This Present Danger

This Present Danger
www.blogspotcinopsbegone.com – Wednesday, February 11, 2009

“Our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.”
(Eph 6:12)

John Janaro, the associate professor of theology at Christendom College in Front Royal, V. believes the following as written in Praying with Saint Paul, “Daily Reflections on the Letters of Apostle Paul,” Edited by Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P. Magnificat, 2008.

Saint Paul stresses that the “world rulers” of fallen humanity, of that fallen world we call “darkness,” are “principalities and powers” that are superior (in their nature) to man (“flesh and blood”).

There are the “evil spirits,” those mysterious and but real spiritual intelligences that Scripture calls “angels.” They are fallen angels who refused to serve God “in the beginning” when God created “the heavens.” (Gn 1:1) They are the enemies of the human race, and by leading men into sin, they gained a certain “power” over the fallen world.

This power should be recognized but not exaggerated God rules even the fallen world and, especially since the victory of Christ, he limits the influence of the devil?

However, each of us must recognize that these malevolent beings can and do seek to take advantage of our wounded nature who are evil, intelligent, and ruthless have a hand in the affairs of the world.

This can be seen by looking at historical events, in which it is clear that individuals and groups have surrendered their will to some superior, sinister power, with the result being the perpetration of evil on a monstrous scale.

How else could such inhuman violence and such hatred for human life prevail in our world? God also allows Christians to be tempted; yet always gives us the grace, in Christ, to overcome temptation.

Jesus himself was tempted in the desert and his victory is the basis for our hope. The threat of the Evil One moves us to let Jesus penetrate every aspect of our lives, because whatever the risen and glorified Jesus is recognized and loved, the devil is defeated.

George H. Kubeck