Spiritual combat? Yes. But Where is the Battle?

JMJ

There is much talk today of spiritual combat and things such as prayer warriors. I do not dispute the basic principle of this, but I must ask: Where is the battle? There is no real battle. Only the question: Which side are you on? A battle implies an unknown outcome. A battle suggests a struggle between two or more forces for dominance. So, in all matters concerning God’s Kingdom (which is all and everything) and the forces of evil that would oppose Him, there is no struggle except in the mind of those that place themselves in opposition to God. God is supreme. God is victorious from the beginning. So all that really remains is the question: Which side are you on?

Let me be clear. The battle for Heaven was over before it even began. For starters, Satan originally counted among the seraphim the highest choirs of angels and Michael “merely” an archangel and amongst the second-to-lowest choir fought this battle. It is clear that Satan and his demons never stood a chance. Could not have God defeated Satan with no more than a thought? What did Michael possess that Satan did not? Michael had the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. God is love and all that is done in God’s name must therefore be love so what happened? Even the lowest angels had love sufficient enough to defeat Satan. It was Satan’s and his minions’ prideful hatred that could not exist in the presence of God. Satan was not cast out, but rather repelled Heaven from himself and since Heaven cannot be moved Satan fell to be immersed in the transient, the perishable, the mortal, the material world where more is never enough and less is an all- consuming death.

What of us who are yet upon the earth? Woe to you, earth and sea for the Devil has come down to you in a great fury. . . and having become angry with the woman the dragon went to wage war on the rest of her offspring. We, the Siblings of Christ, the Children of Mary are target of this most formidable beast. But a target does not a war make. We have no need to battle if we surrender to the Will of the Most High God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit; in so doing become citizens in the Kingdom of Heaven. If we are in the Kingdom of God, if we are the mystical Body of Christ, if we are the Church, the Gates of Hell will not prevail against us. We are then in the world, not of the world. So “woe to earth and sea” does not apply to us. Yet should we store up treasures on earth (for where our treasure is, there dwell our hearts), we are then subject to combat. We must decide. Choosing the worldly is death. Choosing to resist the worldly calls of materialism, money, power, honour, pleasure, and delights; choosing to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Him; choosing to die to self paradoxically is to choose eternal life.

Self-actualization, self-realization, self-determination are all lies of the world of flesh. If in our free will we choose our own will, we like Satan play tempter to Jesus. We, on doing this, ask Jesus to work in the world on our terms. We tell Jesus: All in this world is within my power. I will give you all honour and praise if you will bow down and give me all I desire, if you will worship me. We make ourselves God when we dare choose anything contrary to His Divine Will.

Let us Pray:

O Lord, through the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I beg thee grant me the grace to discern Your Most-Holy Will, the strength to carry it out, and the perseverance to continue in it throughout this life and in eternity. I ask this through Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

May almighty God bless you; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

(C) 10 March 2019