BCP: Modern psychological and spiritual warfare /Part two/
16 November 2022
Analysis of spiritual warfare
In part one, we reflected on the reality of spiritual and psychological warfare that is currently taking place on a global scale. In part two, we give an analysis of the spiritual war that takes place in the life of every person during his lifetime.
Psychological and spiritual warfare begins when two people hate each other. Every form of war has not only a horizontal but also a vertical dimension, behind which is rebellion against God and rejection of His laws and commandments. This rebellion has its origin in the spirit of lies and evil. The source of evil in us, i.e. original sin, suppresses the awareness of truth and our conscience, which is the voice of God in the heart of man. The very fact that a person separates himself from God – the vertical – through sin has a negative impact on the horizontal as well, that is, on the relationship with another person. This is the cause of every war and every evil that has ever been committed by mankind. The Bible gives us an illustrative example in the description of the first fratricide. Cain first turned away from God, and then was filled with envy and jealousy of his brother. His holding onto hateful thoughts and the resulting emotions eventually led him to kill his brother. We see that sin is rooted in the heart of man rather than in the evil deed itself, such as murder, adultery or the killing of an unborn child, revenge, theft, etc., which is only the consequence of it. We must therefore stand in the truth, in the light of God, in the vertical, in order to realize self-deception in our thinking and to admit it to ourselves and to God, or even to people. This paralyzes its negative charge, which otherwise causes suffering both to us and others. This standing in the light of truth, or repentance, is our life’s necessity. Without repentance, we become slaves to darkness and the spirit of lies, Satan, who seeks our death, both temporal and eternal. Dying on the cross, Jesus delivered us from his tyranny. With every act of repentance we renew our relationship to Jesus, the Source of light and truth.
A spiritual war is going on in every person, because in everyone there is a source of evil, hereditary sin, which darkens the mind and inclines the will towards evil. Human life is actually a battlefield that decides between eternal happiness in heaven and eternal damnation in hell. God and His angels, although they respect our free will, do everything for us to win over the evil that works in us and in the world and behind which is the devil himself. His main weapon is a lie and that is why it is so important to stand in the truth. True self-criticism and repentance unmasks the hidden strategy of this spirit of lies. An insidious war is going on in every human heart. The tragedy is that most people do not perceive this reality and do not even want to hear about it. The most banal example of war in interpersonal relations is divorce in marriage. Its cause is usually the breaking of God’s law concerning marital fidelity. It is often preceded by a series of minor misunderstandings, which stem from human egoism and unwillingness to humble oneself or tolerate certain ways of behaviour of the spouse. One of them or both of them are focused on their half-truth and unwilling to consider the views or attitudes of the other. Either of them sees their rights but forgets to see their duties and obligations. The problem is automatically dealt with only horizontally, where everyone insists on their own truth. God and His light have no place in these relationships. God – the vertical relationship – is ignored.
How to deal with marital conflict? It is necessary to shift from a horizontal to a vertical dimension, to realize the relationship to God. He created me, sacrificed His only Son for my sins to save me that I may not perish. He gave me His commandments to reach salvation, and I am now transgressing them. I do not want to accept the objective truth and realize that this life is short and sooner or later will end in death. I do not even want to consider the real consequences of broken families: the suffering of children, the bad example, the suffering of the one with whom the adultery was committed. This evil act also results in another broken marriage and unhappy children. For all of this one will be called to account before God’s judgment seat. I must therefore change my thinking while there is time. I also have to forgive and abandon my feeling of offence, my subjective point of view.
When praying or talking to wise people, you can draw light and strength; you can stop and turn from your bad ways. It is best to repent immediately, not to deceive your conscience and not to reject the saving truth.
It is a tragedy that the so-called synodal journey calls marital infidelity and illicit relationships with another person as loving relationships! It advocates that they be supported in the Church. This is the voice of the spirit of lies and death, not the voice of God.
Divorce breaks the bond of two people who promised to be faithful to each other in love until death. They have broken the law: “What God has joined together, let not man separate.” The consequences are very painful for many.
The young generation is not properly educated about the basic unit of society, which is the family. It is necessary to include in education effective and illustrative lessons and examples of how to solve conflicts arising from living together. Above all, however, it is necessary to teach the young generation true self-criticism and a sense of responsibility with a focus on God – the vertical. The fight against egoism and human passions requires a willingness to sacrifice, and for this one needs effective motivation. True motivation is based on faith in God and on a personal relationship to Him. Without this foundation, it would be mere moralizing or psychology that does not give strength.
Besides this area of spiritual warfare, there are others, such as rivalry, jealousy and envy among people, slavery to mammon and materialism, the foolishness of human pride associated with a false standard, prestige or career. All this comes from the poisoned source of evil in man. Jesus says: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” (Mt 15:19)
If we receive God, His laws and commandments and His Spirit of truth into our souls, we bring true peace to other people and our reason, will and feelings are in harmony. If we reject God and His commandments, it leads to an inner disharmony. We often do not realize it right away until negative consequences arise.
If the nations are to beat their swords into plowshares and if there is to be true peace (cf. Mic 4:3), connected with a deep peace in the souls, this is not possible without a personal relationship with God – without being rooted in the vertical. Only here, with eyes lifted up, in the true light, can I properly solve my problems, rise from my falls and change my egoistic views. It also applies here: “If we walk in the light, the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin.” (1Jn 1:7) True peace presupposes this peace in human souls. Without man’s dependence on the vertical – on God, peace is just a utopia, both in the life of the individual and in society. This is the basic right orientation in order to achieve victory over the evil that is within ourselves, that is in the world, and that is at work through the spirit of lies and evil. Without respecting this reality, talking about world peace or phrases about peace prayers are a great hypocrisy and deception.
+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
+ Methodius OSBMr + Timothy OSBMr
Secretary Bishops
Download: BCP: Modern psychological and spiritual warfare /Part two/ (16/11/2022)
