Our Battle Is Not Against Flesh and Blood

This week on From the Housetops, Brother Matthew presents a reflection from Dom Prosper Guéranger’s The Liturgical Year on the spiritual battle Christians must face against the devil and his angels. Drawing on the Epistle to the Ephesians for the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost, he considers St. Paul’s call to put on the armor of God so that we may stand firm against the deceits of the devil and the powers of darkness. Guéranger describes the Christian life as a constant struggle, reminding us that even after experiencing the consolations of our union with God, we must remain prepared for the spiritual combats that await us, especially as we approach the final day of judgment.

The reflection then turns to faith as the foundation of this spiritual armor and the means by which Christians can overcome the enemy. Through the example of Christ, who resisted the devil’s temptations with the words of Sacred Scripture, and St. Paul’s declaration, “I have kept the faith,” Guéranger emphasizes the power of God’s revealed word to protect us from temptation and guide us through spiritual trials. He also recalls the example of St. Michael the Archangel, our model and defender in the battle against evil, and the Church’s prayer for his protection as the faithful prepare for their final journey toward the true land of promise. Listen to this reflection on the armor of God, the power of faith, and the spiritual battle every Christian is called to fight.