Demons and Aliens. I recently heard a podcast in which one of the hosts noted that for some, anything that cannot be explained must be caused by demons or aliens. There are those who undoubtedly see demons, under every rock - from missing your train to losing your car keys, devils are at work. At the other extreme, are those who hold the notion that devils are, simply characters from a bygone age, or a fantasy imagined by primitive men, or an explanation for illness now better understood by way of science and medicine. But the devil and his demons, I am sure, bask in the possibilities of these two extreme perspectives.
Let us be clear that the devil, or the tempter as he is called in today’s gospel, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The devil and his angels are spirits – they have no bodies. As with God’s angels and our guardian angels they are present at a particular location through an act of their will. Though spirit, they are not without limitation and are absolutely and totally subject to God’s authority and power. The devil himself is not God’s evil equivalent. These spirits are however wise, but not a Godly wisdom, an evil one that aims to tempt, trick, accuse, and murder, that which God loves – you and me. They are unable to know our thoughts – something only God can do, but they can observe us closely and individually. They know what we enjoy and what we do not, they can see what demoralizes us, what we are drawn to or repelled by, they know what sins we have committed by means of our actions or words. These aspects of our lives are open to them and can be used as weapons against us. They cajole us and tempt us to sin with lies that promise happiness or success or some other good, but once committed they turn on us to accuse us and steal our sense of peace, or to undermine our supernatural hope for salvation. We are certainly not to underestimate how devils may operate in our lives, but we are also not to overestimate their power.
In our first reading we hear of the first temptation to sin in the Garden of Eden. In Eden, St. Ephraim would write, Adam and Eve knew nothing of nakedness since they were adorned with the glory of God himself. Our first parents would know God in a beautiful, and direct way. To these our first parents, Satan, the adversary, would come to challenge God’s authority and to kill what God deeply loved. For our sins do kill us – sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly, but as we read in Romans, the wages of sin is death. Let us not mince our words, the devil hates us, he hates you and he hates me because in us he sees the image of God. The devil hates God so into God’s perfect creation, Satan introduces sin and death - sin which takes us away from God and places us within Satan’s grasp. See how crafty Satan was by taking God’s words and shaping them for his purposes. He tempted Eve to the point where she convinces herself that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes and desirable for gaining wisdom. And Adam too sinned by failing in his responsibilities to God, and to his wife, who he was to protect with his own life. Are we not all so very familiar with the tempter? Have we not all failed in the same way as Adam and Eve? In being tempted to sin we hear the words of a lie. This is good, you will not die, you will gain something. And we convince ourselves that these lies are true. And we too frequently give ourselves three good reasons as Eve did; I love this person why would I not live with them before marriage, we can save on the cost of housing while we plan our wedding, we can get to know each other better. Pick your example.
But even as this universal and catastrophic event unfolds in Eden the plan for salvation is set in motion. Jesus, the second Adam, is obedient to God to the very end, and by way of this obedience He wins for us the possibility of again knowing God as our first parents did prior to the Fall.
In his own temptation Jesus shows us how to respond when tempted by the flesh, the world, or the devil. The Word of God is to be our food. We do not test God by pursuing the empty promises of this world. And we serve and worship God only, regardless of the what the devil and his own may present to us. We possess a tremendous power in resisting temptation and evil; Mary our mother. When faced with temptation I run to Mary and bring the image to mind of her crushing the head of the serpent. With her assistance we take small steps towards holiness and leave sin behind.
Taking our Lenten disciplines seriously, we will find ourselves at times a little more exposed to the temptations of the flesh, the world, and the devil. Let us not be weak and give up easily. Know the devil is both tempter and liar. Go to Mary for help and the devil will flee. Most importantly go to the very heart of the matter – the central and pivotal place where angelic song so very easily drowns out the screams of frustrated, angry workers of evil. Make a date and go to confession since this is the greatest and mightiest weapon you and I have. In confession we are healed and forgiven and can walk once again in friendship, serenity, and peace with the Lord of our salvation.
Deacon Peter Bujwid, St. Agnes Parish, Arlington, Massachusetts
February 26th, 2023
