KNOW YOUR ENEMY - 3

KNOW YOUR ENEMY – 3

“Your enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” (Sun Tzu, The Art of War)

            During a break from my seminary life, I was staying in Chennai City and working. One day as I was traveling in the City Bus, I gave 5 Rupees for the ticket. And the conductor asked me to give the change. The ticket is only Rs. 2.50 at that time. When the conductor asked the change, my reply was, “I don’t have, do you want me to go to the bank and bring the change?” Wow, was that a right answer or right attitude? NO, the answer came from God, he hammered on my head and said this is extra talk or talking too much. Speaking unnecessary words. This event made a deep mark in my mind and heart and helps many times to keep silent or to keep my words limited. And that’s what I am going to share with you today.

3. BAD TALK

"Sin will not be lacking where too many words are spoken; the prudent man controls his tongue." (Proverbs 10:19)

            One of another trick that the evil one uses against us is our mouth. Mouth or tongue or word is one of the thing about which the Bible speaks very much. In an alarming tone the author of the book of Sirach asks in anxiety, "Who will put a guard on my mouth and effectively lock up my lips to prevent me from sinning and my tongue from hastening my ruin?" (Sirach 22:27) “The tongue has power over life and death, those who like speaking will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21)

            Words are very powerful. It can make or break. There are a lots of examples found in the Bible and the History of the world. “Evil words destroy one’s friends; wise discernment rescues the godly.” (Proverbs 11:9) “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but hard words stir up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1) “Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:4) Needless to say from my own experience and believe everyone’s experience is the same that many a time we speak thoughtlessly. “The one who speaks thoughtlessly pierces like a sword; but the words of the wise bring healing.” (Proverbs 12:18) Most of the times our words are not only thoughtless but also useless.

            In most cases we tend to forget that our words are powerful only when we speak less. But unfortunately we tend to talk more.  When do we have loose talk or use useless words? When we are angry: we don’t think what we speak. Even when you are angry think before you talk, because the words you say can be forgiven, not forgotten. Impatient: Impatience grows into bitterness and the words comes out of bitterness always sarcastic and it hurts badly. Never trust your tongue when your heart is bitter.  Justifying: In a vehemence of justifying ourselves we use a lot of words, if you don’t find words we repeat the same again and again. ‘Never explain yourself. Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it.’ (Belgicia Howell) So, why waste your words in that? ‘Those who lack the courage will always find a philosophy to justify it’ (Albert Camus). Accuse or blame others: We find all possible bad words to destroy the reputation of others especially in their absence. One of my resolution after a retreat was not to speak about someone in their absence. This can also be known as gossip, but accusation is worse than gossip. Gossip and lying: If gossip destroys the reputation of others, lying destroys the reputation of our own self. "Cursed be the gossiper with his spiteful tongue. He has destroyed many who lived peacefully." (Sirach 28:13)  

          When we talk much we listen less, when we listen less we understanding less, when we understand less we make mistakes, when we make mistakes either we are stressed or frustrated both ruins our life. An important thing that devil uses in this modern era for this bad talk or gossip is the social media especially facebook. Anonymity makes them comfortable to spill the venomous words on those whom they hate. No censor in the media and everyone has to swallow it. Posting all kinds of useless talks and emotions and gossips fills the timeline status everyday.

            Let us not forget what Jesus said, “Say yes when you mean yes and say no when you mean no. Anything else you say comes from the devil.” (Matthew 5:37) And St. Paul will remind us again “Let your yes be yes and your no be no, lest you become liable for judgment.” (James 5:12)

“If you are young, speak if you have to, but not more than twice and only if requested. Keep to the point and say it all in a few words.” (Sirach 32:7-8)

“Be careful what you say and protect your life. A careless talker destroys himself.” (Proverbs 13:3)

SPEAK ONLY WHEN OUR WORDS ARE MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN SILENCE.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY - 2

KNOW YOUR ENEMY - 2

“Your enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

When one of my friend was to be sent out for some grave reason, his friend asked me what was the problem? When I asked why that person did not know about it being a good and close friend of him. That person replied that after seeing some of his habits lost respect and distanced from him and did not have any communication. With this event the next day as I was praying after communion, God gave me this reflection which I am sharing with you.

2. ACCUSING

This is one of another tactics or tricks which the devil uses against us to separate us from God. The name Satan (in Hebrew) means ‘Oppose’ and his mail work is to ‘separate’, to separate and kill. In our human relationship we start to relate with others for different reasons, but one among them is that we find them good to relate with, to make friendship with so we become close to that person. As no one is perfect, that includes us, in the course of time, when we happen to see, or come to know about one or some of their weaknesses most of the time, almost all the time, we tend to keep distance or discontinue our relationship or friendship with them. When we are asked we give all the bad reasons about that person. We accuse them of their weakness or bad habit.

We should always remember that accusation is attached with justification.  Yea, we might have heard the saying that ‘when we point one finger to others, the rest point at us’. When we accuse others we forget that we too have some or more weaknesses, bad habits. The only good thing is the other person did not have enough chance to find us out, or that person may know it but decent or matured enough to tolerate (be patience) with us, or else does not want to look at our negative side.

Here we need to remember that this trait of accusation is not of ours. It is the work of the devil. In the book of Zachariah Chapter we read that Satan is standing at the right of the high priest Joshua, ready to accuse him. In the book of Revelation we read, “For our brothers' accuser has been cast out, who accused them night and day, before God.” (12:10) Night and day, means to say, always his work is to accuse, to judge others. St. James would say in his letter chapter 4 that when you speak against or condemn someone, you condemn the law, only one lawgiver, who are we to condemn our neighbor?

Let us not get trapped by this trick of Satan. Whether accusing yourself of your own mistakes, false, or bad habits or weakness, or of others. Whatever or whichever makes you to commit sin, or wrong, you are made flawless by the blood of the Cross, the Cross has made you flawless. God is not happy to see you of feeling guilt or accusing yourself or others. For we are all created in the likeness of God. When we relapse in our prayer life, distance away from God because of our guilty conscience then the devil uses that chance and works on our weakness projecting it as a problem. Thank God for our weaknesses and for the weaknesses of others for in our weakness his strength will be manifested (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Let us not distance ourselves from our friends or with those whom we associate with. Let us not abandon them, let us not give up or get frustrated with their continuous failure. We are fortunate that God has given strength to avoid bad habits but they still struggle with it. It is these difficult moments they need us more. What kind of love is that only when they are good we associate with them and when they are bad we dissociate with them? Jesus came for the lost, the sinners, the accursed not for the righteous. Let us love others in their bad and difficult moments and help each other to reach the holiness for which we are all called.

You know my name not my story,

You heard what others said about me

But haven’t heard what I had to say

Don’t judge me until you’ve

Walked my journey.

Don’t accuse me or judge me of what you see now,

For you don’t know what I was,

Or what I will be.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged” (Luke 6:37).

“Love keeps no record of wrong” (1 Corinthians 13:5).

KNOW YOUR ENEMY - 1

“Your enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)
These are some of my moments experiences after I am being trapped in that, God showered his grace to realize the truth. I am just sharing this with you. If you have similar experience you can share too. May God help of us. And Mother Mary, the Morning Star guide us.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” (Sun Tzu, The Art of War)

1. IMPATIENCE

Once of the tactics that devil uses on us is to become impatience.

Well, you may ask how? For anyone it is natural to become impatience when things go wrong, meet with continuous failure, or meet with urgent need, when we could not bear with the shortcomings of others. Is there anything wrong in that? Is it not natural?

It may seem to be ok, but actually it’s not ok. Impatience first cripples the capacity to understand, to understand in the right way. Lack of understanding bars the grace of discernment and hastens the need of a quicker decision making or conclusion which most of the time or all the time ends up in miserable.

When the calculations and conclusions go wrong we get frustrated, discouraged and fret, foam with dissent and anger which blinds the eyes of faith and hope. And there starts all the crazy thinking and spilling of hurtful words and acts which makes division and hatred.

Patience means love. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love only one. Like a jack fruit. Or an orange. All others or its peels. To be patient means to work with love. To be patient with a bedridden person needs more love. The very apt example is Mother Teresa. Patience is a virtue, also a gift and also a part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. One can be patient only when he has the love. Love includes patience, understanding, hope and perseverance, never give up. And tolerance. Tolerance may be under patience. Does every situation of patience need to be love? Yes, waiting for a bus which comes late so that I am late to office, also to be handled with love, love for God and understanding which results from love. God waits for us patiently, because He loves us.

God is patient in creating us. Patience means waiting with hope, endless hope. And patient waiting with hope and faith always rewarded. Our enemy does not like it. Because he was kept blinded of the plan of Salvation, he became impatience and took a quick and hasty decision, came to a fast conclusion that if he kills Jesus by a humiliating death, he thought, everything will finish, but met with disaster. So, he uses the same tactic on us.

We find an example in the Bible, he was the first king, and the prophet asked him to wait for seven days until he comes. But he could not wait, became restless, made a wrong decision of offering sacrifice by himself to God to receive the blessing, instead he received curse. He disobeyed in his impatience and lost the grace and favor of God and the kingdom was removed from him. The mas was King Saul. (1 Samuel 10:8, 13:1ff)

Let’s practice patience. On ourselves first in our weaknesses, inabilities, delayed results, in our needs and necessities. Then on to others and to God. God knows what is good, when is good and how is good. For patience means love and trust.

"Keep calm before the Lord, wait for him in patience; do not fret if others succeed when they carry out evil schemes." (Psalms 37:7)

"from patience comes merit, merit is the source of hope," (Romans 5:4)

Patience is a virtue. Patience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Be on your guard! Be Patient!
God knows you and watches over you!
And so too our enemy.
The Choice is ours.
Hide from devil and live in the presence of God or do the opposite.
Always fighting is not a wise decision!