Our readings today are about the simple, direct, effective power of God against the evil spirits that still roam the world today.
We may ask – if the death and resurrection of Jesus are truly a reality, then why wasn't Satan and his cronies destroyed completely? Why can we not live a life totally free from evil impulses? Because, then it would not be a truly human life. All human beings from the time of Adam until the last one is born must face the challenge of dealing with the opposite of good, right, truth, justice – just as Jesus himself did! This is so that he/she can make his/her own freewill choice to be on the side of good – to be on the side of Jesus and his Father!
The good news is that because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the negative forces do not have to overwhelm us – unless we decide to let them do so!
The first reading tells us that the very wisdom of God is available to us (specifically by our Baptism and Confirmation) so that we can know things as God does, and choose right as God would have us!
We must constantly have our faith tested – in these small and persistent daily skirmishes with the evil one – so that our faith may grow ever stronger – and our virtue ever stronger – and our works of charity ever more pure!
One day – the Last Day – Jesus will destroy Satan and his legions – and throw them into the fiery furnace forever – along with those who were converted to their side because they did not use the tools God lovingly gave to help them avoid it! May we be among those called to the right side of God – to the green pastures – the flowing waters of the landscape of heaven – where we will then live a life totally and completely free of temptations and urgings to live other than a purely and wholly God-like life!
The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart! Let us seek them out today and live by them very closely and thus be shielded from the evil that is really out there to trip us up – (especially in the seemingly smallest and most insignificant ways)!
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