27 November 2020
Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Spiritual warfare is the topic of Revelation chapter 20. God wins the spiritual war, as he always does. In Christianity, God and Satan are not equal but opposite forces: God always wins. Good always triumphs over evil: this is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In winning this spiritual war, though, for some reason, God does not completely annihilate Satan. Instead, he sends his angel to bind Satan in strong bonds, thrust him into the abyss and lock him there, for a time.
The implication for us is that the dark side of our soul can be confined but not extirpated in this life. Until our dying day, we know that trials, temptations and tribulations are waiting for us. With the strength of God’s grace, we can confine them. We can put them in their place, and not let them roam freely. Sometimes this takes intention and effort. When we learn how to confront our own dark side, to confess our sins to the priest, to get support and counsel from those we trust, then we are like God’s angel, binding Satan, thrusting him into the abyss and locking him there. He is not gone, but he is in his place, for a time.
“In the world, you will only find tribulation; but take courage, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).