20250929 SPIRITUAL WARFARE
29 September 2025, Monday, Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels
First reading |
Daniel 7:9-10,13-14 |
His robe was white as snow
As I watched:
Thrones were set in place
and one of great age took his seat.
His robe was white as snow,
the hair of his head as pure as wool.
His throne was a blaze of flames,
its wheels were a burning fire.
A stream of fire poured out,
issuing from his presence.
A thousand thousand waited on him,
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
A court was held
and the books were opened.
I gazed into the visions of the night.
And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,
one like a son of man.
He came to the one of great age
and was led into his presence.
On him was conferred sovereignty,
glory and kingship,
and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.
His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty
which shall never pass away,
nor will his empire ever be destroyed.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 137(138):1-5 |
In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you.
I will adore before your holy temple.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.
I thank you for your faithfulness and love,
which excel all we ever knew of you.
On the day I called, you answered;
you increased the strength of my soul.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.
All earth’s kings shall thank you
when they hear the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the Lord’s ways:
‘How great is the glory of the Lord!’
In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps102:21 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts,
his servants who do his will.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 1:47-51 |
You will see heaven laid open, and the Son of Man
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael. ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dan 7:9-10, 13-14; Jn 1:47-51]
It is a beautiful Catholic tradition to pray the Prayer of St Michael for divine protection against the snares of the Evil One. I myself make it a point to pray this prayer at least once a day as I go about fulfilling my responsibilities. Turning to St. Michael for protection is encouraged by the Church, for St. Michael the Archangel is regarded as our protector against the Evil One. In the Book of Revelation, St. Michael is depicted as the Prince of the Heavenly Host who fought against the dragon and his angels and cast them out of heaven: “The great dragon, the primeval serpent, known as the devil or Satan, who had deceived the whole world, was hurled down to the earth and his angels were hurled down with him.” Following this tradition, Catholics seek the intercession of St. Michael to shield them from evil and the temptations of Satan and his angels.
This is even more urgent today, especially in a world where scepticism about the presence of the Evil One is growing. Because of science and technology, many are misled into believing that Satan and evil spirits do not exist–that they are mere myths, suitable only for children. They think these forces are not real, and so there is no need to remain vigilant or on the defensive. This is precisely what the Evil Spirits want us to believe, so that we become unaware of the subtle influence they exert on us and on the world. This is the deception of the Evil One. Those who pride themselves on worldly knowledge, who are intellectually brilliant in the sciences, often become arrogant and dismiss the existence of spiritual powers.
On the contrary, Scriptures are full of admonitions to resist the temptations of the Evil One. The whole life of Jesus was a battle against the kingdom of Satan. Jesus revealed to us the true enemy of God’s reign. He cast out demons and declared His victory over the devil as a sign that God’s kingdom was breaking into the world. He said: “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” (Lk 11:20) For Jesus, the true enemy was not the Romans, as the Jews thought, but Satan, who tempted them to sin and idolatry. St. Peter warns us: “Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Pt 5:8) St. Paul likewise exhorts us: “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:10-12)
In modern times, the Popes – from Pope Paul VI to John Paul II, Pope Benedict and Francis – have spoken frequently about the existence and influence of the Evil One. They never fail to remind us to take the presence of evil spirits seriously. As one renowned Vatican exorcist observed: “Of course the Devil exists, and he can not only possess a single person but also groups and entire populations. The Devil resides in the Vatican and you can see the consequences.” For this reason, we need to pray fervently for the souls of bishops and priests, especially those deceived by the master of confusion. Every day, countless souls are lost to rampant narcissism, materialism, immorality, and violence. Our shepherds, too, are under constant demonic attack, as Satan knows that if he clouds their clarity or seduces them into watering down the truth, many souls who depend on their guidance will be led astray.
Most of all, we must avoid any involvement – even passive participation – in the occult, for the consequences can be disastrous. A person who dabbles in occult practices can suffer physically, psychologically, spiritually, and morally. Manifestations often include anxiety, panic attacks, nightmares, self-mutilation, suicidal thoughts, and in severe cases, demonic possession. Many begin out of ignorance, curiosity, or even amusement in practices like Spiritism, only to find themselves ensnared. Others are misled into attempting contact with deceased loved ones, when in reality it is the devil and evil spirits disguising themselves to gain entry into their lives.
For this reason, we must be discerning about what we believe and what we do. We need to discern the movements of spirits and distinguish good from evil. As St. Paul reminds us, the devil often disguises himself as an angel of light. He warns: “If someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough.” (2 Cor 11:4) That is why we must remain alert to how evil spreads in the world today, often through ideologies that promote sensuality, individualism, relativism, and secular humanism.
Such are the subtle ways the devil seeks to confuse us and mislead us – making temptations appear good, as in the case of Jesus’ temptations in the desert. He was urged to turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger, to use divine power for Himself; to leap from the pinnacle of the Temple to impress the crowds; or, worst of all, to worship Satan in exchange for power, glory, and wealth. Likewise, today’s ideologies often reduce human beings to mere matter, denying the reality of the spiritual world and our nature as body and spirit. When we reduce ourselves to pure matter which is extinguished upon death, we deceive ourselves, because as Christians we believe that we are created in the image and likeness of God, and we have an immortal soul.
The best way to defeat the devil is to follow the examples of the archangels. Angels are known by their functions rather than by their nature, as Pope St Gregory the Great taught. They are called to reflect the nature of God. Thus, their names reflect what they are called to do. Hence, “Michael – Who is like God”, “Raphael – God heals” and “Gabriel – Power of God”. Through their actions and service, they make known to us the glory of God and proclaim His majesty. They are His messengers and intermediaries.
In the Gospel, Nathaniel was praised for his sincerity and lack of deceit. Jesus said of him, “There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.” Nathanael discerned Jesus as the Son of God, the King of Israel. He was a man of prayer and contemplation, as Jesus found him under the fig tree, a symbol of prayer. The Lord said, “You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.” Likewise, when we manifest the glory of God in our lives, we too become His angels and messengers of love and hope.
So the best way to overcome evil is by doing good. As St Paul urges us: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom 12:17-21)
Indeed, victory is certain when we fight the battle with Christ. As the Book of Revelation says, “Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ, now that the persecutor, who accused our brothers day and night before our God, has been brought down. They have triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the witness of their martyrdom, because even in the face of death they would not cling to life. Let the heavens rejoice and all who live there.” Christ, by His death and resurrection, has won victory over death and Satan, and having forgiven our sins by His death on the cross, He enables us to share in His death to sin and the new life in His resurrection.
Let us, in our battle against the Evil One and his angels, implore the help of St Michael. He will bring our prayers to the Lord. As the responsorial psalm says, “I thank you, Lord, with all my heart: you have heard the words of my mouth. In the presence of the angels I will bless you. I will adore before your holy temple. I thank you for your faithfulness and love, which excel all we ever knew of you. On the day I called, you answered; you increased the strength of my soul.” May the Holy Angels, especially St Michael, protect us from all evil and harm, especially division and deception.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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