion mills and sodomy promoters which is proven. Catholics on the Supreme Court throw out Natural Law and God’s Law and are embraced by the CC. PURE EVIL-—as was embracing Ted Kennedy and blurring Truth for decades and confusing Catholic who elected Satan as President.
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2013/02/fr-dariusz-okos-major-article-with-pope.html
But—I think the Catholic Canon is perfect-—and as flawless as can be. How do you square that? The Catholic Canon can be perfect—but man cannot. That is also taught in the CC and the Bible.
The Catholic Church is only about the Truth—never lies-—and about “Saving Souls”-—you should understand that and the necessity of carrying a Sword (Truth) to battle Satan.
“The Truth will set you free”.
I didn’t say that it was eveil to point out evil. I just get tired on non-Catholics belittling Catholic truth.....period.
I noticed that too, and it irritates me probably as much as it irritates you. The Catholic Church is led by imperfect people, some of whom are deeply flawed. However, I have read the Bible, and it seems like God has almost always worked through ordinary people despite their flaws. I find that history uplifting rather than discouraging.
Lust - David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:2-17).
Pride - The disciple Jesus loved (John 21:20).
Cowardice - Peter denies Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69-75).
There's also anger, envy, greed, laziness, all in the leaders who accomplished the most, and all recurring numerous times. Jonah running from and later being angry with God, Thomas doubting, Abraham lying and saying his wife was his sister, Joseph framing his brothers for theft (to tease them?), and in countless other ways, the people in the Bible are like us. Why should we be surprised that an organization the size of the Church has many flawed members, some of whom are very deeply flawed, with some of them in leadership? Why should we be surprised that an organization of that size, with that much bureaucracy moves slowly and often awkwardly? It's still the greatest single force for good on earth (a description I might have applied to the United States long ago but not today), and I'm not even a Catholic.
Note: I have theological objections to some aspects of Catholic doctrine, but I don't see any point in debating those points on FR - or anywhere else outside my church and my family. There is corruption in the Church, just as there was in the time of Ananias and his wife Sapphira, and in my own church today. There are areas and times where the Church is misled, just as there were the many times that Jesus had to reprimand his disciples for getting things wrong as, for example, when He said, "get thee behind me" and again in my own church, which is trying to be progressive on homosexuality and other modern perspectives. We're all human and flawed, even Catholics - and even Evangelicals. And one central point in the Bible is that even flawed people can do good if they have faith and apply that faith in doing good works (which I believe will follow from true faith).
**d in my own church today.**
You are very honest. Thank you.
While I am not a Catholic, I disagree with your phrasing and with most of its implication. Some members of the Catholic Church are corrupt, including as you point out Pelosi and others who support abortion and socialism, including a small percentage of pedophiles and of those who did too little to stop those terrible crimes, and including a long litany of other minor or in some cases major problems. Most members and most leaders are better described as flawed or imperfect, just like the best among non-Catholics, rather than as corrupt. Still, as much as I respect our military, overall I would put the many members of the Catholic leadership whom I have met [before I retired, my work had me rubbing elbows with quite a few very senior people in many prominent organizations, including the Church] above the many members of our military leadership whom I have met.
BTW, I very much enjoy and appreciate your posts on this topic. Please keep them up.
Many figures of speech used to describe the devil's moves, but it is summed up by Jesus Christ and put under these three categories...
Steal
Kill
Destroy
Beat me to it!
I concur!
In my personal life the most frequent, vicious, and unfounded attacks come from Baptists, of all people. Most of what they think about Catholicism is untrue and doesn't have any basis in fact. The other 1% of their criticisms are irrelevant at best.
I found that most don't even understand that by grace ye are saved, and not of yourselves, lest any man should boast. They confuse people by failing to rightly divide the Word.
The fact that Catholics and the Catholic Church are so consistently under attack by friend and foe alike, says to me that this is ground zero for satan and his angels. Which means we're the real deal.
Bump for later
Bible says you're wrong...
I found that most don't even understand that by grace ye are saved, and not of yourselves, lest any man should boast. They confuse people by failing to rightly divide the Word.
Or perhaps it's because you guys constantly pervert the scriptures as you just did with this post...
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Or perhaps it’s because you guys constantly pervert the scriptures as you just did with this post...
33 posted on 7/23/2013 9:47:20 PM by Iscool
Another great blog by Msgr Pope
Peter Kreeft did an updated version called the snakebite letters.
The devil also deceives us by suggesting all sorts of complexities
Screwtape was great.
I listened to an interview with Lewis about doing a sequel.
He said he couldn’t delve into the demonic again because it was really oppressive to his mind,
and he wouldn’t dare try to take on the mind of God by doing an “opposite” of TSL.
This is showing life all around us.
The Michael Letters: Heaven's answer to Screwtape
Jim Peschke seems to have given it a try. $4.99 on kindle might be worth a shot.
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