Bishop Fulton J. Sheen was...
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Bishop Fulton J. Sheen was a dynamic speaker. His long-
running television program Life Is Worth Living was the source of some of his greatest sermons. He never had any problem calling the devil what he is -- a devil. "Very few today believe in the devil, and that is exactly what he wants," Bishop Sheen was quoted as having said (from The Life of Christ, 1952). To him there was a real enemy of the soul. This enemy tempted Our Blessed Lord in three ways. Jesus was tempted in the flesh, in the mind, and in worldliness. Does that sound familiar to you? It sure does to me. That is where the devil works on most of us. A pastor I knew struggled with the sin of gluttony. Gluttony is usually listed among the seven deadly sins. This pastor went from 220 pounds to 350 pounds in three years. Almost a pound per week. Finally, he desired to get hold of this area in his life and he began to eat sensibly. But the weight loss did not come easily. The enemy of his flesh had staked its territory out well in advance. As long as my friend gained weight, the enemy did nothing to stop it. Now that he wanted to lose the excess weight the enemy did everything imaginable to prevent it. Is there a devil? Ask my friend that question and he will give you a definite, "Yes, there is a devil." Our Lord knew that when God opened the gates of Heaven and poured out his Spirit, the devil opened the gates of Hell and poured forth temptations. That is the way it works. As a pastor I have on occasion counseled those who were coming to grips with the question of whether there is a real devil or not. I ask the question: "Do you believe in the devil?" Some say "yes" and others say "no." What do you say?
-- Shearer
running television program Life Is Worth Living was the source of some of his greatest sermons. He never had any problem calling the devil what he is -- a devil. "Very few today believe in the devil, and that is exactly what he wants," Bishop Sheen was quoted as having said (from The Life of Christ, 1952). To him there was a real enemy of the soul. This enemy tempted Our Blessed Lord in three ways. Jesus was tempted in the flesh, in the mind, and in worldliness. Does that sound familiar to you? It sure does to me. That is where the devil works on most of us. A pastor I knew struggled with the sin of gluttony. Gluttony is usually listed among the seven deadly sins. This pastor went from 220 pounds to 350 pounds in three years. Almost a pound per week. Finally, he desired to get hold of this area in his life and he began to eat sensibly. But the weight loss did not come easily. The enemy of his flesh had staked its territory out well in advance. As long as my friend gained weight, the enemy did nothing to stop it. Now that he wanted to lose the excess weight the enemy did everything imaginable to prevent it. Is there a devil? Ask my friend that question and he will give you a definite, "Yes, there is a devil." Our Lord knew that when God opened the gates of Heaven and poured out his Spirit, the devil opened the gates of Hell and poured forth temptations. That is the way it works. As a pastor I have on occasion counseled those who were coming to grips with the question of whether there is a real devil or not. I ask the question: "Do you believe in the devil?" Some say "yes" and others say "no." What do you say?
-- Shearer
