Spiritual Warfare: Pope Francis Says the Christian life is Battle Against the Devil
VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online) - The first reading at the Liturgy on Thursday, October 30, 2014, was an excerpt from St Paul's well known letter to the Ephesians (Eph 6:10-20) in which we find this powerful charge and admonition:
"Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the Devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.
"Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Pope Francis described Christian life as a continuous battle being waged against the world, the disordered passions of the flesh and the devil - good, old school spiritual warfare language. He called all those at Mass, and all of us, to take up the armor of God and fight the Devil.
Here are some excerpts: