Through the Passion of Christ We Are Freed from the Power of the Devil

Monday after the Third Sunday of Lent

Through the Passion of Christ We Are Freed from the Power of the Devil.

Our Lord said (John 12:31), when His Passion was imminent: Now shall the prince of this world be cast out; and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to Myself. Now He was lifted up from the earth by His Passion on the cross. Therefore by His Passion the devil was deprived of his power over man.

There are three things to be considered regarding the power which the devil exercised over men previous to Christ’s Passion.

The first is on man’s own part, who by his sin deserved to be delivered over to the devil’s power, and was overcome by his tempting. The second is on God’s part, whom man had offended by sinning, and who with justice left man under the devil’s power. The third is on the devil’s part, who out of his most wicked will hindered man from securing his salvation.

As to the first point, by Christ’s Passion man was delivered from the devil’s power, in so far as the Passion is the cause of the forgiveness of sins. As to the second, it must be said that Christ’s Passion freed us from the