Trenches

This past weekend was a busy one for the kingdom of God. Last Tuesday, we commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that made abortion a federally acceptable practice. This Saturday, landmark crowds were drawn to Washington, D.C., and other state capitals, to march for life. It is reported that over half a million witnesses spoke up for the Gospel of Life in D.C. I have heard glory stories of Christians that marched in Austin and speakers that passionately displayed the truth of God’s love. It seemed to be a perfect day to shut Satan up. Then as if to add a punch to the gut of that old devil, CCFM lead a Confirmation retreat for St. Mary’s Church in Caldwell, TX. I hope I am not too presumptuous in saying that I sincerely hope that the retreat was the icing on the cake for a long weekend in Hell. I believe that the power of prayer was fully present throughout last weekend, and without it, we surely would have been lost. So let’s pop champagne bottles, sing some songs, and truly rub this loss in Lucifer’s face, because if anyone deserves a little post-battle smack talk, it’s that son of a demon.
I have never really had any military background, nor am I a very violent person. I never owned an Xbox, and I simply never found the appeal of shooter games. As a matter of fact, other than my job history, which includes working for a gun range at one time, most people would consider me a pacifist. But somehow, God has always led me to the idea of spiritual warfare, and has always provided me with graces to understand it during certain times of my life. Perhaps it is my inability to physically fight for the kingdom that draws me away from violence and closer to spiritual combat, but I find the subject absolutely fascinating. Many days, you’ll find that I have prayed a Chaplet of St. Michael before I even got out of bed (Mike and I are tight). One statement that continually draws me back to the importance of spiritual warfare was said by Pope Benedict XVI. He said:
So one might say that the disappearance of the awareness of the demonic indicates a related decline in holiness. The devil can take refuge in his favorite element, anonymity, if he is not exposed by the radiance of the person united to Christ.

If that isn’t a wake up call to Christians everywhere I don’t know what is. Even C.S. Lewis said in the Screwtape Letters (a novel where the narrator is a demon), “It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.” To put this in perspective, if you are on a battlefield and you have no weapon as your enemy comes at you brandishing a firearm, would you rather him not have it at all (in which case I hope you’re a good fighter and he’s not), or would you rather he forgets he has a weapon at all, so that you can grab it and use it against him? This is the simple idea behind spiritual warfare. The majority of the time, it is not open combat. Shannon Deitz once said that paranormal activity is always Satan’s last resort. He is desperate, if he must show himself. It’s actually completely sad when you think about it, because the Devil does everything he can, not to actually fight. He tries to convince us that there is nothing to fight against, or that we can fight later, but he never goes toe-to-toe with us. Why? Because he is weak, shriveled in the darkness of Hell, and we are strong, strengthened by the light of the Son.The reason I am writing about spiritual warfare is first, it is a mandate of the late Bl. John Paul II from 2002 when he said:
“Spiritual combat” is another element of life which needs to be taught anew and proposed once more to all Christians today.

And secondly, because if you had asked me how I felt last Thursday about the upcoming retreat and weekend, I would have answered, unsure, anxious, and I guess, hopeful. This isn’t exactly praying with confidence. This is because of the Evil One. If our own sin didn’t filter it out, and we could actually feel the love and adoration God has when He thinks of us, there would be end to our courage and confidence. We wouldn’t move without feeling the gravity of His mercy and kindness. In the Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis beautifully and bluntly writes it this way (again from the perspective of a demon).
We want cattle who can finally become food; He wants servants who can finally become sons. We want to suck in, He wants to give out. We are empty and would be filled; He is full and flows over. Our war aim is a world in which Our Father Below [Satan] has drawn all other beings into himself: the Enemy [God] wants a world full of beings united to Him but still distinct.

This is what spiritual warfare is. It’s the realization that although it is raining, there is a beautiful landscape hidden outside the storm. And as they sing in Les Misérables (you knew I was going to mention it at some point), “Rain will make the flowers grow.”
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