Note to Reader: This post is the latest in the St. Louis De Montfort series. If you haven’t already read my previous posts in the series, I urge you to do so before you move on to this one because I’m writing them in a particular order.
When I was growing up, my image of the Blessed Mother was one of beauty, serenity, peace, and overflowing love. I was introduced to the Virgin Mary by my mother through pictures, statues, and occasionally a TV movie about Our Lady of Fatima. I said my Hail Mary prayer regularly, learned to pray the Rosary at the age of eight, and discovered very early on how important the Blessed Mother is in a person’s life. I learned that when we desire something, we should turn to her in faith and love, asking for her intercession and trusting in her maternal love. Everything about Mary when I was a child had to do with goodness and grace, and so the green snake that she was standing on at the foot of my nightstand statue had me curious. My mother explained that the snake (or serpent) represented Satan, the devil. She said that at the end of the world, Mary would crush the devil and cause goodness to overcome evil.
It wouldn’t be until years later when I would begin to understand Mary’s power over Satan and all the devils, and still many more years after that when I stumbled upon the writings of St. Louis De Montfort in True Devotion to Mary. It was through his book that I learned about the powerful role Mary’s children will play in the latter times when they, in union with Mary, will crush the serpent’s head.
St. Louis De Montfort tells us that the devil’s wicked persecutions against God’s children will increase daily until the Antichrist enters the world stage. We must keep in mind that it was in the Garden of Eden where God pronounced a prediction against the evil serpent when He said: “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed; she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.” (Gen. 3:15) You’ll notice that I’ve quoted that exact passage in the banner of this site. It wasn’t until several years ago, and even more so over the last few years, given the current state of the world, that I came to fully comprehend the substance of those words. It is my understanding that God is involving us, Mary’s children, in the final end times battle with the infernal enemy, Satan. Notice how God uses the word “enmities” in the plural sense, which obviously means more than one, although often the passage is quoted with the word “enmity.” God is placing enmities between Mary and the devil, as well as her seed (her children) and the devil’s seed (his followers.) To me, this is a clear sign that we are to be actively involved in the end times battle against the devil rather than mere spectators sitting on the sidelines.
You may find this next passage quite edifying. St. Louis De Montfort presents the struggle that we, Mary’s children, are facing as we match ourselves against God’s enemies.
God has never made and formed but one enmity; but it is an irreconcilable one, which shall endure and grow even to the end. It is between Mary, His worthy Mother, and the devil—between the children and the servants of the Blessed Virgin, and the children and tools of Lucifer. The most terrible of all the enemies which God has set up against the devil is His holy Mother Mary. He has inspired her, even since the days of the earthly paradise—though she existed then only in His idea—with so much hatred against that cursed enemy of God, with so much ingenuity in unveiling the malice of that ancient serpent, with so much power to conquer, to overthrow and to crush that proud, impious rebel, that he fears her not only more than all angels and men, but in a sense more than God Himself. (T.D., no. 52)
There are a few things to consider. First, as St. Louis De Montfort goes on to explain, it isn’t that God’s anger, wrath, and power aren’t infinitely greater than those of the Virgin Mary. After all, Mary’s perfections are limited. But because Satan has so much pride, he suffers all the more from the beatdown of a humble handmaid, who is Mary, God’s beloved creature. Mary’s humility is more crushing to the devil than the divine power. Also, God has given Mary so much power against the devil and his minions that
as they have often been obliged to confess, in spite of themselves, by the mouths of the possessed—they fear one of her sighs for a soul more than the prayers of all the saints, and one of her threats against them more than all other torments. (T.D., no. 52)
Mary’s Children and Their Struggle Against Satan
Satan’s pride caused him tremendous loss, while Mary’s profound humility brought about unfathomable spiritual gain. “What Eve has damned and lost by disobedience, Mary has saved by obedience.” (T.D., no. 53) Because Eve obeyed the serpent, she caused destruction to herself and her children, delivering her children to him. But Mary’s perfect faith in God Almighty has saved herself and her children, consecrating them to the Most High. This revelation is something that the Protestants completely miss because they refuse to accept Mary as their Mediatrix. Mary’s power over evil is something of a shield that we can hide behind, especially in the dark days that are presently upon us where the world is pressing in on all sides. Our trust in her motherly love and our belief in her power over Satan should fill us with so much hope and joy!
It is my belief that, based on what St. Louis De Montfort has shared in the above passages, we, Mary’s children, are given a very special opportunity. While we are battling for God’s interests in this war between good and evil, we are at the same time protected by the Blessed Mother. If Satan, in all his pride and wickedness, is terrified of a single one of Mary’s sighs, we can safely assume that the proud and wicked worldlings, who are his followers and slaves, are no less terrified of that Sovereign Queen of Heaven who will one day crush the head of evil, causing Jesus Christ to triumph!
What greater grace is there in this fight against the dark side than to accept our role in the war, battling for God’s purposes with all our might, and at the same time finding shelter behind Mary’s mantle where she protects us from Satan’s cruel claw! I don’t know how or why anyone wouldn’t answer the call to battle from God Himself, knowing that by going to war they will please His beloved Mother and at the same time bring Him much glory. And yet, I can see how the words of the prophetic St. Louis De Montfort may appear to some to be written for a future generation. They may believe that his writings, although inspirational and compelling, are nothing we need to concern ourselves with in the current times. To them it may seem way too unlikely and even impossible that words written centuries ago would pertain to this day and age. But someone has to be one of those saints; someone has to fulfill that prophecy. Why assume that it is directed toward a future generation when all the signs are presently upon us and when the world needs your involvement in this fight right now?
I would suggest that you pray upon this matter, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to you whether or not you are being called to this great battle between good and evil. Also, not everyone will be called in the same way. One person may have the gift of speech, and he or she may be called to address large crowds and even television or radio audiences. Another person may be homebound, possibly disabled, and yet that person’s daily praying of the Rosary would have more power than the mightiest militia and would have the potential to stop entire wars!
We must remember that God has set enmities, not only between Mary and the devil, but between Mary’s children and the devil’s children. St. Louis De Montfort tells us that “God has set enmities, antipathies and secret hatreds between the true children and servants of Mary and the children and slaves of the devil.” (T.D., no. 54) Bearing that in mind, it’s time to find our side. The decades of ease and complacency are behind us. The gray has completely gone away, and we are left with two choices. We either choose the side of light or the side of darkness. In the words of a beloved bishop:
“There are a thousand times ten thousand roads down which any one of us may travel for a lifetime. But all those roads are going to end in front of two faces.” —Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Which face do we choose to spend eternity with?
