How does the devil hook you up, despite your want to be good?
Hear from no less than Our Lord Jesus Christ, as witnessed and recorded by mystic Maria Valtorta whose writings were endorsed for reading by St. Padre Pio.
From Valtorta’s work The Poem of the Man-God, we learn that after Jesus left the Blessed Mother to spend the last three years of His life preaching, He first went to a desert to pray and fast. This was when Satan himself, in human form, tried to tempt Our Lord.
It would seem that for a few moments, Satan, who wore a turban and was richly attired, was not sure whether it was Jesus, the Son of God, that he appeared to, but soon realized the truth as Our Lord ignored his “kind” offer for water. And so Satan continued to tempt Jesus Whom he regarded in His humanity. The Gospel tells us how Our Lord repelled Satan.
After showing Valtorta the temptation scenario, Our Lord commented as follows:
“As you have seen, kindness is always Satan's disguise when he presents himself. He looks like an ordinary person. If souls are careful, and above all, if they are in spiritual contact with God, they perceive the warning that makes them cautious and prepares them to fight the devil's snares. But if souls are distracted, separated from God by an overwhelming sensuality , and are not assisted by prayer, which joins them to God and pours strength into the hearts of men, then they seldom perceive the snares hidden under the innocent appearance and they fall into the trap. It is then very difficult for them to free themselves.
“ The two most common means adopted by Satan to conquer souls are sensuality and gluttony . He always starts from material things. Once he has dismantled and subdued the material side, he attacks the spiritual part. First the morals: thoughts with their pride and greed; then the spirit , obliterating not only its love - which no longer exists when man replaces divine love with other human loves - but also the fear of God. Then man surrenders his body and soul to Satan, only for the sake of enjoying what he wants, and enjoying it more and more.
“You saw how I behaved. Silence and prayer. Silence. Because if Satan performs his work of a seducer and comes round us, we must put up with the situation without any foolish impatience or cowardly fears. We must react with resolution to his presence, and with prayer to his allurements.
“It is useless to debate with Satan. He would win, because he is strong in his dialectics. Only God can beat him. And so you must have recourse to God, that He may speak for you, through you. You must show Satan that Name and that Sign, not so much written on paper or engraved on wood, but written and engraved in your hearts. My Name, My Sign.
“You should answer back to Satan, using the word of God, only when he insinuates that he is like God. He cannot bear that. Then after the struggle, there comes victory and the angels serve and defend the winner from Satan's hatred. They restore him with celestial dews, with the Grace that they pour with full hands into the heart of the faithful son, with a blessing that caresses his soul. One must be determined to defeat Satan, and have faith in God, and in His help. Faith in the power of prayer, and in the Lord's bounty. Then Satan can do no harm.” (End of quote.)
Meanwhile, St. Michael the Archangel had another message relayed to stigmatist Luz de Maria de Bonilla, a third degree Augustinian, on Aug. 28, 2022. The message follows:
“As Prince of the Heavenly Legions, I bless you.
“My sword, given by God the Father, holds God’s love in order to defend human beings against all evil and to heal their bodies and souls. I am a defender of God’s people and I fight against darkness to bring light to humanity.
“I am pleased with your prayers and with the fact that you address prayers to me, but as the People of God, you must be fulfillers of the Divine Will in your daily work and action, maintaining at all times and in all circumstances the balance, sobriety, equanimity and charity of the true child of God.
“I hear various prayers during the day and some in the evening, but if you do not fulfill God's Will, they are far from making me content. I do not want glamorous altars, but small altars in homes and great doers of the Divine Will within each one of you.
“I must mention to you that those who claim to be devoted to me must hold as their staff the love of God and of their neighbor as themselves.
“Understand that everything unfolding at this moment in the Creation particularly affects the man of God. If this creature of God has a hardened heart and a polluted mind, everything happening to Creation is detrimental to his spiritual work and actions.
“The designs of God are being fulfilled little by little, while various revelations will be fulfilled at the speed of lightning. The human race has contributed to altering God’s designs and this is the time of fulfillment.
“The waters will rise up amid the populations in great uncontrolled floods; air will blow intensely, causing damage; fire will come unexpectedly, and together with the air it will make everything burn on its way; the earth will collapse in several places...
“Animals will surprise humanity by their behavior...Birds will die in the air, contaminated by toxic substances placed by man himself in order to be transported by air, causing the birds to fall lifeless in the cities. Be careful and do not touch them.
“Marine animals will come out of the sea or rivers in surprising numbers because the deep layers of the earth are moving, causing marine animals to want instinctively to come out to save themselves.
“On the prairies, animals will die in large numbers.
People of God, that which a power will use in war is being tested at altitude.
This is Creation in turmoil.
“It is humanity's turmoil from which Satan is profiting in order to throw his poisonous darts at those who deny the Faith or mock the Faith and at those who remain in a state of anger or spiritual folly.
“These darts make such people inaccessible : they lose charity and sensitivity, and their ego grows without measure until they are lost, unless they submit to prayer and fasting to that the poison would come out of them and so that humility would bring them closer to God.
“The Devil's onslaught against humanity will promptly lead to rebellions among the nations, and uprisings will not be long in coming, although repression will be immediate.
“Communism has taken over governments and the elite are appointing (its adherents), making the poor poorer; the middle class is falling into poverty and large capitalists will see their status vanish unless they implant the seal of evil (the microchip?-Ding).
“Do not lose faith, pray the Holy Rosary.
“Many wish to approach great places of Marian Apparitions without considering that they may be left somewhere along the way; but God in His infinite Mercy has decreed that, in Marian Shrines throughout the world, His children will be blessed with the Miracle, and in some places very far from the main cities, the Most Holy Trinity will bless them as well.
“In all these sanctuaries water will pour forth to heal those who are sick in body and soul.
“Do not despair, People of God, keep your Faith firm and immovable. You are being tested. Calm your minds, help one another and you will not be deceived.”
“Do not fear, my legions are fighting with a weapon faced with which the devil becomes enraged: it is the weapon of love. People of God, my sowrd is given by God and signifies God’s will and His power in the face of evil.
“I will defend you and fight for you by Divine Order. nWithout fear, increase your Faith. I bless you.”