“Come Out of Him!” by Melanie Rigney
Among men, who knows what pertains to the man except his spirit that is within? Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2:11)
The Lord is just in all his ways. (Psalm 145:17)
In the synagogue, there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. (Luke 4:33-35)
Piety
Lord, cast out the demons that threaten to separate me from you.
Study
Earlier this year, I went five months without an iced venti decaf skinny mocha, a drink I had been indulging in as many as three times a day.
I’ve had two in the past two days, and it is taking every ounce of prayer power and self-will I have to keep from getting another one right now, even though I don’t like the taste that much anymore.
Now, some of you are laughing at this point. But that drink is a demon for me, one that eats up money and calories and space in my mind and soul that could be better used elsewhere. Maybe your iced venti decaf skinny mocha is gossiping or a relationship or an addiction you thought you had put to the curb for months, years, or even decades. And then one day, the demon re-emerges… just to see how strong you are. Sometimes, it’s easy to say no and follow a Christ-centered life. Other times, well, not so easy.
As Paul tells us in today’s first reading, we really don’t know anything about each other except the spirit within. We know the potential is in each of us to be good and holy and pleasing to the Lord at all times. That does not mean that achieving that can be done on our own. We need kindness and compassion from each other as we battle our demons, minor as they may seem to others, and the belief that Christ is out there swinging when our own defenses fail.
Action
Identify a demon. Take one action today to frustrate the demon. Pray for the Lord’s divine assistance when the demon battles back.
Image credit: dennyninjarr, https://pixabay.
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