The devil in your heart

Ray Sullivan has a nice article about keeping the devil out of your heart. We can do it if we lean on God and take advantage of the helps He gives us, such as care for the poor, fasting, and the sacraments, especially the Mass.

There are two thing I would add to the list. The first is reading the Bible.  The Desert Fathers used scripture as a weapon against the temptations of the devil. Of course, if you attend daily Mass, you get a lot of scripture, but nothing beats the rich immersion in Scripture that comes through lectio divina.

The second "tactic" is orthodoxy. Not only need we obey, but we also need to assent to His Word as expressed in Scripture and in the teachings of the Church. In order to assent, of course, we have to know them, which is why studying the writings of solid, orthodox women and men is so important.

Charity is first, of course. Always.