The Enemy we pretend doesn't exist

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​In our modern, secular age, it has become fashionable to dismiss the devil as a relic of a primitive, superstitious past. He is treated as a metaphor for human evil, a psychological shadow, or a cartoon character in a red suit, anything but what he truly is: a real, personal, and intelligent being dedicated to our eternal ruin.

​

This popular disbelief is not a sign of intellectual progress. It is, in fact, the enemy's most profound and subtle victory. "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled," the old saying goes, "was convincing the world he didn't exist."


​This article will demonstrate, using the infallible Word of God and the consistent, dogmatic teaching of the Catholic Church, that denying the existence of the devil is not a minor theological disagreement. It is a catastrophic error. It is to fundamentally call Jesus Christ a liar, to reject the direct testimony of the Apostles, to misunderstand the entire story of salvation, and to walk unarmed onto a spiritual battlefield.


​What follows is a comprehensive apologetic on why this denial is one of the gravest and most spiritually disarming dangers to the modern soul.




1. It Rejects the Direct Witness of Jesus Christ


The most fundamental reason this denial is catastrophic is that it calls Jesus Christ a liar. Our Lord did not speak of "the evil one" as a vague metaphor for human darkness. He spoke of, and to, a specific, personal, intelligent being.


Christ's Personal Battle (The Temptation): 


The Gospels of Matthew and Luke do not describe a psychological struggle. They describe a dialogue with an external person.


Matthew 4:10: "Then Jesus said to him, ‘Begone, Satan! for it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”’"


Luke 4:8: "And Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.”’"

   

One does not say "Begone!" to a metaphor.


Christ's Direct Teaching on Satan's Nature: Jesus gives a clear biography and nature of His enemy.


John 8:44: "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

   

Christ uses personal pronouns ("he," "his") to describe a being with a will, a nature, and a history.


Christ's Teaching on Satan's Work: In His parables, Jesus identifies the devil as the active enemy of God's kingdom.


Matthew 13:19: "When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart."


Matthew 13:38-39: "...the weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels."

   

Christ's Knowledge of Satan's Actions: Jesus spoke of the devil's actions in the spiritual realm as a current event.


Luke 10:18: "And he said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.’" 


Luke 22:31: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat..."

 

This is not a parable; it is Jesus revealing a personal, spiritual assault on His Apostles.


Christ's Power Over Demons: The Gospels are filled with Christ's power over demons (fallen angels). These beings had names, voices, and knowledge.


Mark 5:9: "And Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.’"


Mark 1:24: "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God."

  

To deny the devil is to say that all these people were simply "mentally ill" and that Jesus was, at best, a well-meaning but ignorant faith healer who was wrong about the cause of their suffering.


To deny the devil, one must conclude that Jesus Christ was either ignorant, delusional, or a deceiver. This is a blasphemy that destroys the very person of our Savior.


2. It Rejects the Witness of the Apostles


The Apostles, inspired by the Holy Spirit, carried this teaching forward as a central warning for the Church.


St. Peter's Urgent Warning:


1 Peter 5:8: "Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour."

   

Peter identifies a personal "adversary" (antidikos) who has a will and an objective (to devour).


St. Paul's Doctrine of Spiritual Warfare: St. Paul is explicit that our true fight is not with people, but with personal spiritual entities.

 

Ephesians 6:11-12: "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

  

A person who denies the devil renders this entire passage nonsensical.


St. Paul on Satan's Deception:

 

2 Corinthians 11:14: "And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."

 

1 Timothy 4:1: "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons."

  

St. John's Definition of Christ's Mission: St. John makes the devil the reason for the Incarnation.

 

1 John 3:8: "He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil."

  

If the devil's "works" are just human failings, then Christ's mission is reduced to simple moral teaching.


St. James's Command:

 

James 4:7: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

   

You cannot "resist" a concept or a metaphor. You resist a person, an assailant.


3. It Rejects the Witness of Salvation History


The Old Testament, which Christ affirmed, establishes this spiritual battle from the beginning.


 The Garden of Eden:

 

Genesis 3:1: "Now the serpent was more subtle than any other beast..."

   

The Church's Tradition (and Christ Himself in John 8:44) has always understood this "serpent" not as a mere animal, but as the mouthpiece of the devil, the tempter.


Wisdom 2:24: "...but through the envy of the devil death entered the world..."

 

The Story of Job: The entire prologue of Job is a dialogue between God and a personal being called "Satan" (the accuser).


Job 1:9-11: "Then Satan answered the LORD, ‘Does Job fear God for nought? ... But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse thee to thy face.’"

 

4. It Rejects the Infallible Teaching of the Church


The Magisterium, guided by the Holy Spirit, has infallibly affirmed this reality against all heretics who have tried to deny it.


Fourth Lateran Council (1215): "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing."


This is an infallible dogmatic definition. To deny it is to fall into formal heresy.


Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC): The Catechism is blunt, calling the devil a "person" and this truth a "dogma."


CCC 391: "Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice... Scripture and the Church's Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called 'Satan' or 'devil'."


CCC 395: "The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite... he is a creature..."


CCC 2851: "In this petition, 'evil' is not an abstraction, but refers to a person, Satan, the Evil One, the angel who opposes God." (Referring to the "Our Father").

   

5. The Grave Spiritual Consequences (Why it's "Bad")


It Disarms the Christian. 


You cannot fight an enemy you do not believe in. A soldier who believes the war is over is the first to be taken prisoner. St. Peter and St. Paul gave us battlefield commands (1 Peter 5:8, Ephesians 6:11) which we ignore at our peril. 


We fail to use the weapons God gave us, the Rosary, the Sign of the Cross, the name of Jesus, the Sacrament of Confession, because we see no one to fight.

 

It Invalidates the Mission of Christ. 


If there is no Satan, there is no "strong man" to be bound (Mark 3:27). If there is no devil, there are no "works of the devil" for Christ to destroy (1 John 3:8). If there is no "prince of this world," there is no one for Christ to "cast out" (John 12:31). The denial of the devil hollows out the Cross and makes Christ's victory symbolic rather than a real, cosmic triumph over an enemy.

 

It Makes Us the Source of All Evil. 


If there is no external Tempter, then all the horrific, twisted, and profoundly evil thoughts that enter our minds must come only from us. This leads to a despair and self-hatred that is, itself, a tool of the devil. It robs us of the comfort of knowing that we are being tempted (which is not a sin) and instead makes us believe we are monsters (which is despair).


In conclusion, to deny the devil is to reject the words of Christ, the teaching of the Apostles, the history of Scripture, and the infallible dogma of the Church. It is a spiritual blindness that leaves the soul undefended, naive, and open to the very enemy it pretends does not exist.

I pray this scriptural defence has been thorough and fortifying for your faith.


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