What to fight against?

In order not to waste time let’s start with the evil that is within us, and this text we just read fits perfectly in this context. THE SPIRIT IS WILLING ENOUGH, BUT HUMAN NATURE IS WEAK!

This has already become a theme for music, soap opera, fashion, shamelessness and cause for sin, but we who want to follow Jesus Christ and please him with our lives, we must fight against ourselves, against our old man that must die for the new one to live. It is not a matter of forgetting who we are and our natural evil tendencies, human weaknesses and desires of the flesh. It is about living a life based on the faith we profess, feeding the spiritual man in truth that we are called to be.

Along with the wonderful example of St. Paul who said that he would do the evil he did not want to and the good he wanted to do, he could not do because of the sin that dwelt in his flesh (Romans 7:19) let’s try to understand better what each one of the baptised Christians is called to do:

“For if I preach the gospel, it is no glory to me, for a necessity lieth upon me: for woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel. For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation is committed to me: What is my reward then? That preaching the gospel, I may deliver the gospel without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. For whereas I was free as to all, I made myself the servant of all, that I might gain the more. And I became to the Jews, a Jew, that I might gain the Jews: To them that are under the law, as if I were under the law, (whereas myself was not under the law,) that I might gain them that were under the law. To them that were without the law, as if I were without the law, (whereas I was not without the law of God, but was in the law of Christ,) that I might gain them that were without the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I became all things to all men, that I might save all. And I do all things for the gospel’s sake: that I may be made partaker thereof. Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain. And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one. I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air: But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway.” (1 Corinthians 9:16-27)“

This is the great attitude that those who found out they are in a battle against their own flesh need to take: punish the body and keep it in subjection, even if it is only to be consistent — as St Paul did — afraid of acting as herald for others after preaching the truth to them.

St. Augustine said, “Be careful so that your life does not run contrary to the testimony of your mouth.” That is the reason why St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel always, and when it is necessary, use words.”
St. Paul could only preach and do everything he did for everyone because he lived in constant battle against himself. He did not let his flesh be a barrier to what he believed and to what Jesus asked of him. He made out of his life a preaching. He knew he had to fight against himself, so he didn’t hit the air but sought perfection and did his best to honour his calling.

Do you know what Christians are on about today (especially Catholics)? Either they live a mediocre life far away from the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14), or they speak beautifully and preach about extraordinary things about Jesus, but living a life extremely opposed to what they preach.

We cannot judge anyone because we do not know what is inside everyone’s inner self, but we can perceive the Christian life one has through the fruits they bear (Luke 6:44). Whether it is through wisdom, a good preaching, fame of holiness, humility, prayer life or through what we see, the simple fact of walking with Christ leads everyone to bear fruit, because it was this for what Christ has called us to (John 15:16).

Some people could be pleased to see themselves bearing fruit in their lives, perhaps even acknowledging this is God’s grace, but let’s look at what Jesus said:

“I am the true vine; and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me, that beareth not fruit, he will take away: and every one that beareth fruit, he will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” (John 15:1-2)

We can never stop! We have to walk to follow Jesus to the end of our lives, until the last consequences, to martyrdom if necessary, believing that our blood being shed will serve as seed for new Christians. Where are the real apostles of Jesus Christ who are willing to give up their lives for him? They are an endangered species! If you feel your heart burning for this reason, get to know that you are being called to be a witness, for that is the reason and meaning of martyrdom.

Getting back to our first point, many have not wanted to fight against their own flesh, but have fed the flesh, fed the disordered passions, the tendencies of the old life, giving freedom to sin and wishes. To those St Paul urges:

“This then I say and testify in the Lord: That henceforward you walk not as also the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts. Who despairing, have given themselves up to lasciviousness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto covetousness. But you have not so learned Christ; If so be that you have heard him, and have been taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus: To put off, according to former conversation, the old man, who is corrupted according to the desire of error. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind: And put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.” (Ephesians 4:17-24)

Brothers, that word says it all to close this first part of the fight against the evil that is in us! How many today, inside the Catholic Church, are willing to live as the pagans do, walking about with terrible ideas! Examples like these are not lacking.

They are those who keep trying to transform the Church into venues for rock concerts, funk dances, ballads and raves — impure environments propitious to sin, conveying the image of disgusting places, creating environments of hell. There is a great number of pagans and atheists inside the Catholic Church nowadays!

They have not yet understood that not everything is convenient (1 Corinthians 6:12), they have a darkened understanding, ignorance and a hardened heart, because they have been so bogged down in sin that they do not realise the evil they are doing as well as the influence of it. It is being left to the next generations. In other words, if there is time left before the wrath of God is unleashed upon the earth — given that Christians themselves commit such sins. If it were not for God’s Mercy, the Virgin Mary and the Holy Mass, what would become of this world?

Each one of us can tell from our own lives and weaknesses where our battle needs to be more intense. Some people are blinded — crazy for money. How many people, in this unbridled pursuit of money, even use faith and mercy as means of making money? This is what we see everywhere nowadays, especially in Protestant temples (1 Timothy 6:3-5).

Others have addictions and do not want or can not renounce at all, because they have given themselves out to sin and, therefore, are slaves (John 8:34). Sins of any form of addiction such as smoking, drinking, drugs, gambling, gossip, envy, quarreling, pride, vanity and miscellaneous are all reasons for fighting against ourselves. What destroys humanity most though are the sins related to our sexuality.

We need to understand that the homosexual tendency some people have is not a sin. If you have this tendency you need to know that God loves you just as he loves everyone. What you do with this tendency though can become a sin. That is the same thing that could happen to someone who wants to have sex before marriage in a natural relationship. The desire is not sin at all, but what you do with that desire.

Men and women who commit the sin of masturbation, couples who have already made a commitment with God and come to commit the sin of adultery, those who sin for malice and clap their hands for impurity are all in the same boat and need to go to confession. These are all passions and forces that can drag us to hell. Saint John of the Cross already said: “Because of brief and momentary pleasures, great eternal torments are suffered.”

The wonderful Saint Philip Neri used to say and teach: “In the fight against impurity, the one who runs away wins.”

Now we will talk about the fight we need to wage against the world. We know that our struggle is not against the wonderful and holy things God created in the World, but we must fight against the wickedness and the mentality that prevails in the world, namely the Aeon. In other words, our fight is against the corrupted values of this society.

Our Lord Jesus Christ left valuable tips for his apostles (that are directed to us today) to open their eyes to the reality that the world hates all those who are and abide with Him, as it hated him in the first place:

“If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you. If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember my word that I said to you: The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for my name’s sake: because they know not him who sent me. If I had not come, and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He that hateth me, hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no other man hath done, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father. But that the word may be fulfilled which is written in their law: They hated me without cause. But when the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony of me. And you shall give testimony, because you are with me from the beginning.” (John 15:18-27)

See how serious are our Saviour’s words: If you are of the world, the world loves you; but if you are my servant, the world hates you, because it has always hated me, and the servant is no greater than his Lord.

In the same way as they persecuted Christ they will also persecute us. It is because of Christ and his testimony that Christians have to suffer. You may already know what St. Paul wrote to the community of the Philippians, but let us get back to it so to emphasize:

“For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names: That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

The Aeon world which is ruled and governed by the prince of darkness, that is the evil one (1 John 5:19) hates Christ. They are disgusted and afraid of the person and of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently, they feel exactly in the same way with all those who bring into their lives the name of the Lord and echo that name with their way of living an authentic Christianity. That’s why there is so much hate! They see Christ in us!!

The testimony we bring is too strong and bothers people who live in the lies, in the sorrow, in the death that the world offers as a rule of life. St. Augustine said, “The better someone is, more annoyance they bring to bad people.”

He who is in darkness certainly gets very annoyed when they see someone reflecting a strong light, which is the light of God (1 John 1:5). The same thing happens to someone who is living a life of sins (aware of it) who gets very annoyed by someone who lives a holy life. And be certain of it: the more holiness, the more annoyance it will bring.

That is the reason why we, who fight against the world, must constantly get to know, to love, to taste, to live by and to feed ourselves with the mighty Word of God (the Holy Bible) for we must shine in this world of darkness and sin. When we take and swallow the scroll that is the Holy Scriptures, as Ezekiel did (Ezekiel 3:1-3) and eat this Holy Book, as Saint John did (Revelations 10:8-10) we will be able to shine. That is what St Paul asked in his letter to the Ephesians:

“And do ye all things without murmurings and hesitations; That you may be blameless, and sincere children of God, without reproof, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; among whom you shine as lights in the world. Holding forth the word of life to my glory in the day of Christ, because I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain. Yea, and if I be made a victim upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and congratulate with you all.” (Ephesians 2:14-17)

The society we live in is depraved and malicious. If our weakness is in this area of malice and impurity (in thoughts and deeds), we must redouble our strength to fight our own disordered passion, which is influenced and nourished by this corrupted world. Or even, to make it clearer: all our unruly and sinful passions are enhanced by what is in the world.

Sin attracts sin; addiction attracts addiction; death attracts death; disgrace attracts disgrace. Everything that is evil in us — the fruit of our sin and of our bad choices — is pumped up and fed by the evil that is outside. We need to stay alert.

For that reason, we should keep our eyes wide open because of the people we meet everywhere we go and the ones we call friends:

“Be not seduced: Evil communications corrupt good manners.” (1 Corinthians 15:34)

We must be very careful, even with the smallest details of the life we live in this world, so that we do not get corrupted and lose the grace that St. John tells us in his first letter:

“Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth not us, because it knew not him. Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God; and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We know, that, when he shall appear, we shall be like to him: because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:1-2)

This means that, because we belong to Christ, because we are children of God, and because we have the Holy Spirit in us, the world does not know us — and so it hates, rejects and persecutes us. But when what we are to be is revealed, we will see God face to face. It is an eternal glory that awaits us!

Meanwhile, we have this hope and the world will continue to hate us because we have eternal life, love and we are the image of the one who made us:

“Wonder not, brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not, abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in himself. In this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:13-16)

To be a Christian is to resemble Christ, to be another Christ on earth, to do the same as Jesus did, to lay down our lives for our brethren, to sow heaven and to give the opportunity to everyone around us to get to know and experience the wonders of the Kingdom of God.

Instead of doing that, how many Christians and people of other religions live in death! They murder people, kill their fellow men, desire evil for others, curse one another, utter mischievous words against one another, make wars and disputes for nothing — and they do not realise that our “one true enemy” is acting in the world, influencing us to do all these things, messing with our lives and moral values in the madness of this twenty-first century.

We cannot take part in the values of this world. That is why we have to fight. We need to wage war to become a holy people, to stand by the power of the grace of God, and not allow ourselves to be carried away by the fleeting and empty pleasures the world offers, by the easy and soft way of living.

Father Leo, scj, used to say that life is only hard for those who are too soft. What a beautiful testimony this priest gave in his last preaching in 2005 in a Brazilian event called “Hosana Brazil”, when he said, “The world can steal everything I had outside but it has no power to touch what I have inside.” Certainly, this only applies to those who truly have Christian values, those who seek holiness, those who do not give up regardless of the struggles in this world, and who swim against the current — for God is the one who gives us strength.

We need to be soldiers to fight the world. We cannot sleep or be discouraged. We have to bear in mind that we are in a war and fighting for our salvation, because the greatest victory the world could have over our lives is to get us away from God’s presence, to make us weak Christians, and to kill the faith that is inside of us — that gift of God.

Do not think either that the world wants to bring you down, wants to make you yet another fool of its system and corrupt you because you are very important. You need to know that when it does try to hit you, the God who is inside of you, the Jesus you receive in every Holy Mass, the Holy Spirit of whom you are a temple — they are all vilified along with you, and your testimony goes down the drain.

St. Paul wrote in his letter to Timothy an invitation that is also to each of us today. We need to be good soldiers of Christ, to go against the world and fight for the Kingdom of God:

“Labour as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No man, being a soldier to God, entangleth himself with secular businesses; that he may please him to whom he hath engaged himself. For he also that striveth for the mastery, is not crowned, except he strive lawfully.” (2 Timothy 2:3-5)

And we need not worry about the hatred and death that is in the world, for though we are weak and have so many inclinations to sin and the world influences us each day to fall into sin trying to make us lose the grace of God, all that is in the world can never overcome us if we take for granted what the Word of God does guarantee:

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome him. Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

That is why St. Anthony Mary Claret said, when he was talking about salvation (and that is how we should think), “To be saved we must have eternity in our minds, God in our hearts, and the world under our feet.”

The world and its values we fight against must remain under our feet, since we must be missionaries and bring the Word of God to all peoples and we should not be imprisoned with anything in the world, for in Christ we are triumphantly victorious (cf. Rom 8:37).

We have at last the fight against the evil agent, who works in the world and who wants to lead us to the lust of our flesh, so that we stop walking with Christ, move away from God’s plans for our life, do not make any difference in the world and ultimately lose our salvation.

Father Leo, scj, said before to warn us, “The grubby has a very clear and objective plan for me and for you. He will do what is possible and impossible, imaginable and unimaginable to seduce us. And in one detail: he never gives up!”

Our constant struggle must be intensified every day, for our adversary does not give up on tempting us, throwing against us his fiery darts of opportunity for us to sin and give up on being instruments in God’s hands.

By now you should have the answers to the questions we raised at the beginning of this post: we need to fight for God, fight for holiness, fight for salvation, fight for heaven, fight for God’s Kingdom, fight for the Word of God to be shared everywhere. fight for the conversion of our family and friends, fight to stand firm in the fight until the end of life here on earth, for our life will continue in heaven.

What weapons do we use in this fight? How to fight? These questions will be answered in this last dimension of battle we must wage against the evil one. We are not urging or encouraging anyone to fight the evil one but we are saying that he will continue to do his best and the impossible to seduce us. We cannot accept what he offers, so we must fight.

It is the glorious St Paul who teaches us in this sense, a man who was aware of the spiritual warfare that must be fought, for we do not fight against men of flesh and blood. We need to be strengthened and protected with God’s armour:

“Finally, brethren, be strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of his power. Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. Therefore take unto you the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect.” (Ephesians 6:10-13)

Our protection must be from head to toe, with the pieces of armour that Paul talks about: truth, justice, readiness, faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the spirit, and prayer in all circumstances since our struggle is against the principalities and powers, against the demons that produce this spiritual and negative force of evil that are in the heavens.

We need to resist the demons’ traps. We need to be awake, ready, and not be led astray to be tempted. The power of the demons is to try us. That seems to be a simple thing; but since we are not protected with this armour, we fall into their trap so many times without thinking about the consequences.

St. Peter, the first pope, wrote in his letter the same thing as Father Leo, scj, did, looking at the evil one like a lion, saying that we need to be sober and watch over him:

“Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist ye, strong in faith: knowing that the same affliction befalls your brethren who are in the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

Can you see that it seems that everything around us wants to push us to fall into temptation and find ourselves in a deadlock? The world offers every possible and imaginable means for us not to be sober and what is offered to us is precisely to lead us to fall in our worst weaknesses and to accept evil. It is precisely on these occasions that we are not sober that the evil one devours and attacks with all intensity. But whom can the devil devour? All those who do not remain awake — in other words, in the integrity of self-consciousness, self-control and vigilance.

Many people drop their guard at church parties; and the demons that keep walking around us will seize on these occasions to attempt to make us fall into sin. There are some communities where priests do not pray and bishops do not honour their calling, where there is alcohol being sold inside our churches — which is totally unnecessary.

How many men betrayed their wives and had put an end to their marriage after going to parties of the Church!? How many women returned to addiction after being in these sorts of environments!? How many young people had their first sexual intercourse after (or even during) these lightweight religious parties?! This is very serious! We need to be aware of the places and who we are with, under all circumstances!

Besides being protected by God’s armour, fortified by his grace and resisting the temptations, we have weapons. St Paul explains in his letter to the community of Corinthians about some of them:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty to God unto the pulling down of fortifications, destroying counsels, And every height that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every understanding unto the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

These spiritual weapons with which we fight are powerful, but only in God are they capable of demolishing fortresses. St. Paul is saying that the spiritual weapons we fight with are capable of destroying an entire army of demons, an entire infernal structure that is causing distress on Earth. We must take possession of and make use of these weapons!

Jesus overcame the evil one in the wilderness when he was tempted because he was protected with the armour of God, he was full of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, he was seeking to do the will of the Father and because he had full knowledge and knew how to use the sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God. How many people are seduced by the evil one even through the Holy Bible!?

Christians nowadays know everything about fashion, the sort of music that is in the mainstream, the latest in the soap operas, the gossip of famous people, the books that are successful in the world (most of them in the self-help genre, which is a disgrace). They know all about worldly events, technology, movies, series and everything else. They just don’t know anything about the Word of God, the Holy Bible that is their greatest weapon against the devil. That is why so many have fallen in the pitiful trap of false religions and everything else!

You may ask: will this fight against the flesh, the world and the devil ever have an end? We could answer in a way that leads us to prayer: only when we arrive in Heaven! Until then, let us walk in the paths of the battles and fights we need to wage in this world, trusting in the God who fights for us and with us.

Let’s put ourselves in God’s presence:

“Beloved and glorious Father, I come to your presence at this moment to plead with you for this grace in my life: give me the grace of being a warrior. Taking possession of every prophetic word in this post today I want to be touched by your grace and be strengthened by the gift of faith that you Lord have given me and I want to ask you to increase this faith in my heart. I cry out for your infinite love, that you put your armour on me from my head to my toes. I want, my Lord and my God, to resist and fight against everything that wants to take me away from your holy presence and one thing is certain: I can’t, so I want to ask you right now: sanctify my life, Father. Fill me with your love, your grace and your power. I don’t want to be this soft person who has no commitment to you and who gives up fighting in front of any difficulty. I believe in your promises, I believe in your word, I believe in your mercy and I ask you to fill me with hope and charity as well.

Beloved Jesus, by the power of your name, to which every knee needs to bend in heaven, on earth and in hell, I want to beg you to deliver me from all evil and all temptation. I need you to pour out your most holy Blood over me and to protect me against the temptations of the world and the evil one, against everything that is inside of me. Set me free from all sin, set me free from all addiction, set me free from every prison and come to make me a new creature, a better Christian by the power of your cross, your shed blood, your five wounds and the intercession of Your most Holy mother.

I want to be unattached of everything that makes me sleepy and attached to my old way of living, but only by Thy grace I could go steadfastly. Save me, Lord! Save me from myself, save me from what might compromise my salvation, save me from the danger of living a life away from Your presence. Pour your power upon me and let your Spirit envelop me with the fullness of your power.

Come Spirit of God, love of the Father and the Son, comforter, come sweet guest of my soul, lawyer, faithful friend. Come to fight with me and in me against all sin, against all weakness, against every inclination I have for sin and to do evil. Come to help me by joining with my spirit and making me strong in Thee. Holy Spirit, make me a noble warrior of Christ, a good soldier of the Word of God. Come to transform me and cry out within me with your ineffable moans, sealing this moment of prayer, giving me the strength I need to run away from every occasion of sin, every evil bond of the evil one that surrounds me. Give me strength to resist all evil and to fight for good, for holiness, for the manifestation of the glory and love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed Virgin, my mother and intercessor, crush the head of the old serpent, cover me with your sacred cloak and help me to be always open to the power of the Holy Spirit, since you were in that upper room in Pentecost.

St. Michael, prince of angels, help me and come to cry out WHO IS LIKE GOD in my heart to bring into my life the holy fear of God. Deliver me, my guardian angel from the pitfalls and temptations of the evil one, deliver me from all spiritual contamination and help me to keep my eyes fixed on Christ.

Thank you, Lord God, for all the protection, all the coating of Your grace and Your power, for all the help and all the revival in my soul. I glorify Thee Jesus for all your goodness and your mercy, for Thy blood shed upon me. Thank you Holy Spirit, for strengthening me and filling me with your glory. I thank you, Father, for all your grace and your love for me. Glory to the Lord forever!”

“The grace of God is given to us to do good and to avoid evil.” (St. Thomas Aquinas)

May we consciously fight against the evil that is within us, the evil that is outside, and the causative agent of all evil in the world — the evil one — so that we may grow and become good spiritual warriors, always trusting in the grace and protection of the Lord dispensed in our lives, which give us strength to avoid all evil and to do good, establishing the Kingdom of God everywhere, precipitating Heaven on earth.

May God bless us and give us the grace to fight without ever giving up.