Pope Francis: Devil Is 'Not a Myth,' Must Be Fought

Pope Francis spoke about the devil once again Thursday morning, stressing that “he is not a myth” and that “we have to fight him.”

The Pope spoke these words during his homily at morning Mass, celebrated in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence, where he lives.

This generation, the Pope said, “was led to believe that the devil was a myth, a picture, an idea, the idea of evil. But the devil exists, and we have to fight him. These are Saint Paul’s words, not mine!”

“The devil,” the Pope went on, “is a liar, the father of lies.”

Earlier this week, the Pope praised the work of exorcists, priests dedicated to the work of deliverance and casting out demons.

In his homily this morning, the Pope said that without faith, there is no going forward. “We need this shield of faith” because “the devil doesn’t throw flowers at us” but “flaming arrows” to kill us.

The Pope also noted that Saint Paul uses “military language” to describe the Christian life. “Life in God must be defended; you have to fight to keep it going,” Francis said. “To move forward in the spiritual life, you have to fight. It’s not an easy fight. No, it’s a constant battle.”

“The salvation that Jesus offers us is free,” he added, “but we have to defend it.”

The Pope also said that one cannot think of a Christian life “without resisting temptation, without a fight against the devil, without wearing this armor of God, who gives us strength and protects us.”

“Life is warfare. The Christian life is combat, a beautiful combat because when God wins in every step of our lives, it fills us with joy and a great happiness,” Francis said.