Satan was thrown out of heaven because of his rebellion against God. Satan continues to oppose God and will try to use us as his flunkies, because we are the only creatures who have a free will by which we also can rebel against God. For instance, Jesus healed a mute man by driving a demon out of him (Lk 11:14). Satan responded by manipulating some people into making the outrageous and irrational statement: "It is by Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he casts out devils" (Lk 11:15). Satan thereby sustained his defeated rebellion by using people as his pawns.

In our world, God is constantly acting. Because He is all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful, He is taking the initiative in countless circumstances. Satan is always reacting. He's on the defensive and tries to deceive us into becoming his weapons of retaliation. We Christians are members of the body of Christ. St. Teresa of Avila said that God has no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet, etc. Although there is no "body of Satan," he also has no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet, no voice but our voices, no eyes but ours. Therefore, "no more shall you offer the members of your body to sin as weapons for evil. Rather, offer yourselves to God as men who have come back from the dead to life, and your bodies to God as weapons for justice" (Rm 6:13).

If you think you are serving neither God nor Satan, Satan has deceived you and is using you against your will (see Mt 12:30). Therefore, offer the members of your body to Jesus.

Rescript:  †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 6, 2010

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