The spirit of Evil is slick and subtle, accomplished, smooth and strong, skillful with costumes, sinuous in movement, silent but shockingly swift when it strikes. In its presence the feeling we have is creepy; so it makes sense for us to describe it as a snake. It’s power of destruction we feel and it is scary! So we costume it as threateningly as we can—in a pointed red mask with horns and a tool and tail that stab. The Devil just loves it if we think of it as an actor on a stage “over there” rather than a spirit that is looking for an opportunity with us. The devil just loves it if we don’t remind each other that it isn’t something separate from The Good. Thinking Evil is “out there” or that it is an old-fashioned concept that we no longer need—Oh, the Devil just loves it! because not seeing it clearly makes us very vulnerable.
Evil is the taking of something good and deliberately twisting it around.-----
Taking good intentions and turning them into ego-trips.
Taking public service and turning it into getting rich at the taxpayers expense.
Taking a desire for relief and turning it into addiction.
Taking advantage.
Taking work in a school so you can abuse the children.
Taking straight forward words and turning them into a lie.

Lies are very sneaky. You don’t have to turn a truth very far to distort it. The Devil just loves it! because as soon as someone begins to turn a good thing, a doorway begins to open. The spirit of Evil slides in.


When you say to yourself,
“I’m not being greedy to buy way more than I need.”
“Everybody says these things in advertising. Give the people what they want.”
“I’m not as bad as those people.”
“I should express my sexuality any way I want to.”
“I like my comfort, why not? If I want it, that’s what I’m going to have.”,
the door to yourself is thrown wide open and the Devil just loves it. As soon as your belief is in those distortions, the spirit of evil can work you up one side and down the other.
The spirit of Evil doesn’t love you, it uses you. Love builds up the Other. Evil likes to destroy. Twist and destroy. The first move is to make you scared; fear takes hold, then you’re disoriented, off balance. Then you get defensive, then angry, then aggressive ----The Devil just loves it! As soon as it can get you frustrated enough to scream hurtful words, strike out, smash – It’s won! You’ve become a destroyer, too! Then when you’re full of that spirit, you can kill. You know you’ve been used—really used, when you feel justified. All that fear, defensiveness, overwhelming anger, desire to destroy are normal, natural, you say. Well, they are if you’ve opened the doorway of yourself to the spirit of evil. The Devil just double loves it when we suddenly see ourselves and what we’ve done and we’re devastated....really beat ourselves up for falling for the Old Lie again; how we’re racked by guilt, discouragement, and despair at our own stupidity.

The Devil Loves It if we dig our trench deeper by excusing ourselves, making up new religions that ignore Evil (which gives great protection for its underground work), give lots of surplus money and things to make us look good, get very sick so we can’t think, make parties and spectacles bigger , louder, more distracting, and do lots and lots of busy work that we advertise as Terribly Important. This leaves the doorway to the Devil wide open and makes us very useful to the spirit that destroys. But once you’ve decided that it’s stupid to be used like that; that it is worth the pain to evaluate your actions and motives clearly; that with the Spirit of Love is where you really want to live ----then you can get a firm grasp of the doorknob and start shutting your door on the junk blowing in. The Devil doesn’t love that. You’ll get powerful opposition; but humility and a thankful heart will make you stronger. If you don’t give in to the lies, wise friends and ancient scripture will turn on the lights in your house and the Spirit of Love, when asked, will turn you into a lover rather than a user.
The Devil just hates that.

pcraig 9-15-02