Where the Lord is Satan is too. Kind of a striking sentence, but true nonetheless. I have been wrestling with this “conceptual thought-idea '' for over a week or so. This thought came up casually in a conversation in the kitchen. It is funny how so many profundities of life start in the kitchen. Reminds me of how every party seems to end up there. Maybe something in our subconscious feels nourished there, which allows us to express ourselves emotionally with more ease and thus enables creative exploration?
There seems to be this synergy that I have noticed off and on for years. Sometimes those around me notice it too. Where a specific topic or idea becomes part of the present moment conversation and situation at hand. Then the following Sunday at church the reading and the sermon are spot on in relation to that very present moment dynamic in your own life. God is speaking to you through the verse and pulpit and people in your life. Sovereign Providence. So the conversation in the kitchen started with me bringing up that thought, and Calvin and I having a conversation. The next Sunday the reading was from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 6:10-20.
One does not in general think about Satan being where the Lord is, but they do have the famous direct confrontation on the mount. As for devils and demons, he does confront them often enough in people. The question is what are these devils, these demons? Who is this Satan that the Lord must wrestle with, even though he is already defeated. How does that even work? My understanding of Satan and his mode of operation is that he seems to be empowered only on the earthly plane and in regards to earthly concerns. That is not to diminish that struggle, because those earthly choices do have profound spiritual consequences. People often use the expression “ I have been fighting my demons”. To me this always sounds past tense. My guilt and shame are haunting me for what a bad person I was, or the way I behaved, what I said or didn’t say. Yet, His grace says that is a lie, for all is forgiven. It is as though the lie itself is past tense. The battle has already been conquered and won.
In Christ’s confrontation on the mountain with the human temptations of power, or the satisfaction of all earthly desires, the battle is already won. And yet there he is in his completeness (fully God and fully man) facing the devil himself and battling it out. Christ abides the will of his Father unto the end. He was tempted and sorrowed as we are and do. So how does this God-man work, and what does it mean for us and for our demons? It appears as though when we face these unseemly spiritual creatures the first course of action might be to acknowledge that although they feel real, that ultimately they are lies. The lies are only illusions that we are believing to be real. Coming back to the Lord reveals the truth and casts these invaders out.
He says we are loved and worthy of His love. Grace is available in an instant, but we have to let go and let God. Coming back to Him again and again reminds us of the truth that we know, but so easily forget. The battle has already been won, so we don’t need to fight, only to remember. Maybe the Lord has this direct confrontation on the mountain so it can act as a reminder that the Lord not only has the power to overcome, yet has already done so for us. We are asked to step outside of space time into the eternal.
The past is of no matter and the future will come in due time. Be with the Lord in the present moment and bask in the Glory of his presence to strengthen, persevere and discern between eternal truth and temporal lies, deceptions and distractions. In Him all things are possible. He
cast out demons, devils and defeated Satan then and does so today also. The battle is over and already won.
In the passage Paul talks about the enemy not being against flesh and blood but rather about rulers and principalities. This is a very wonderful statement. We spend so much time reeling in one way or another at our fellow man. Sometimes in anger, sorrow, disbelief, frustration — the list goes on. We spin our wheels with revenge scenarios, hoping that divine Providence will sweep in with perfect righteousness to save the day. The cosmic superhero fixing all that is awry. The passage is such a great reminder of the power in these forces is that they may reside in one's conscious or unconscious mind, or come as a projection of mind onto the other, but they are not in fact the individual themselves. It is something real in that it exists and that we do deal with these forces, but not so real that their abstract illusory manner has any holding power in the unchanging reality of eternal truth. I liken them to winds that are darkly hued and stir up storms.
I once watched this documentary on demon possession. There was an Italian woman who had become possessed and would go into trance like states of “satanic” behavior in voice, words, and bodily thrashing. Apparently she had led a normal life before this possession. She and her family sought out a priest who specialized in exorcising these types of demons from people. He was considered to be extremely holy and had led a reverent life. Even other priests in the area refused this kind of “dangerous” work and would refer people to this particular priest. Make what you will of the story, but it seemed authentic to me when I watched the film.
The most fascinating part though was the way this holy man dealt with the devil himself, and this demon. It was not by yelling, harsh words or force, it was with mockery. He began the exorcism by calling in God, in Jesus name for protection, many prayers and asking for guidance. But then he would address the evil spirit directly. He would put his thumb to his nose while waving his other fingers back and forth, like a child saying ‘na na ni boo boo’. He did not treat the spirit with fear, respect, or placating. No, he teased it like a child as if to say, ‘I know your tricks you silly being, now stop pretending like you have power and submit to the One who truly is powerful and stronger than you. You are defeated, now leave this poor woman alone.’
So may we remember these good lessons to love our neighbors and pay the darkness no mind. To return to the Lord whose work is done, yet still actively, presently working in our own lives, both reminding us of the truth and protecting from the darkness.
