Evil
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39 (NRV)
STORY
The Exorcist, a movie that was released in 1973, is considered one of the scariest movies ever made. It is about Regan MacNeil, a 12-year-old girl, played by Linda Blair, who becomes possessed by Satan. When medical treatments fail to cure her violent behavior, Father Damien Karras, played by Jason Miller, a psychiatrist who counsels Georgetown University priests, is summoned to the home. Tasked with the job of performing an exorcism, he considers his faith to be too inadequate to perform the required ritual. His crisis in faith is a result of the guilt he carries for being absent from the bedside of his dying mother. As a result, Father Lankester Merrin, played by Max von Sydoow, performs the ritual. In the course of the ordeal Merrin dies of a heart attack and Karras has to overcome his doubting faith and deliver Regan from the control of Satan. What has catapulted this film to fame are its devilish special effects. Beyond a rising bed and a spinning head, most noted is the green vomit that Regan spews into Karras’ face.
The movie is based on a novel with the same title. The Exorcist was written by William Peter Blatty. While writing the book the author kept this thought before him: “The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us; but he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. His attack is psychological, Damien. And powerful.” (Please note: Damien in Greek means to “conquer, master, overcome, tame, subdue.”)
DEVOTION
We seldom take seriously the power and presence of Satan, who silently and subtly takes possession of our soul if we are not spiritually aware. Maybe, just maybe, we would be better off with a Satan who mirrors the demonic in the movie The Exorcist. Then his presence would never be mistaken. Though we do know better. Satan is quiet. Satan is sly. Satan is deceiving. Satan comes when we are most unguarded. Satan comes when we are most unsure of our faith. That’s why it is so easy for us to partner with Adam and Eve and take that bite from the forbidden fruit.
C. S. Lewis wrote a Christian book titled The Screwtape Letters, which was published in 1942. The spiritual guide contains 31 letters written by a senior devil, who is known as Screwtape, to his nephew, a young devil named Wormwood. Lewis recounts many temptations that Wormwood is instructed to use in order to entice his charge, who is only referred to as “the patient,” and who is a Christian, to disavow God. The most telling of Screwtape’s instructions is for Wormwood to be subtle, presenting “the patient” with temptations in many small ways. In one letter, Screwtape wrote, “Indeed the safest road to hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts… Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape.” As the book moves along, we learn that Satan employs cunning deceit to invade our souls.
Satan is very real and all tragedy and sorrow can be ascribed to him. Paul affirmed the reality of Satan and cautioned Christians to be leery of his actions in both the world and in our lives. Yet, according to Paul, we can defend ourselves from the wiles of Satan if we are godly individuals who live not by the flesh but by the spirit.
If we are not dutiful in our obedience to the scriptures, Satan will lead us astray.
On March 13, 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina became the 266th pope, and the first pope from Latin America. He took upon himself the name of Pope Francis in recognition of Saint Francis of Assi who accepted a life of poverty and dedicated himself to ministering the poor and the outcasts of society. Francis, throughout his bishopric, has openly declared the reality of Satan and the demonic powers that envelope creation. In a sermon preached on April 10, 2014 Francis said:
The Prince of this world, Satan, doesn’t want our holiness, he doesn’t want us to follow Christ. Maybe some of you might say: “But Father, how old fashioned you are to speak about the devil in the twenty-first century!” But look out because the devil is present! The devil is here… even in the twenty-first century! And we mustn’t be naïve, right? We must learn from the gospel how to fight against Satan.
We fight against Satan by avoiding the seven deadly sins – lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride – that will allow the demonic to silently creep into our lives. We cannot allow Satan take control of our lives. We are not spiritually perfect, so, at times, Satan will invade our conscience; though, we must dismiss him with prayer and by calling upon the promises of the Bible. Let us affirm that nothing can separate us from the love of God if we dismiss a life lived by the flesh and enjoin a life guided by the Holy Spirit.