Citizen Columns
Question
Is the devil real?
Answer
Orthodox Christians don't believe in an impersonal universe. There are
personal forces at work behind everything we see. God's will, our own human
wills, and yes, the devil's will. Wherever we see beauty, love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness and gratitude we see God. And wherever we see
selfishness, ugliness, carnality, arrogance, lies, fear, hatred,
indifference, we see Satan. All sickness, suffering and death bear the stamp
of Satan's corruption of the universe.
Human beings make their choices and contribute their own will in different
measures under the inspiration of either of these other two personal
spiritual forces. There is a choice we make as to whom we will follow. To
this day, when someone is baptized into the Orthodox Christian faith, the
first step is to renounce Satan. "Do you renounce Satan, and all his
angels, and all his works, and all his service, and all his pride? I do
renounce Satan." We still perform exorcisms at every baptism, casting out
the demonic spirits that seek to influence the person. After renouncing the
devil, the person then commits themselves to Christ. "Do you unite yourself
to Christ? I do unite myself to Christ." All of this is shorthand for the
decision to cast aside all that is of the devil and follow all that is of
God.
We believe that Christ has ultimately overcome the devil's power (the icon
of the resurrection shows him tied up and bound in hell), but that there is
still a spiritual war going on that each of us has to face. We also believe
that in following Christ, we have the spiritual weapons to fight that war.
All of this can be regarded by others as quaint, backwards or frightening,
but it attests to our basic conviction that, whether we acknowledge it or
not, we are engaged in spiritual warfare.
With love in Christ,
Father John Jillions
