Lord have mercy on us.
Msgr. Pope Ping!
I can resist anything but temptation.
Take the emphasis off Christ and Satan has won.
“In other words, Satan can corrupt our best intentions.
Lord have mercy on us.”
Amen. And yet I have gravitated to the Lord’s reference in the Revelation to “the so-called deep secrets of Satan”, as if highlighting how empty and worthless his “secrets” are.
Over time I have come to see the main problem is ME. I take the bait that, more often than not, is presented by the world, the flesh AND the devil. Satan is limited by God (thank you, Father), and he and his have been busy sowing The Lie for millennia. He has the power of our sin nature on “his side”, but if by the Spirit we put to death the misdeeds of the flesh, we will LIVE!
God gave us divine operating assets, all of which were won for us by Jesus Christ and given to us freely (when He ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men...). We do have to USE them, though. Time for us all to suit up, brothers and sisters!
It sounds like he is describing the elder brother of the prodigal son.
“Nowhere do we tempt so successfully as on the very steps of the altar.”
—Screwtape
Satan isn't interested in those things you posted...Satan has one goal and it isn't to turn you from religion...
His goal is to make you follow him...Satan doesn't hang around in bars and taverns, or drug houses...Satan hangs out at a church...His goal is to be the perfect counterfeit of Jesus Christ...He wants you to be so religious and pious you can't stand it...
2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Satan's ministers are priests...
“Satan can take religious zeal and corrupt it into harsh and uncharitable zealotry. He can take a love for the beauty of the Liturgy, ancient or new, and turn it into a persnickety insistence on exactly the right ingredients, at the expense of charity and at the cost of ridicule, false superiority, and disunity. And thus, charity thrust aside, we say, “Just make sure you celebrate the liturgy the way I like it. Anyone who doesn’t like what I like is antiquarian, a knave, or an uncouth troglodyte and must obviously hate the Church that I love so beautifully …””
It is THIS that gives me pause to comment on any threads regarding our Lord. Seems there are those who insist that THEIR way is the ONLY way. It’s laughable.
Thank you Salvation, I so enjoy reading Msgr. Pope’s words.
Satan can do nothing unless we, with our free will, freely give in to his enticements.
He can’t drag us into hell against our will because that would mean that Christ died in vain.
Oh, VERY well written!!