How to Resist the Sly Old Devil …

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Perhaps the greatest victory of the devil is that many people simply do not believe he exists.

Or they associate him with movies like “The Exorcist,” which seem a little extreme and definitely more of an exception.

But the Catholic Church teaches that the devil is real and that all temptation comes from him.

I wrote this simple poem to show the inner battle that most of us face each and every day:

Not every thought should be embraced,
Some should be gently pushed out and chased,
Dark memories? … forever erased!
Why let the Devil serve up an ace?
It’s like eating poison and food waste!

When you find wisdom, then cut and paste,
Heed your angel, who shares God’s good taste.
Inspiring thoughts give us breathing space,
To reflect … put Satan in his place.
Don’t “white knuckle” it, lean on God’s grace!

In his book, “The Deceiver,” the Rev. Livio Fanzaga mentions that the devil may be persistent and tenacious in attacking our minds — but he cannot penetrate our hearts without our consent.

“There exists a door that Satan seeks to break through to proclaim victory,” he wrote. “It is not the door of the mind which he enters and exits whenever he wishes. It is the door of our heart, to which only you and God possess the key … All the plans of the evil one, all the force he displays, all the suggestions, images and thoughts he presents are to persuade you to open this door. He is a thief who cannot enter the home of the heart without your knowledge and consent. The crux of the problem is that you must not be convinced by him to open the door.”

My recent series on the seven capital sins shows the seven classic strategies the devil uses to bring down souls. Yet in the words of St. Teresa of Avila, the greatest temptation of the devil is to convince us not to pray.

Like a good general, he tries to form a siege around our soul and cut off the supply lines of God’s grace, so that when we are weakest he can strike where we are most vulnerable.

I don’t know anyone who has a consistently strong prayer life who has fallen into serious sin. God’s grace is simply too much for the devil to handle.

The word “devil” means “one who divides.” How many marriages has he destroyed, and how much division in the world has he caused? He does exist, and we need to take this spiritual combat seriously.

One of my favorite statues is that of the Blessed Mother crushing the serpent’s head. Mary conquered sin and never fell into the traps of the evil one.

Allow her motherly care to permeate your daily life, and ask for her help and intercession, especially in moments of greater trial and temptation. And remember, God will never tempt you beyond what you can handle.

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC, is a Catholic priest who is the New York chaplain of the Lumen Institute, an association of business and cultural leaders.