Contending With The Devil
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June 15, 2026Since Easter, our Sundays have carried us through a series of great celebrations: Pentecost, the Most Holy Trinity, and last week’s Solemnity of Corpus Christi. This weekend, we return to Ordinary Time. The word “ordinary” does not mean unimportant. It is the season in which the Church reflects on what it means to be disciples of Jesus. In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus summons the Twelve and gives them “authority over unclean spirits.” He then sends the 12 Apostles out on mission to proclaim that the Kingdom of heaven is at hand, to heal the sick, and to “drive out demons.”
Modern people often feel uncomfortable speaking about the devil and demons. The subject can sound antiquated or superstitious. Oddly enough, our culture sometimes finds it easier to speculate about aliens or extraterrestrial beings than to take seriously the Church’s teaching about fallen angels. This tension surfaced recently when the Archdiocese of Washington removed Msgr. Stephen Rossetti from his role as an exorcist following controversial comments he made linking UFOs with demonic activity. Without getting into politics or sensationalism, I think one point made by Msgr. Rossetti deserves attention: the devil is real, and deception is central to his activity.
I am reminded of the famous line from the movie The Usual Suspects: “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” The devil we actually encounter is not the one portrayed in movies, dressed in a red cape and carrying a pitchfork. If that were the case, he would be easy to recognize and avoid. The reality is that the devil is far more subtle. He does not usually announce himself. Rather, he whispers, distorts, accuses, distracts, and gradually draws us away from God, from one another, and from the person God created us to be.
The devil commonly employs four strategies—the four D’s. First is deception: persuading us to accept a lie about God, ourselves, another person, or what will make us happy. Second is division: separating us from God, dividing families and communities, and turning differences into resentment or contempt. Third is diversion: distracting us from prayer, vocation, duty, and the particular good God is asking us to do. Fourth is discouragement: convincing us that change is impossible, prayer is useless, forgiveness will never come, or our efforts no longer matter.
Over the next several weeks, I would like to reflect more carefully on each of these tactics. The goal is not to make us fearful or suspicious, and certainly not to see a demon behind every difficulty. Rather, the goal is spiritual clarity. We cannot resist a lie we have not recognized. We cannot return to our mission if we refuse to admit that we have been diverted. And we cannot persevere if discouragement has convinced us to stop trying.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends the Twelve on mission because His heart is moved with compassion for people who are “troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” Contending with the devil is part of our mission. It is part of what it means to be a disciple and to share in Christ’s work of mercy. The Lord comes to free people from everything that degrades, enslaves, isolates, and destroys them. He asks us to participate in that work.
Though the Church reserves exorcism to a priest specifically authorized by the bishop, every Christian by virtue of their baptism has received a real share in Christ’s victory and power over unclean spirits. The first reading calls God’s people “a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.” We exercise our baptismal authority whenever we reject Satan’s lies. When we confess our sins, forgive an enemy, return to prayer, receive the sacraments, and resist temptation, we are engaging in a form of spiritual combat.
Saint Paul reminds us that “while we were still helpless,” Christ died for us. In the end, our confidence is not in our own strength. Our confidence is in God, and with God beside us, we do not need to live in fear. The devil is real, but he is not God's equal. The devil is a creature whose power is limited. He can tempt, deceive, and accuse, but he cannot force us to turn away from God. That is why he works so hard to persuade us to surrender the freedom Christ has won for us. But we are no longer helpless. We have Christ. We have the Church. We have one another. And we have our patron St. Michael the Archangel through whom we can ask for protection. This week let us pray for the wisdom to recognize the enemy’s lies, for the courage to resist them, and for the grace to remain close to Jesus Christ so that we can help one another live in the freedom of God’s children.