August 25 The Heart of St. Paul
St. Paul knows that human beings frequently struggle with things. We struggle between who we are and who we want to be. We struggle between what we really need and what we desire. We struggle between the right thing and the easy thing to do. Paul gives the Ephesians important advice in the spiritual life when he writes “we are not contending between flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers . . . against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12)
Our real enemies are not the ones we can see, but rather the ones we cannot see. In other words, are true enemies are spiritual realities. Paul echoes words that will be said by Jesus himself in the Gospels, “Do not fear those who can destroy the body, but those who can destroy the body and the soul.” (Mt 10:28)
These spiritual realities camouflage themselves as good things that can become traps. People may say flattering things about us, but pretty soon we do things not because they are good, but because we receive flattery. We take pleasure in legitimate things, but soon that is the only thing we are thinking about. We can let our anger get out of control and cease to see good things, but only the bad. C.S. Lewis describes these principalities and powers that Paul speaks of in his spiritual classic, The Screwtape Letters.
It is clear to St, Paul that the devil has largely given up the frontal attack in favor of one that is more deceptive. He prefers to work on our spiritual attitudes and weaknesses discreetly, slowly bending our souls to his will. May the Lord help us to be vigilant to the presence of these daily spiritual attacks on our souls. May we daily invoke St. Michael the Archangel to help us overcome the powers that seek to destroy us.
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