The other day I was channel surfing, trying to find something worthwhile to watch (I failed miserably), when I came upon a movie whose current scene caught my eye. I paused and watched for a few minutes.
The gist of the movie was that a rare-book collector wanted to obtain an ancient text that held the secret to summoning Satan (a.k.a. the Devil, Beelzebub, Lucifer, the Father of Lies, the Prince of Darkness).
I changed the channel, as I quickly lost interest. Then it occurred to me what a waste of energy and money it would be to summon Satan. There’s really no need. Scripture tells us he roves around like a hungry lion. Satan and his minions are actively involved in battle against God and the people on Earth who are striving to do God’s will. Those people who are clueless about the true reality and existence of Satan and who are doing his work unwittingly, he leaves alone or he even prospers their work.
Movies (or books) like the one I happened on distort the reality of the spiritual world. Incorporeal beings exist. They were created by God at the moment of Creation. They are powerful beyond comprehension. The Devil and his cohorts are locked in combat with God and the angels who remained faithful. The storylines of such movies always follow the same plot: some person or group uses incantations, sacrifices, etc., to garner power over supernatural beings so they can profit from their control over them. You would be more successful in your efforts to control the weather.
Summoning them is akin to summoning bloodthirsty mosquitoes on a warm summer night in the swamp. The hard part is chasing them away. Fortunately for us, we have a shield against their machinations: Jesus Christ and His Church! Also our guardian angels; the Virgin Mother, who crushes the head of the ancient serpent; St. Joseph, who is known as the Terror of Demons; and St. Michael the Archangel and the legions of angels he leads.
Only an ignorant person or a fool would knowingly summon a demon. It is delusional to think that you could control them in any way, shape, or form. If your efforts succeed it is only because they are playing along to cause you mortal harm. But the problem is that too many people discount the reality of spiritual warfare and the existence of the Devil. They are like persons stumbling through a battlefield, totally unaware that a war is raging around them. Some are so wounded by their pride and self-absorption that they fail to recognize the mortal wounds that have already been inflicted on them. These wounds are caused by one or more of the Seven Deadly Sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony.
Satan and his cohorts use these weapons against us in their battle against God and His desire for us to be with Him forever. For proof of the demons’ activities, just watch the news or read a history book. Humans do not need the promptings of a demon to commit acts of cruelty but the demons do use our weaknesses against us.
So the next time you see a movie about summoning the Devil, try to recall how ludicrous it is. He or his coworkers are already nearby, waiting to spring a trap on the next unwary soul.
Find more work from Dennis McGeehan at Warriors World Dad. Dennis writes from Pennsylvania, and is available for speaking at your next store or parish event.
Stephen Weisenbach
Stephen Weisenbach is a freelance copy editor and proofreader, and guest-posts editor for the Catholic Writers Guild blog. He has worked with a number of Catholic media organizations, including Scepter Publishers, Circle Media, Catholic News Agency, Tiber River, and FultonSheen.com, as well as ad agencies serving national accounts. You can reach Steve at sweisenbach @ ymail.com.
Some folks more willingly believe in the Devil than in God. God, it seems asks too much. The Devil just takes. Characters in these stories count themselves fortunate to escape Satan, but only return to the same life they led before “possession.” As the Gospel tells us, the demons will return to the same house from which they were swept.
Happy All Hallows Eve!
Don’t eat too much candy.
God Bless,
Don
As someone who was sort-of like that at one point, I can say with confidence that most people who write that sort of material are honestly ignorant of what they’re making. It’s mostly a bid to do something “interesting” that overtakes all common sense in telling you that such material is awful and it’s only on reflection that one realizes how poorly thought-out it was.
Unfortunately a lot of stories are written purely to be different or to attract attention instead of actually having any meaning or thought put behind them.