Ten Ways to Withstand Satan

The Fall of the Rebel Angels - by GIORDANO, Luca - from Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

The devil only tempts those souls that wish to abandon sin and those that are in a state of grace. The others belong to him; he has no need to tempt them.

The greatest of all evils is not to be tempted, because there are then grounds for believing that the devil looks upon us as his property.

Saint John Vianney

Ten Ways to Withstand Satan

by Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi

Satan is indeed real, and he is out there waiting to make us fall, a Church leader warns his flock.

To help the faithful of his archdiocese live Lent more intensely, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi of Genoa, Italy, has published a Message about man's "great Tempter."

With the Message, the cardinal offers ten (10) proposals to withstand the devil:

The first is: "not to forget that the devil exists." The cardinal notes: "The first lie, of which we are often victims, is to make us believe he does not exist."

Second, the cardinal proposes that the faithful "not forget that the devil is a tempter."

Third, he reminds readers that the devil is "very intelligent and astute."

Fourth, the cardinal advises his flock to "be vigilant," since the devil goes about, in the words of Saint Peter's First Letter, like "a roaring lion seeking someone to devour."

Fifth advice: "Believe firmly in Christ's victory over the tempter."

Sixth: "Christ makes us participate in His victory."

The seventh counsel is to "listen to the Word of God," resisting the enemy "firmly in the faith."

The eighth is to "be humble in mortification," as temptation is always "a call to follow the path of egoism." (Pride is the devil's strongest point.)

Suggestion No. 9: "Pray without ceasing."

Finally, Cardinal Tettamanzi asks that the faithful to "adore the Lord our God and worship Him only."