Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. once wrote: “The devil knows us very well. He cannot read our secret thoughts but he can conclude to our inner spirit by our external behavior, and even, as exorcists tell me, the emotional expressions on our face.” In the exact same vein, St. Thomas Aquinas found that: “The demons know what happens outwardly among men; but the inward disposition of man God alone knows…It is this disposition that makes man more prone to one vice than to another: hence the devil tempts, in order to explore this inward disposition of man, so that he may tempt him to that vice to which he is most prone.” I find both of these quotations endlessly fascinating; in other words, they state that although demons cannot know our thoughts, they do have the power of observation to determine our individual proclivities. In terms of pornography, and porn addiction, the demons – according to the Pray of St. Michael, roam about the world endlessly; they think, scheme, and watch. Whenever a poor soul is looking at porn, the demons are viewing it as well. They pay special attention to those sites and images which seem to excite the viewer the most; also to those sites and images which the viewer lingers upon for the longest amount of time. This evidence gives them valuable information: for, they can then surmise, and predict, what we find desirable; and, they can also deduce from that knowledge what inner workings of the mind (usually something which took place in the past) that have caused us to become attracted to that particular film or porn scenario: for instance, a man looking at pornographic images of women dressed to look younger; or a man looking at pornographic images of bondage and discipline – what does this tell the demons about us?. Now, they know too much already. Then, the more we look at porn, and the more web-sites we peruse, the devil collects an ever growing dossier on our inner-most sexual wounds and disordered proclivities. Hurriedly, they will place those trigger-images in our paths – contributing to us falling over and over again. Yet, what we have stupidly shown to the enemy, we have been too ashamed to reveal to Christ – especially during the Sacrament of Confession. The answer: stop watching porn; be methodical in your entertainment choices – turn only to certain channels and bookmark often visited web-sites; do not surf; disclose all to Our Lord; ask for healing; pray; and go to Confession.
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