Recognizing And Fighting The Devil's Attacks

Anxiety, I’ve learned, represents the devil’s attacks on us.

“Wait,” you say, “what?!”

You heard me – anxiety represents the devil’s attacks.

Let’s dig a little deeper into that concept.

First – what is anxiety?

Webster says it is “an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (e.g. sweating, tension, increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with it.”

From here, that last element is the most dangerous; “self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with it.” That describes – precisely, I believe – how the devil attacks us so often; and it’s most dangerous because he wins when we indulge that self-doubt.

If you take nothing else from this column, please take these two ideas:

You can do nothing on your own.

You can do anything with God.

That self-doubt mentioned above comes from trying to do something – anything – on your own.

Won’t happen; can’t.

Acknowledging and embracing the concept that you can do anything with God … now that is a winner.

Don’t misunderstand those last few sentences; I’m not trying to say that none of us have any talent, knowledge or understanding – quite the contrary.

I am, however, suggesting that God has blessed us with those gifts. We must thank Him for them and do our best to use them as He intends.

For many people, that last part actually can promote anxiety. “How am I supposed to know what He intends for me? How can I be sure I’m using my talents as He intends?”

I’ll suggest some things that I’ve come to rely on over the years. Each of them helps me to mitigate any doubt that I am working as best I can to do God’s will in my life.

1 – Keep the “two greatest commandments” – to (1) love the Lord your God above all else and to (2) love your neighbor as yourself. When any of us can look in the mirror and see the reflection of a person we believe is doing his or her very best to keep those commandments, I dare say that person will be using his or her talents as God intends.

2 – If you don’t already do so, receive the sacraments often – especially confession and communion.

3 – Spend time in Eucharistic adoration whenever possible.

4 – Pray the Rosary daily.

5 – Pray the Divine Mercy chaplet daily.

It’s impossible to do these things – any of them, let alone all of them – without inevitably developing a stronger relationship with God. It’s also impossible – from here, at least – to see any measure of true strength in our relationship with God unless we are doing at least some of those things all the time.

Before moving to Evansville, I had an opportunity to make a “wee hours of the morning” holy hour in the adoration chapel of the parish I belonged to on the north side of Atlanta. I began reading the Diary of St. Faustina of the Divine Mercy during those holy hours.

It’s not a quick read. I finished it during a holy hour in the perpetual-adoration chapel of Holy Redeemer parish after moving here a few months ago. It took many weeks to complete – maybe because I was so enthralled by what I read.

I’ll close with a prayer from St. Faustina’s diary. It’s one I like to say when I begin feeling anxiety creep in as I prepare for an important event or meeting – or for sitting down to write this column.

“O my Jesus, direct my mind, take possession of my whole being, enclose me in the depths of Your heart, and protect me against the assaults of the enemy. My only hope is in You. Speak through my mouth when I, wretchedness itself, find myself with the mighty and wise, so that they will know that this undertaking is Yours and comes from You.”

Stay faithful, my friends.