BEND — This weekend took me to Boardman and Hermiston as a part of my continuing round of this year’s Confirmation tour. While the weather forecast made it appear that the trip could be a bit challenging the sunny Saturday morning gave me assurance that I would not encounter any weather related delays. A trip of 200 to 230 miles is not the least bit daunting unless visibility is poor and the roads are icy. Fortunately, I encountered neither. This gave me an opportunity to listen, with very little distraction, to a series of CDs I received on the topic of diabolical possession, obsession, temptation and infestation. With more than 15 hours of material to listen to I will need a few more trips, which are coming up in the weeks to come, to get through the material. In addition to the tapes, I have begun a more or less concerted effort to pursue a greater understanding of the presence and activity of the devil. C. S. Lewis, as well as others, have commented that the devil either wants to remain completely hidden in the background so that his presence is ignored or he wants to present himself as a formidable and unconquerable foe. In our day, it appears that he is successful in doing both.
Our Easter Season is filled with rejoicing and that rejoicing has everything to do with a deliverance from evil and from the evil one. I recall again the Exultet, our Easter Proclamation: “Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels! Darkness vanishes for ever! For Christ has ransomed us with His blood and paid for us the price of Adam’s sin. This is the night when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin! This is the night when Christians everywhere, washed clean of sin ... This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death; The power of this holy night dispels all evil.” Yet, as the Church teaches, the devil is not completely vanquished nor trodden underfoot, and the warfare against him is carried on by Christ and His members until the end of time. The term used here is used intentionally and it is one which is entirely Scriptural - spiritual warfare.
Listen to how the Letter to the Ephesians describes the battle: “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. Therefore, take unto you the armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day and to stand in all things perfect. Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of justice, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace: in all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one.” (Ephesians 6:12-16)
On the one hand, there is perhaps too little discussion about the prevalence of the activity of the devil in the world. On the other hand, when there is discussion of the presence of the evil one, thoughts immediately fly to the most graphic Hollywood images of exorcism. Thus, the devil’s two-fold tactic, denial or fear, are both realized. While it would be a mistake to blame all evil in the world, too readily, on the direct activity of Satan it is likewise a mistake to forget that he is real and that his sway is tremendous.
If our battle were purely against material forces then the Incarnation of Christ, God-become-man, would hardly have been necessary. God, for instance, used Moses to deliver the people from slavery to the Egyptians. If Christ only came to do what Moses did, on a broader scale, then God was hunting partridges with cannons.
Christ came, however, to engage in a much greater battle; one of which the battle of Moses was but a symbol. God delivered Moses and the Israelites from the power of the Egyptians on Passover night but the Israelites were not yet done with the Egyptians, they kept coming after them. So too with Christ. He has conquered the power of Satan, washed away sin, delivered us from the power of death and yet Satan keeps coming after us and will continue to do so until the end of time.
Since our battle is not only against powerful material forces but powerful spiritual forces as well it is all the more necessary for us to recognize our need to rely very firmly on spiritual weapons and powers. The Rite of Exorcism is perhaps seen as the only weapon the Church possesses against the evil one but this is not true. The armory of weapons readily at our disposal is well stocked. Prayers and blessings, holy water and sacramentals are valuable.
Especially powerful are frequent and humble examination of conscience and confession and fervent and fruitful reception of Holy Communion. The latter is used frequently. The former, however, despite its necessity for the fuller fruitfulness of the latter, is used with much less frequency and zeal.
In writing these things I want to be perfectly clear that my decision to do so has absolutely nothing to do with either Boardman or Hermiston. The one connection might be the title of the Church in Hermiston, Our Lady of Angels. Acknowledging that the evil spirits are fallen angels it was wonderful to be in Our Lady of Angels Church and to be surrounded there by a number of images of angels, which, I might add, are far fewer than the actual number of unseen angels which are undoubtedly there as well. I found that both refreshing and consoling. As we perhaps put too little stock in the reality and presence of the devil, so too we put far too little emphasis on the reality, presence and power of the angels. As the devil is our foe so angels are our friends.
It was a joy to be with the good people of Boardman and Hermiston, to pray with them and for them. It is always a joy to be with the young people. It is also a challenge. It is a challenge because I see how much more we, as a Diocese, need to do for them, for their spiritual lives and for ourselves as well. We cannot forget, as Saint Peter warns us: “Be sober and watchful because your adversary, the devil, goes about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” (I Peter 5:8)
