The devil and the demons
one
The Church teaches that the Devil and the Demons were at first good angels made by God, but they became evil by their own doing.
What could have caused Lucifer, one of the highest angels, who excelled in the knowledge of God, to reject God forever?
Teresa of Avila provides an insight. She writes “I believe His Majesty desires to bring us along this way (the way of suffering, trials, crosses and difficulties) for our own good so that we may understand well what little we amount to. The favors that come afterward are of such great worth that He desires first that before He gives them to us, we see by experience our own limitations so that what happened to Lucifer will not happen to us. Life 11:11
Lucifer thought he had no limitations. Therefore, he thought he did not need God so, he did not want God and he made no space in his life for God. That is why he is in hell. He had no space for God in his life.
two
Reflecting on the Great Depression, my grandfather used to say, “It wasn’t so bad, at least the Churches were full.”
I think that what he was getting at was that when things were uncertain and we faced things that were out of our control, times in which we experienced our human limitations daily, then we realized more clearly that we needed God and it caused us to pursue God.
Since the Great Depression, and certainly since WWII we in the West have experienced unparalleled prosperity, certainty and comfort.
We have it so good in every area of life that we no longer think we need God. And if we think we don’t need God then we won’t thank him on Sunday at Mass (only 12-15% of all baptized Catholics in America go to Mass every Sunday. It’s roughly 2% in Europe and Canada); and we won’t spend time with him in meditation; and since we don’t need him, we won’t obey his moral laws.
This is the sin of Pride.
Pride says: I have everything I need; therefore, I don’t need God. I can manage just fine without him. When we don’t need God then we don’t even want God. In fact, the things of God, like Sunday Mass, prayer and obedience to his moral law actually get in the way of our life. Then the most dangerous thing of all happens, we develop an aversion to God. We begin to dislike God and all His stuff.
three
Lucifer and one third of the angels became evil by their own doing and they chose Hell
How could someone choose hell?
Pride is the beginning of all sin which is to turn away from God.
When we make turning away from God a habit, it results in an aversion for God and the things of God. If we have an aversion to God, then we won’t like doing things related to God. We won’t want to spend time in prayer, or go to Mass or Confession, or learn our faith or live according to the moral teachings of Jesus.
This is so dangerous because if we live with an aversion to God then, when we die and see God after death, we will still have this aversion. It will be our habit, our nature and we will reject Him. I mean, hey, if you had an aversion to being with God while on earth, an aversion to Mass and prayer and obedience to his moral law, then that becomes second nature to you – it actually becomes your nature – we create an evil nature out of ourselves.
But that won’t change at death. If you don’t choose Heaven now, you won’t choose heaven then.
four
Humility saves us from pride and hell.
Jesus said to St. Catherine of Siena, “Do you know who you are and who I am? If you know these two things, you will be blessed, and the Enemy will never deceive you. I am He who is; and you are she who is not.”
Humility is knowing who God is and who we are. Humility is first, knowing I am not God. I have limitations. Therefore, I need God and I want him. Secondly, humility is also knowing that I am a son of God by Baptism and His life dwelling within me.
See, it all rides on experiencing our limitations, accepting them, and allowing those limitations to turn us to God to be filled by Him.
But Pride is the opposite. Pride is to forget all this and to live as if everything depends on me. That is why pride is the source of fear and anxiety.
Humility is the source of peace because I know that no matter what, I will be OK because God is my Father.
five
Our limitations are our greatest asset
● They may be physical, intellectual, psychological,
● It may be that your kids are growing up and leaving you behind so to speak,
● it may be the death of a spouse,
● old age and infirmity;
● it may be that you are a gifted professional and you take on too many opportunities, too many projects, or clients, or patients and the weight is now crushing you;
● or you may just find that you face circumstances you cannot change.
o These are our limitations.
These are your greatest assets because you can’t overcome them! Oh you can make them worse, that’s for sure, by forcing your will or your way, but you can’t remove your limitations by your will power. You CAN have your limitations removed and obliterated by humility. By accepting your limitations and turning to God and saying: “Help me. My life is out of control and unmanageable. I need you.”
This creates a space for us to be filled by God and divinized – that is – made like God, God-like. And when we become God-like we surpass our limitations infinitely!
This is what the devil missed completely. But you wont if you stay humble!