This talk of begin 'liberated from Satan' sounds like we are coming to the end of Rene Girard's comments on Satan - well yes.
The End of Satan is what the Gospels call the victory of the Cross.
"The negation of Satan becomes bad only when it is accompanied by a minimization of mimetic contagion, by the illusion that, simply because as a rule, we no longer believe in Satan, we are really independent thinkers, free from what Satan ultimately means, the enormous power of mimetic contagion and scandals, the inability of most of us to criticize the ideas that now rule the world."
Satan is done - and we think we are safe and clear. Sounds like some folk who say "I'm saved" as though they no longer participate in the evil of the world. Ha! We must be vigilant and never forget that the ruling power still the evil of the day - but we are to be of a new character. Otherwise, the 'mimetic contagion' continues on in its infectious ways - always keeping things as they are and keeping us thinking that we can handle this evil stuff (or already have). The world will continue to be ruled by powers and principalities that repeatedly run on the power of violence and blame and warfare and scapegoats. When we, knowing of the way of the love of Jesus and its contrary way of life, look out at our world, it becomes quite obvious that the Father of lies is still lying up a storm and able to pull the world right along within the lies. Our task is merely to live within the truth of the resurrection - the victory of the cross - whenever and wherever we encounter the world's violence. Not an easy task at all - that is why we continue to call on the Holy Spirit to come among us and shape the day at hand and the way we move through it as followers of Jesus.
Connection: We are invited to live as though we know of the end of Satan. We are inspired to say 'baloney' to such evil every time it lifts it's head to convince us to follow. If we were in a blockbuster movie there would be all kinds of special effects and wild powers of all kinds. But we live right here and right now - where faithfulness to this way of Jesus that is handed to us by the Holy Spirit is the power that pushes evil out of the way so that another witness to life will rise up among us. Quite a journey is ours - quite a journey.
As you walk with us, O God, don't let the fear that can consume us and sway us win our hearts and our minds. Keep us for every within the power of the victory of the Cross and the peaceable Reign that is promised therein. Amen.
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