satan, keep out!
"When an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it wanders through arid wastes." —Luke 11:24
Satan is the prince of this world (Jn 14:30). We were born as citizens of Satan's kingdom, having belonged to him from our conception. But when we were born again in baptism, we were rescued from the kingdom of darkness and brought into God's kingdom of light (Col 1:13). Satan can no longer touch us because we have been begotten of God and in Christ Jesus (1 Jn 5:18) However, if we sin and get caught up again in the unredeemed, polluted world, the devil will return with seven other spirits far worse than itself. "The result is that the last state of that man is worse than the first" (Lk 11:26; see also 2 Pt 2:20).
Consequently, it is extremely important to resist temptation, even to the point of shedding our blood (Heb 12:4). If we do fall into sin, we must repent immediately and not give Satan a chance to work on us (Eph 4:27). We must remove the plank of sin from our own eye as soon as possible and then remove the speck from others' eyes (Mt 7:5). We are ambassadors for Christ in the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18, 20). When someone confesses their sins to the Lord, we rejoice with heaven (Lk 15:7). Repent, go to Confession now.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for saving me from the abuse, slavery, and the perversion of Satan.
Promise: "Gird yourselves and weep, O priests! Wail, O ministers of the altar! Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God!" —Jl 1:13
Praise: In her first waking moment of every day, Sheila begins praying a rosary. The Lord has used this to give her a deep peace amid the storms of life.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape on The Necessity of Confession for Renewal on audio AV 70-1 or video V-70.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Daniel E. Pilarczyk, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 21, 2005
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