Does the devil exist? For a Christian, answering this question should be simple, just as it is for a nonbeliever. For one, he exists; for the other, he does not. Yet today, the Christian’s answer is not so “obvious.” The devil is working so subtly that he leads people to believe he is merely the invention of some backward moralist. Of course evil exists in the world, but that it is the work of an angel who chose darkness instead of light… here we enter the realm of fantasy…
So, let us return to the source and try to make sense of it all!

The starting point

The Holy Scriptures are our starting point, God’s gift and the compass that guides us along the paths of the Kingdom. If we read the Bible, there can be no doubt: the devil exists!
The apostle James tells us: “Submit yourselves, then, to God; resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Jas 4:7), and Peter: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your enemy, the devil, like a roaring lion, prowls around looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8). And we could continue with quotation after quotation. So, if the devil exists, and if his usual action is to lead us away from the Father, it is necessary to learn to recognize him so that we can defend ourselves and remain grafted into Jesus like a branch into the vine.

How can we recognize him?

If we look around us, the devil’s presence in the world is evident. Even though, as we have said, we sometimes attribute to an impersonal “evil” what is actually his work.
So how can we recognize him in order to defend ourselves and distance ourselves from his actions?
The word “devil” means “divider.” In fact, knowing this is enough to unmask him. Whenever a “discordant” note enters the melody of life, we must raise our antennas for goodness and immediately retune ourselves to God’s frequencies.
What are the discordant notes? Abuse, destructive judgments, slander, wars (without even getting to conflicts between nations, let us think of the small and great divisions that reign in our relationships with friends, relatives, spouses, colleagues…), infidelity, violence…
If we are vigilant, as Saint Peter suggests, the devil will not be able to harm our lives. His strength lies in darkness, in acting covertly, but if we bring his activity to light, if we recognize him for what he is, his power melts like snow in the sun.

How can we defeat him?

The first thing to do is bring his activity to light. Sacramentally, we have a powerful aid in Confession. Placing our sins in God’s merciful heart defeats Satan and restores us to a relationship of love with the Father. But in addition to confession, there is prayer. Prayer, in fact, keeps us close to God, keeps us in the light, and strengthens our interior life.
Have you noticed what happens when you distance yourself from God and stop drawing from the source of prayer? You become discouraged, life becomes nothing but toil, the less you pray, the less you feel like praying, you lose your peace and begin to think that God is far away and does not love you… When we reach this point, unfortunately, the devil has had a hand in it; he has come between us and God and separated us from Him!

What should we do?

Let us stop and return to the starting point: the Bible. Here are a few words that may help us: “God is faithful and will not let you be tempted beyond your strength but, with the temptation, will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor 10:13); “Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation for, when he has been tested, he will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (Jas 1:12).
The words of Sacred Scripture will be able to guide our steps and bring us back to the path of God the Father; we will open our hearts once again to sacramental life and prayer.
Let us never become discouraged; discouragement never comes from God, let us remember that!
“However, Satan’s power is not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful because he is pure spirit, but still a creature: he cannot prevent the building of the kingdom of God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 395).
Through Confirmation, we have become warriors of Christ and therefore use the weapons of light to live in joy and be builders of the Kingdom!