I know spiritual warfare can be fierce at times and it's a consoling thought to know that everyone goes through them and we are not alone in our battles. I believe they build virtue, make us stronger and teach us to rely on God alone. Padre Pio fought many such battles; he could see the demonic world. Here are a few thoughts on this subject from St Pio:
"The field of battle between God and satan is the human soul. It is for the soul that the battle rages every moment of life. The soul must give free access to the Lord so that it can be fortified by Him in every respect and with all kinds of weapons; that His light may enlighten it to combat the darkness of error; that it be clothed with Jesus Christ, with His justice, truth, the shield of faith, the word of God, in order to conquer such powerful enemies. To be clothed with Jesus Christ it is necessary to die to oneself."
"Temptations, discouragement, and unrest are the wares offered by the enemy. Remember this: if the devil makes noise it is a sign that he is still outside and not yet within. That which must terrify us is his peace and concord with the human soul."
"Do not fear. Jesus is more powerful than all Hell. At the invocation of His Name every knee in heaven, on earth and in hell must bend before Jesus. This is the consolation of the good and terror of the evil ones."
No wonder St. Pio is a favorite of mine.
Amen..... It is weird..... I got a real revelation just yesterday with the name of Jesus! It finally clicked in my heart how much power is in the name of Jesus! When we say it out loud. Voicing His name as back-up to any temptation etc. And most of all, using His name for healing! Where was I all this time not realizing just how powerful His name is?????
ReplyDeleteWo-
Great post and a great reminder! A priest told me a few years ago to pray, "Jesus I have confidence in you." (over evil) "We know the end of the story: Jesus wins in the end."
ReplyDeleteThis is so true...this is why I strive to keep the *Jesus Prayer* always on my lips and in my mind: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner."
ReplyDeleteAhhh, how I love Padre Pio. He has it right. We don't speak enough about Satan and how he preys on our human weaknesses. ONLY by the grace of God can we find the will to combat him while on this earth during times of struggle, mental and physical anguish. We need to become more aware of the "test" when it is presented so we know what weapons to use in our defense. As a culture we blame God for our woes instead or realizing who the real culprit is. That's a +1 for Satan when that happens...God have mercy on us all.
ReplyDeleteI never tire of what this great saint has to say on this topic. Another of my favorites of his is when he used to tell his brother priests to bring him his weapon (the Rosary).
ReplyDeleteAnd no highlighting in this post, Mary~you've done it! :)
Thanx Mary for posting once again something timely and to the point.
ReplyDeleteA priest used to say that when we feel temptation and discouragement we should pray "Leave me satan and go to the foot of the Cross where Jesus will deal with you."
It works.
God bless.
Hi Grace,
ReplyDeleteThat's good:) I've been calling on Jesus to protect you in a major way too and to lift the spiritual attacks upon you. I was really worried about you this past week, you know. I like to call upon Jesus out loud too. I don't know why it seems more powerful to me this way but it does.
I'm so happy that you are feeling better. Thank you, Jesus!
Hugs!
Hi Monica,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it great that we know how all this ends ahead of time?! Knowing that Jesus has won the battle for us is a great consolation to me - there is great power in His Holy Name.
Hi Theresa,
ReplyDeleteAmen. I love the Jesus prayer!
Hi Liz! I am still dumbfounded by the fact that your son is cancer free! God is so good!!! I was soooo happy to hear your wonderful news!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you all enjoyed your trip to Disney :)
Yes, we blame God a lot. I was just reading an article on the terrible shootings in Colorado and you should have read some of the anti-Christian comments at the end of it. It makes a mockery of God to blame Him for tragedies like these - we know who the real culprit is.
Hi Karin,
ReplyDeleteThe Rosary was his weapon of choice and boy did he need it!
I have no clue why there is no highlighting in this post so I can't take the credit for it...lol. An accident, maybe?
Felt your prayers Mary thanks. I believe by speaking the Word out loud is where we get better results. After all when God created earth and man, He did it by speaking it out loud. "Let there be...."
ReplyDeleteHi Victor,
ReplyDeleteBet he doesn't like having to go to the foot of the Cross! A good place for him though.
We had another terrible shooting in the US. A man walked into a movie theater and opened fire killing at least 12 and wounding dozens (some are in critical condition) including a three-month-old baby (who survived, thankfully).
I wish everyone in this country would send satan to the foot of the Cross. In all countries, actually.
God bless you, too.
Grace,
ReplyDeleteThat's how I think of it too, my friend. I read Scripture out loud for the same reason. Glad you felt my prayers :)
Prayers for all involved in the shootings in Colorado.
ReplyDeleteSaw it on our TV News.
God bless.
Thanks, Victor. This is the same state where two teen boys opened fire at a school (just 15 miles away from the theater). Scary.
ReplyDeleteVery powerful reflection, as always, Mary!
ReplyDeleteGod Bless you!
Thanks, Michael! God bless you too!
ReplyDelete