The Exorcist's Bestiary

As I binge-watched season two of Rings of Power, I found myself reflecting on how the fallen angel Sauron messed with the mind of the elven ring maker, Celebrimbor. On a large scale of evil, Sauron had a goal to gain power over the world through a grand ring. But on a small scale of evil, Sauron was busy manipulating Celebrimbor’s mind to get the ring made. With every new interaction, Sauron manipulates and gaslights Celebrimbor. He masquerades as an angel of light as he indirectly inspires Celebrimbor to make decisions that seem right in the moment, and then he quietly shames him after his faulty decision backfires.

In a world obsessed with fame and impact, we focus on the big events of our world, be they good or evil. But big moments of evil are fostered by the slow bondage of evil spirits and big moments of good are fostered by the slow fruitfulness of the Holy Spirit. It is there in the slowness where much of our spiritual warfare rests.

C.S. Lewis once imagined a demon mentor teaching the slowness of evil to his demon student in The Screwtape Letters,

“You will say that these are very small sins; and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy. It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

In the movie The Hobbit, Gandalf reports good working in a similar slow manner:

“I have found that it is the small everyday deed of ordinary folks that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”

While there is no denying that large acts of good and evil have the capacity to create large movements of freedom or bondage, spiritual warfare primarily exists in the slow renewal of our minds to good or evil. We can cultivate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, or we can listen to the deceitful voices that want to grow the opposite in us.

The slow everyday impact of yourself and your neighbor is crucial. Indeed, it is this kind of spiritual warfare that halts great evil and spurs on great good. May our faithfulness be found throughout the slowness.