Spiritual Warfare
This is a quote from St. Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises.
Thursday and Friday of the Fifth Week in Lent ~ 3/30, 3/31/2023
So, same issue with my home computer and internet ~ neither want to cooperate with my efforts to blog daily. Do I feel like I’m under spiritual attack? Of course! We all are!
Here in the glorious PNW, we have had tremendous winds and lots of rain, and we live on a beautiful wooded acreage. As the only one to help my elderly, widowed father with the increasing yard work, it has been quite a challenge following carpal tunnel surgery in both wrists and a knee that is not currently happy with me. I’m trying to avoid a knee replacement, but there is much to be done. So, after pain got too much from yardwork, I could not even walk up the stairs to get a heating pad for my knee. I don’t think that qualifies as spiritual attack, but, after several hours of elevating my knee and using my ice cold water bottle I had from yardwork, it started feeling better.
It was still very difficult to get up the stairs, though, I did manage to go up and get something to eat and a heating pad, and made it back downstairs. But, once downstairs . . . forgot the book I’m using for reflections and my Bible, which was of course upstairs. It was already past 10pm, and figured blogging was not working anyway, I would just postpone my blog until ‘tomorrow’/today, and continue to rest my throbbing knee. Was that spiritual warfare or self-care? Hard to know sometimes.
So, while elevating my knee again, a friend of mine sent me a podcast to watch and, as it happens, dealt with the spiritual warfare we are all encountering on the planet at this time!
Then I received another friend’s podcast and he was interviewing an exorcist who actually encounters the demons he exorcises from his ‘person’. Quite fascinating. But, also, disturbing to have so much demonic mention from friends who are also feeling under attack.
But, what about those who do not even recognize this is happening? How would you be able to identify if you are even under spiritual attack? First, you need to know the difference between the good spirits and the evil spirits. There is only one Holy Spirit, and that is the one sent down from heaven by Jesus after his ascension into Heaven, at what we now know as Pentecost. He sent His Spirit, His Holy Spirit as an advocate, a helper for us.
The promptings of the Holy Spirit are what help lead you do good works and righteous deeds . . . lead you closer to Christ and away from evil. If ever in doubt, just say the name, “Jesus”. See if you find a bit of peace in your heart or soul. Again, these are hard to distinguish without some help from a spiritual guide. But for default, it is never wrong to utter Jesus’ Holy name with reverence, in hope or faith that He will hear you. You don’t have to believe, but it could be a start.
At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, even that of Satan (devil, Evil one, whatever name you want to associate with the dark and evil power permeating this world).
The exorcist confirmed this. He has encountered the evil spirits possessing human beings, and they have identified themselves to him, as Lucifer, Beelzebub and Satan ~ three manifestations of the devil. So, friends, evil IS real and running rampant in our world today! When confronted with its original creation as an angel, specifically for Lucifer, (translated: an Angel of Light), it broke down in tears at the memory. This blew me away! When the exorcist commands the evil spirit to leave the body of the possessed, he says: “In the name of Jesus . . .”
The protocol is specific for an exorcism, and this command likely stems from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians:
“Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11.
Or perhaps, from his letter to the Colossians:
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)
Either way, these two scriptures give us permission, in fact, encourage us, to do the same.
I hope if you find yourself under spiritual attack, you can at least simply call on Jesus to come to your aid and remove any and all temptations from the evil one.
Another recommendation is to read Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. A fascinating treatment of a young devil in training (Wormwood) by his evil uncle (Screwtape) through letters of training.
In these last days before the Passion of Christ is commemorated throughout the world, let us do all we can to eliminate any and all evil from our lives. It is often small, insidious ways that we might not even associate as ‘evil’, but if it is turning us away from Jesus, then let us consider at least that. While I did not make it back upstairs to get my intended materials for blogging, I did receive much material for this blog through my choice to care for an injured knee. So, even if I was under spiritual attack, I was arming myself with the Word of God and that is enough!
May your Lenten journey continue to be blessed as we look forward to Palm Sunday, when Jesus made a triumphant entry into Jerusalem and His followers welcomed Him by paving the way with palm branches and their cloaks laid out for him. May we also make the necessary preparations for Jesus to enter our hearts ~ and may we welcome Him with such exuberance.