Quick Links: Letter, Hungry for More, Moral Authority, Making the Connection, Further Reading, Next Steps

Hungry for More: Letter Six

We established in our letter that there are indeed fallen angels responsible for sin in the cosmos. Because sin originated in them, and because they more keenly grasp the magnitude of their separation from God, they are envious of fallen humanity made in the image of God – who are redeemable. It is important to understand the motive of our enemies in their hatred for us, for when we do, we learn something about ourselves; we are not essentially evil by nature like Satan, nor is it inevitable that we sin. We still have integrity of being with free will and the power of choice. Satan and devils lurk in the shadows of creation having no integrity of being; they have lost the goodness God gave to all creation and are pure evil. They exist like parasites or cancer, only to devour us, body and soul, if they can. Satan’s passion is to take creation down with him. We read in the Catechism,

391 Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church’s Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called “Satan” or the “devil”. The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: “The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing.”

392 Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels. This “fall” consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter’s words to our first parents: “You will be like God.” The devil “has sinned from the beginning”; he is “a liar and the father of lies”.

It is important to understand the limits of Satan’s power. Because he is “fallen,” he has lost many powers with which he was created. He can do nothing independently apart from what God wills, as we see in the Book of Job. His power primarily lies in his ability to deceive and to control by fear. If we know this, we will avoid his deception, and not be motivated by fear.

Again, the Catechism teaches us:

395 The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God’s reign. Although Satan may act in the world out of hatred for God and his kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may cause grave injuries – of a spiritual nature and, indirectly, even of a physical nature- to each man and to society, the action is permitted by divine providence which with strength and gentleness guides human and cosmic history. It is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity, but “we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him.”

394 Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls “a murderer from the beginning”, who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” In its consequences the gravest of these works was the mendacious seduction that led man to disobey God.

407 The doctrine of original sin, closely connected with that of redemption by Christ, provides lucid discernment of man’s situation and activity in the world. By our first parents’ sin, the devil has acquired a certain domination over man, even though man remains free. Original sin entails “captivity under the power of him who thenceforth had the power of death, that is, the devil”. Ignorance of the fact that man has a wounded nature inclined to evil gives rise to serious errors in the areas of education, politics, social action and morals.

Our culture is fascinated with the Devil and demons, judging from the movies that are out there and the obvious occult images surrounding us. Satan is a proud spirit and loves this attention.

Indeed, his ultimate desire is to be worshiped, as is revealed to us in his temptation of Christ. However, his main power is incognito, as our letter states. As such, he lies hidden in our lives, in the immoral decisions we make, the heroes we proclaim, the social media we “like,” the entertainment we consume, as the last sentence of the above quote from the Catechism confirms. It is because of our pride that we do not see our vulnerability. If we are humble, Satan cannot see us, but if we are proud, we suddenly spring into his view, and he can deceive us. Pride is like Bilbo’s ring in J.R.R.Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. When it is placed on the finger, the great eye of Mordor can see the wearer. When it is taken off, the evil eye cannot see and he is safe.

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Moral Authority

Sources for Catholic Teaching

Scripture References

Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’”.

Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will give his angels charge of you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.

Mark 1:34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him

Luke 10:18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.

1 Peter 5: 8-9a Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world.

Catechism references

Catechism of the Catholic Church

This comprehensive summary of Catholic teaching explicitly identifies Satan as a fallen angel who was created good but became evil through his own “disobedient choice” and irrevocably rejected God. It emphasizes his nature as a liar and a murderer from the beginning, as well as his active opposition to humanity and God.

2851 In this petition, evil is not an abstraction, but refers to a person, Satan, the Evil One, the angel who opposes God. the devil (dia-bolos) is the one who “throws himself across” God’s plan and his work of salvation accomplished in Christ.

Origin of evil: 397, 413 – 414, 1707, 2851

Works of the Devil: 394–395, 398, 2851–2852

Baptism as renunciation of the devil: 1237

Key Vatican Documents & Teachings

- Second Vatican Council (1962–1965):
- Documents from the council, such as Lumen Gentium, Gaudium et Spes, Ad Gentes, and Sacrosanctum Concilium, mention the devil, reaffirming his existence and influence in the spiritual world. This is significant as these documents engage with the broader context of angels and demons.
- Fourth Lateran Council (1215):
- This council’s decrees condemned the Manichaean dualism of the Catharists, teaching that the devil and other demons were created good by God but chose to become evil through their own actions.

Papal Teachings and Liturgy

- Pope Paul VI: In a 1972 General Audience, he stated that evil is not merely an absence but an active force, referring to the existence of demons led by Satan.
- Baptismal Rite: The rite itself requires those to be baptized to renounce Satan, his works, and empty promises, signifying the Church’s official stance on his real existence.
- Rites of Exorcism: The existence of an official rite of exorcism within the Church directly presupposes the existence of Satan.

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Making the Connection

A Real-Life Example

The enemy in our streets is alive and well. As is said in the prayer to St. Michael, the devil is prowling about the earth seeking the ruin of souls. We hear from the Saints how the devil tormented them. St. Ignatius tells us to be wary and use discernment when determining whether the thoughts in our minds are from us, from God, or from the devil, our sworn enemy. We know that the devil or Satan loves death and that his strategies involve filling the faithful with fear and anxiety. His favorite victims are those whom God cherishes most, the pure of heart, Religious, and children.

The Exorcist, a story about the demonic possession of a child, is widely considered to be the scariest novel ever written, as well as the scariest movie ever made. The author, William Peter Blatty (Bill), became fascinated with the subject of possession in his junior year at Georgetown University after reading an account in the Washington Post of a 14-year-old boy being freed from possession by a Catholic priest. He believed this account was “…tangible evidence of transcendence” in the here and now. He also thought that, “If there are demons, there are angels and probably God and a life everlasting.”2 Many years later, it occurred to him that a case of possession would be “…a worthwhile subject for a novel”.2

Bill’s parents immigrated from Lebanon to New York City where he was born. He was raised by his very devout Catholic mother and grew up in relentless poverty. With no money, his mother ensured that he attended Catholic schools, even facilitating a scholarship to Georgetown University. Bill described his mother as being larger than life. He recognized the hand of God and His providence throughout his entire life. As a child, Bill had considered becoming a priest. While at Georgetown, he even considered becoming a Jesuit priest. However, Bill thought this notion was both “ludicrous and unattainable” because of his unworthiness. He also thought that perhaps “…a novel of demonic possession, if sufficiently convincing, might be [a] token fulfillment of deflected vocation”.2

Bill conducted extensive research on the subject of possession. As one might imagine, the records of such cases are few and far between. He eventually found a Jesuit priest who had conducted an exorcism who said, “…much good might have come if the case had been reported, and people had come to realize that the presence and the activity of the devil are something very real. And possibly, never more real than [at] the present time.”2 This, informed by his Catholic faith, gave him the incentive to write the novel. He faced many obstacles getting the book published and then the screenplay, yet The Exorcist was enormously successful in both book and film. The book spent over a year on The New York Times bestseller list, and the movie won an Academy award. Although classified in the Horror genre, Bill often said that the subject was less about horror and more about the battle between faith and doubt.

Over the years, Bill received countless letters from people thanking him for writing the book and for the movie. Some said that they found their vocation after watching the movie because the priest in it was so heroic. Others wrote saying that they went to confession after 40 years, as a result of seeing the movie. He continued to write fiction that wrestled with the real questions of faith, evil, and redemption for the remainder of his life.

The above account is based on:

Personal Communication with Julie Blatty July 7, 2025

Blatty, William Peter. Finding Peter: A True Story of the Hand of Providence and Evidence of Life After Death. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing, 2015.
Blatty, William Peter. If There Were Demons, Then Perhaps There Were Angels. New York, New York: A Tom Doherty Associates Book, 2015. eBook.

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Next Steps

Ready to Take the Next Step?

How can we help our families become more comfortable talking about difficult issues? Study, Prayer and Practice!

How can we distinguish between an opinion and Revelation? Study, Prayer and Practice!

📖 Study

“Get behind me, Satan” is a phrase from the Bible, specifically Matthew 16:23 and Mark 8:33, where Jesus says it to Peter after Peter rebukes Jesus for saying he must suffer and be killed. The phrase is a strong rejection of Peter’s human-centered perspective, which was at odds with God’s plan. It’s a way of saying, “Don’t stand in my way; I’m focused on God’s will, not human concerns.”

Recognizing Satan in the world is not about looking for a caricatured figure, but about discerning patterns of deception, division, and destruction. Here are some key ways to recognize his influence in our daily lives:

In conversations: When discussions become unnecessarily heated, defensive, or divisive, especially on moral or faith matters.
In media: When messages glorify sin, promote despair, or subtly erode the dignity of the human person.
In thought patterns: Persistent temptations toward self-loathing, hopelessness, or the belief that God’s mercy is unreachable.
In personal choices: When you feel drawn to isolate yourself, prioritize comfort over charity, or pursue happiness apart from God’s ways.

Here are some ways to directly counter the devil’s influence:

Speak truth in love, even when uncomfortable.
Seek reconciliation quickly when relationships break.
Fast from media that distorts the truth or numbs the conscience.
Choose community over isolation.
Practice gratitude and humility, which counteract envy and pride.

💖 Prayer

Here is a simple but powerful prayer you can pray daily:

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

✝️ Practice

As we study Jesus’ life and try to follow his example, recall his rebuke of, “Get behind me, Satan!” and invoke it any time you recognize the devil’s handiwork.

It’s especially helpful to stay alert to the presence of the devil in all forms of media because these influences are insidious. They can, over time, desensitize us to the work of the devil and normalize non-Catholic values.

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Hungry for More: Letter Six

Moral Authority

Sources for Catholic Teaching

Scripture References

Catechism references

Key Vatican Documents & Teachings

Papal Teachings and Liturgy

Making the Connection

A Real-Life Example

Further Reading

Additional Reading Materials

Next Steps

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Here are some ways to directly counter the devil’s influence:

💖 Prayer

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

✝️ Practice