Why is the evil spirit not afraid of our abilities but of our holiness?
Satan knows us very well. He knows what tempts us and what attracts us. He knows what we like and what we fear.
Herod was a man of his time. He longed for power, he was selfish and cunning. And yet, he liked to listen to John the Baptist. He sensed his holiness. Holiness is a great power. God is holy, and Satan is afraid of Him.
How was the holiness of John the Baptist revealed? In his humility, in the fact that he belonged completely to God. The evil spirit wants our hearts. He knows that when we turn to God, he has lost.
We may have a difficult life. But that is not the greatest problem. What really matters is that we remain with God. John lived with God; he lived according to God’s will. John the Baptist helped to save many people because he turned their attention toward God.
Our task is not simply to save our life here on earth, but to gain eternal life. Today we often struggle for things that tomorrow we will lose. If our only concern is to have a comfortable and successful life here on earth, we are on the wrong path. Such things cannot give us true inner strength.
Many people feel that earthly things they have gained—such as wealth, success, or a career—have fulfilled their lives. But I ask: For how long? The years will pass, and one day they will lose all these things.
Do not the words of Jesus apply here? He teaches us not to seek treasures that moth and rust can destroy, but rather lasting treasures—values that remain for eternal life.
It is a tragedy when we pursue earthly things without caring about what God says about how we live. Such a path can never end well.
The real question is not how much we have achieved, how successful we have become, or how comfortable our life has been. The real question is: Do we belong to God?
That was the strength of John the Baptist. And that is the strength of every holy person. The evil spirit is not afraid of our talents, our intelligence, our position, or our success. He is afraid of a person who belongs completely to God.
