The Devil Among Us

"This is a spiritual war. And the Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country - the United States of America. If you were Satan, who would you attack in this day and age?" 

These words were sad recently by presidential candidate Rick Santorum.  I expect the mainstream media will skewer him for saying this, but . . . it is true, isn't it?

A friend of mine on Facebook made this observation on this article:

I'm just going to be honest here. I agree with Rick Santorum that Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness, Satan, Beelzebub, or by whatever name you want to call the Evil One, is getting and has had a grip on our politics in this country for some time. It is really no different, at the end of the day, than the grip the Devil seems to have in other aspects of our culture.

If you believe in God, and you believe in Satan, and you believe that a battle between Good and Evil exists that will be brought to its consummation at the End of All Things, then it isn't a stretch to say that Satan has a foothold in American public life, because Satan has a foothold when we disrespect life and tolerate injustice the way that we do. Can we say that the Evil One is targeting America through the culture and the media, through Hollywood, through general cultural disintegration? If you believe in the idea of a battle between good and evil, it is very easy to make this argument. Santorum made this case four years ago at a traditional Catholic university before a traditionalist and conservative audience who largely shares his worldview. 

Whether he should have said it is certainly debatable, and whether it was a very "politick" thing to say, well, it probably wasn't. If you believe in the battle between Good and Evil, however, it isn't even a matter for debate.

Well said, Mr. Oatney.

If you believe in God, then believe in His enemy, Satan.  Recently, I have seen Satan at work as I watched a person erode in front of me - no, not like some Hollywood special effect, but watched as someone allowed the ugliness that had taken root in them make its way to the surface.  Can they be saved?  Of course.  But tomorrow as the priest imposes the ashes on your head, listen to the words - more often than not, it will be turn from sin and turn towards the Gospel.  See, it's a two-step process:  reject the Prince of Lies, embrace the Prince of Love.

I think too often people may, in their rush to "return to God", forget to reject and cast away the demons that cling to them.  Because the first step to Reconciliation is to first say, "I have sinned . . ."  But in order to do even that, you have to acknowledge the sin.  You have to face Satan.

Be not afraid . . .