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'HUMILITY DRIVES THE DEVIL AWAY'
That's what we hear from a mystic in the mountains of Austria (who we'll be featuring this week). It's one of the greatest weapons. It's something many have forgotten. It's no longer in fashion. But it's as powerful as ever.
Humility drives the devil away because he is the prince of pride and when we have humility he has no hold on our territory.
When we have humility, the devil flees.
When we have pride, the opposite happens. When we have pride, we are under the tutelage of Satan. Pride comes in many forms. There's pride over our brains. There's pride over our bodies (as if we created them). There's pride over money -- especially over money. There's pride over possessions. There's religious pride. There's a haughtiness that even pervades our places of holiness. It was pride that caused Satan to ascend toward the Throne and pride that got him thrown out of heaven.
Pride is not apologizing. Pride is refusing to forgive. Pride is wanting recognition. Pride is trying to control. Pride is believing others are inferior. Pride is believing we deserve more from God than others. Pride is anger when things go wrong. Pride is jealousy. Pride is antagonism. Pride is criticality. Pride is besmirching another. Pride is believing we're above the rules. Pride is seeking after the latest fashion. Pride is materialism.
Humility, on the other hand, is the diminishing of "self" and the absorption into God.
It's recognizing that all we have we were given.
It's seeing others as equal.
It's showing charity.
It's having only good things to say.
It's wanting no more than others.
It's detachment from self, from the world.
And when it's fully accomplished -- when it pervades us -- it's what the Austrian calls a "golden key" to heaven.
