The Devil's Doorway

[ironmonk]

The devil only has one door to attack people through. That door is through our very wants and desires. If we only want God, then the devil cannot come through the door. Because of our desire of worldly possessions and status we open the door for the devil. Even in times of pain and suffering, the devil tries to come to us through our desire to end it. The devil is always on the attack of those who are on the right path.

The surest way to protect ourselves from the devil entering is to let go of our wants and accept whatever is given to us. If we do not want, then the devil has nothing to attack us with. We must always remember that God has a plan for us. We are not to worry about what we are to eat, wear, jobs, contests, houses or what people think of us. We must seek the Kingdom of God, and have faith in God. Not in the world. Faith is not “believing”… Faith is knowing. There is a difference in “belief” and “know”. If we say “I believe in this…” we show doubt, because beliefs are nothing more than opinions and I’m sure you all have heard “Everyone’s got their beliefs”. If we say “We know this…” we erase doubt. God is more real than the earth. To know God is to let go of worldly things.

The only way we can be happy is to let go of everything we want, and accept what God has given us. We have to put forth effort, pray and try to understand what God wants us to do. We cannot get mad at what happens to us. Everything is for the best. If we do not get a job we think we need, then it’s for the best. To think we must get a particular job to survive is to put our faith in worldly things and ourselves. We should put our faith in God and know that God will provide. God provides us with what we need. The greatest need is spiritual need. Physical needs are secondary. We must accept what is given to us if we want to be happy. If we want to be happy we must look at what we have and be grateful, not to focus on what we do not have.

For example there are too many people that liberally look at teachings such as birth control. They twist the meaning of a beautiful teaching of the Church into something unholy. The Church teaches that sex in marriage is for two reasons. Having babies, and to enrich the marriage bond. Some have stated that in today’s day and age that people can’t afford too many children so that it is ok that they use birth control because they are doing it for the marriage bond. By using artificial birth control we are relying on worldly things instead of God. Therefore, using birth control separates us from God. The Church teaches that artificial birth control is “intrinsically evil” (CCC 2370). When we give up our dependence on God and give into a dependence on worldly things, we let the devil in.

[b]Sirach 2:4 [/b]Accept whatever befalls you, in crushing misfortune be patient;
[b]5 [/b]For in fire gold is tested, and worthy men in the crucible of humiliation.
[b]6 [/b]Trust God and he will help you; make straight your ways and hope in him.

[b]St. Mathew 6: 25[/b] [color=red]Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
…[/color]
[b]34 [/b][color=red]Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. [/color]




God Bless, Love in Christ,
ironmonk

Edited April 11, 2004 by ironmonk

[mom25angels]

Hmmmm............I want to share with you ironmonk a conversation I had with my Hindu gasstation owner friend today. Your post made me think of it. He has only been in the US a short while. I talk with him frequently, mostly because when I get gas I always go to his station so I can talk to him. He always jokes that i'm either coming or going to mass. Today he was praising me for being religious(ok so praise keeps me coming back too). He said that it is so rare in the uS to see someone who is religious. I asked him why he thought this and he simply said because we have too much STUFF. Pretty wise I thought. We do have too much stuff. As a dear priest often tells me....We should be in the world but not of the world.

Sarah

ps--- I do slightly disagree with you on the "belief" thing though. When we say, We believe... aren't we saying we have faith. Having faith without "knowing" is belief, yes? We believe....we have faith because there are some things we simply cannot understand with our human intellects. The mystery of the Trinity, the Eucharist...these we believe without knowing.

[ironmonk]

[quote name='mom25angels' date='Apr 11 2004, 12:46 AM'] Hmmmm............I want to share with you ironmonk a conversation I had with my Hindu gasstation owner friend today. Your post made me think of it. He has only been in the US a short while. I talk with him frequently, mostly because when I get gas I always go to his station so I can talk to him. He always jokes that i'm either coming or going to mass. Today he was praising me for being religious(ok so praise keeps me coming back too). He said that it is so rare in the uS to see someone who is religious. I asked him why he thought this and he simply said because we have too much STUFF. Pretty wise I thought. We do have too much stuff. As a dear priest often tells me....We should be in the world but not of the world.

Sarah

ps--- I do slightly disagree with you on the "belief" thing though. When we say, We believe... aren't we saying we have faith. Having faith without "knowing" is belief, yes? We believe....we have faith because there are some things we simply cannot understand with our human intellects. The mystery of the Trinity, the Eucharist...these we believe without knowing. [/quote]
But... we do know them. We know that they are real. We do not have to understand something to know that it's real.


I don't understand how the sun can continue to burn without going out since all of the gas is on fire, but I know it's real. I do not believe in the sun, I know the sun.

Belief is the first step of faith. Knowing is after the testing of Faith and gaining knowledge that He is real. When we say "we believe" this or that, then it's implied that we could be wrong. To have faith, we must know that God will provide... not only believe He will. Think of the saying "everyone has their beliefs"... people say this when they disagree and don't want to tell you that directly. In our protestant mentality society, saying that everyone has their beliefs is saying that they don't know who is right and everyone's beliefs are 'valid'.

Not everyone can be right. Only one belief can be right. The belief which is right is real and can be known... even though not understood. So with the real faith, we can know, not only believe.

I *believe* that there are three levels to Faith... but there could be more.
1.) belief
2.) knowing
3.) walking on water

Some might chalk it up to symantics, but there is a difference in knowing and believing something.



God Bless, Love in Christ & Mary,
ironmonk

[Livin_the_MASS]

[quote name='ironmonk' date='Apr 10 2004, 11:31 PM'] The devil only has one door to attack people through. That door is through our very wants and desires. If we only want God, then the devil cannot come through the door. Because of our desire of worldly possessions and status we open the door for the devil. Even in times of pain and suffering, the devil tries to come to us through our desire to end it. The devil is always on the attack of those who are on the right path.

The surest way to protect ourselves from the devil entering is to let go of our wants and accept whatever is given to us. If we do not want, then the devil has nothing to attack us with. We must always remember that God has a plan for us. We are not to worry about what we are to eat, wear, jobs, contests, houses or what people think of us. We must seek the Kingdom of God, and have faith in God. Not in the world. Faith is not “believing”… Faith is knowing. There is a difference in “belief” and “know”. If we say “I believe in this…” we show doubt, because beliefs are nothing more than opinions and I’m sure you all have heard “Everyone’s got their beliefs”. If we say “We know this…” we erase doubt. God is more real than the earth. To know God is to let go of worldly things.

The only way we can be happy is to let go of everything we want, and accept what God has given us. We have to put forth effort, pray and try to understand what God wants us to do. We cannot get mad at what happens to us. Everything is for the best. If we do not get a job we think we need, then it’s for the best. To think we must get a particular job to survive is to put our faith in worldly things and ourselves. We should put our faith in God and know that God will provide. God provides us with what we need. The greatest need is spiritual need. Physical needs are secondary. We must accept what is given to us if we want to be happy. If we want to be happy we must look at what we have and be grateful, not to focus on what we do not have.

For example there are too many people that liberally look at teachings such as birth control. They twist the meaning of a beautiful teaching of the Church into something unholy. The Church teaches that sex in marriage is for two reasons. Having babies, and to enrich the marriage bond. Some have stated that in today’s day and age that people can’t afford too many children so that it is ok that they use birth control because they are doing it for the marriage bond. By using artificial birth control we are relying on worldly things instead of God. Therefore, using birth control separates us from God. The Church teaches that artificial birth control is “intrinsically evil” (CCC 2370). When we give up our dependence on God and give into a dependence on worldly things, we let the devil in.

[b]Sirach 2:4 [/b]Accept whatever befalls you, in crushing misfortune be patient;
[b]5 [/b]For in fire gold is tested, and worthy men in the crucible of humiliation.
[b]6 [/b]Trust God and he will help you; make straight your ways and hope in him.

[b]St. Mathew 6: 25[/b] [color=red]Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
…[/color]
[b]34 [/b][color=red]Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. [/color]




God Bless, Love in Christ,
ironmonk [/quote]
bump

[mom25angels]

Gotcha, we can KNOW but not fully understand. We believe, then we know. However walking on water? Can't do [i]that[/i] but I'd love to try.

[Good Friday]

That was an awesome post, Ironmonk. Kudos.

[CreepyCrawler]

I liked that so much I am printing it out and I will read it every day.

[ironmonk]

Thanks guys... I'm glad you liked it.

God Bless, Love in Christ,
ironmonk

[Jake Huether]

Very nice post Ironmonk. thank you!

[God Conquers]

So true!

And because of this, the devil has it SO easy up here in North America. Think about our "consumer culture". Adds flying back and forth everywhere, enticing us to want. All Satan has to do is use these, everywhere we look, to tug us into sin.

G.K. Chesterton gave a speech on an impending danger to the western world. Many though it would be about communism (it was the 20's) but it was ultimately about advertisement. Look at all the space that our adds take up! Imagine if that space was used for a flag, or saying to promote patriotism, a reminder of the homeless among us, a reminder of the Glory of God. Instead it is squandered and used to tempt us and fuel our desires.

Look at other places. Africa: A friend visited here to evangelize, and because Satan is unable to tempt them with desires (they only desire to stay alive, to love etc. material desires are not as big a concern) he has to posess them outright, which is a big problem, but if you think about it, way easier to combat than the subtle means he uses in our lands.

So, thanks Ironmonk. We constantly need to be reminded that Satan works subtly through our desires, and how to combat him through it (or despite it).

[Dave]

I'd thought Max had specifically aimed this thread at me, considering our past conversations! But such was not the case. Even so, it's quite appropriate!

[Quietfire]

I dont know, this may sound stange. In the end only God knows.

I know this thread was aimed at me, in more than one way.

Ive said it before

You are a force to be reckoned with!


Thanks.

[Hazilloe]

[quote name='ironmonk' date='Apr 10 2004, 10:31 PM'] The devil only has one door to attack people through. That door is through our very wants and desires. [/quote]
if the devil's got what i want, then count me in.

[God Conquers]

However, those wants and desires are not necessarily good or redeeming ones, spirtitualy or physically.

[God Conquers]

PS... I've never actually heard anyone say "count me in with the devil", i kinda hope that's a joke.... for your sake.