The devil employs an age-old strategy: divide and conquer. It’s worked all the way since the Garden, when he pitted Adam and Eve against one another, turning them away from their maker. God is a communion of persons, and, made in his image, we are made for communion. Modern culture, however, plays into the devil’s strategy through its excessive focus on individualism and autonomy.
The Bible lays out a different vision: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). Even the angels, filled as they are with the grace of God, form heavenly choirs, praising God and fulfilling their ministry in unison. They stood firm together, rejecting the rebellion led by the devil, and they continue to assist us so that we are not alone as the devil tries to entice us into his war against heaven.
If the angels stand alongside one another, then we must imitate them! St. Paul tells us, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11). We are in a battle, and who wants to fight alone? As we strap on our armor, we need men at our side and behind us. We need their help, and we need to help them.
Exodus spiritual exercises offer us a chance to hone in on this spiritual battle and to gather men together to enter into the fight with brothers, dwelling together in unity. Don’t let the devil continue to divide us. Build a strong fraternity so that you will be less susceptible to his wiles. Having this regular support is one of the best things we can do to resist the attacks of the devil and reclaim our lives, families, and country for God.
Dr. Staudt serves as Director of Content for Exodus and as an Instructor for the Lay Division of St. John Vianney Seminary. He is the author of How the Eucharist Can Save Civilization (TAN), Restoring Humanity: Essays on the Evangelization of Culture (Divine Providence Press) and The Beer Option: Brewing a Catholic Culture Yesterday & Today (Angelico Press). He holds a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Ave Maria University and B.A. and M.A. in Catholic Studies from the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN). He and wife, Anne, have six children and he is a Benedictine oblate.
