Ignoring oppression will not make it flea.  In fact, the attack will be compounded.  If you are a Christian in complete armor you are armed with the grace of heaven on your side.  Paul uses the imagery of a soldier to correlate the Christian warrior. The helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, the breast plate of righteousness, the shield of faith to extinguish the enemy’s arrows, and the sandals shod with the gospel of peace.

I have talked about the war in a cosmic context–a macro vision of the nature of things.  I have talked about my private journey combating the gates of hell.  Now I wish to encourage those in the fight.  Resistance is a great companion in the fight.  Passivity seems to draw the enemy from all sides. He prefers chained Christians that are unaware of their slavery. Chained to anything, even good things, it does not matter to him.  Of course, he always wants to take the image of God and make a mockery of it.

Usually he comes in the form of pleasure and vice to lure his victim into the trap.  Pornography is a great example of this– heightened stimulation that has an appetite that turns into a downward spiral into depravity of the debase sort.  If these movements of the temper don’t work, then he attacks by affliction, condemnation, accusation, shame.

Morbidity, despair, self-loathing, weight, or what I call the boot–like an invisible boot is grinding away at your chest or your mind–and anxiety is one of his favorites as well.

Passivity on our part is his means of operation and greatest ally.  What’s happening to me?  A sense of powerlessness to the onslaught, a victim mentality, he loves.

Now there is a redemptive suffering that is from the Father, but at the bottom of it is sweetness in the pain, a love mingled with sorrow and burden.  This can be heroically born for the Kingdom.  But do not confuse this burden from heaven with the enemy’s affliction.  No love, no sweetness in the burden born, equals no God, but rather the lord of the flies. Fight it off!  Command it to leave in the name that is above every name.  The Catholic Rite of Exorcism are the most powerful prayers ever penned against the onslaught of hell.

The imagery chosen by Paul is no surprise, a warrior ready for battle.  No victim here but warrior, defender of the keep, sword drawn and ready come what may.

This is my gift to you from failure after failure, loss of battles fought, and sufferings endured. If you take anything away from this post it would be this one thing–stand and FIGHT! Say the prayer of St. Michael with authority!  Command him to leave!  The best defense is no defense whatever but opposition.  Tread on serpents and scorpions, for in Christ we are more than conquers through Him that loves us and gave Himself up for us.  Offense, making a stand, knowing that the culmination of all things approaches and only the valiant shall endure to the end.  Armed for war is our only safety.  Praying in the Spirit at all times wielding the light of heaven in our members as that great day approaches, when all tears shall be wiped away and the great King will say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

In the moment you feel you couldn’t even fight out a prayer, anything but prayer, it is your moment. When you feel completely powerless is when heaven shall love through you.  Arise though your mind says no, and your soul resists what must be done, and say the word. Be gone, Satan, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Better still be ready for war at all times, resist the devil and he shall flee.

Resistance, a ready offense, a posture for war is our great ally.