Church Fathers, Day 306: St. John Chrysostom reminds us to remember that God, not Satan, is in control

Church Fathers, Day 306: St. John Chrysostom reminds us to remember that God, not Satan, is in control May 23, 2015

st_john_chrysostom_1Remember that God, not Satan, is in control

Some say that the demons control affairs on earth. Not so, says St. John Chrys­ostom. You’re lucky God doesn’t really let the demons take over.

The sun is not more obvious than the providence of God. Nevertheless, some people dare to say that demons control our affairs.

What can I say? You have a loving Master. He chooses to be blasphemed by these words, rather than to hand your affairs over to the demons, and show you by real experience how demons govern. Then you would really know how wicked they are by experiencing it yourself.

But I can show you by a little example. Certain men who were possessed by demons came out from the tombs to meet Christ, and the demons kept begging him to be allowed to enter the herd of swine. And he allowed them, and they went away, and immediately drove them off a cliff (Matthew 8:28-34).

That’s how demons govern! And yet the swine were of no real importance to them. But with you there is always war without truce, and an implacable fight, and undying hatred. And if they would not even allow creatures with whom they had nothing in common a brief breathing space in time, what wouldn’t they have done if they had got us into their power—us, their enemies, who are always sting­ing them? What incurable evil would they not have accomplished?

This is why God let them fall on that herd of swine: so that you could learn their wickedness from what they did to the bodies of irrational animals. It’s obvi­ous to everyone that they would have done to the possessed what they did to the swine, if the demoniacs in their very madness had not experienced the providence of God. So now when you see a man provoked by a demon, worship the Master.

–St. John Chrysostom, Homily 1 on the Power of Demons, 6

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

Do I remember to thank God for his providence, even when I can’t immediately see it in action?

CLOSING PRAYER

Father, crush Satan, and let all your enemies be scattered, and those who hate your name be put to flight.

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