SPIRITUAL WARFARE 4: Know the enemy’s tactics!

Any of Satan’s actions, large or small, aim to cause us to lose love for God even if just in a moment. Thus, spiritual warfare is a battle of love, for love, because God is love. It is a war of love. Because of this, the greatest weapon we have in this battle is God’s love.

There is an old saying that “the devil’s in the details” and it is so true. He sets his aim for our thoughts, self-talk, small habits and preferences. He ratchets up our emotions knowing these overpower our reason to think prudently. He trains our brain to think and see from his perspective.

To his dismay and demise, God is also in the details! This is why Satan is so attentive to the small ‘stuff’ in our lives. He prefers to work in the ordinary experiences rather than extraordinary as he is better hidden. God’s Word in Sacred Scripture and His holy teachers, our saints and magisterium, have taught throughout time of God’s desire to be involved in our ‘small stuff’. Meanwhile, Satan has watched men, women and children grow holy throughout time and he recognizes the pattern. He sets his aim to disrupt our progress.

Childhood:  We harbor memories of traumatic times: abuse, neglect, divorce, death of loved ones. Less noticeable and yet very problematic are those smaller moments of childhood: being bullied on the playground, embarrassing moments in the classroom, the natural sexual attraction between boys and girls. Satan saw it all and loves to use it against us in thought attacks, demonic dreams, misperceptions of others, our attitude and how we make choices.

Visual cues: He sees facial expressions, body language, and the slightest of physical changes that reflect an introspective or unveiling moment of growth or understanding.  Likewise, by these same observations he can gauge those moments when you are tempted or perhaps having an unloving thought.

Following your growth in relationship with God, known as the ‘spiritual life’: When a Christian decides to make a concerted effort towards holiness, they grow through various stages. These are most commonly referred to as the purgative, illuminative and unitive stages of the spiritual life and the experience is just as their names imply.

·       Purgative is purgation; ouch! A very long period of overcoming both mortal and venial sins. Although we are purged of weakness and vice throughout life, this beginning stage is where sins known to us are battled. Our sins and weaknesses do not leave ‘happy happy’. They leave gnawing and clawing and kicking and screaming!  Walking the passion with Christ, we grow close to Jesus as He helps us with our crosses.

·       In the illuminative stage, the eyes of the soul are further opened to God and to what is not of Him. New understanding of sin develops, and sins are illuminated that were previously unknown. This is a lengthy period of growing a more personal relationship with Jesus. In the Way of the Cross, our personal path to salvation emerges more clearly as we carry our cross with Him.

·       Depending upon the extent to which we permit our own healing, some people grow into the unitive stage. This is a very close relationship with Jesus after having conquered venial sin. Due to the soul’s disposition of surrender, the carrying of the cross with Jesus is simply about the walk with Him. Sin becomes that of devotion, understanding how thoughts as well as behaviors impede this relationship.

Satan has been watching people grow through these patterns since the fall of Adam and Eve. However, it is new to us until we have experienced it. Thus, we become easy targets for the enemy’s wily ways.

(Keep an eye open for our next post from Kick Butt! The Quick Guide to Spiritual Warfare: Frontline Defense Strategies for Everyday Life )