The following are quotes from Mirjana’s book, My Heart will Triumph.
But Our Lady also continually warned the parish that the devil was angry, saying in one of the weekly messages, “these days Satan wants to frustrate my plans.” Likewise, she once told me that Jesus struggles for each of us, but the devil tries to interfere. The devil, she warned, prowls around us and sets traps. He tries to divide and confuse us so that we will detest ourselves and abandon ourselves to him. An invisible spiritual war rages all around us, but Our Lady is here to help us win. In one of her messages, Our Lady said, “I desire to take you by the hand and to walk with you in the battle against the impure spirit.” Although I rarely speak about the devil, I can tell you with certainty that he exists. I saw him once. All I will say is that it was the most terrifying experience of my life, but love drove him away. In that moment, I learned that nothing in this world compares to his ugliness and his hatred for God—but unlike God’s power, his is limited. According to exorcists, Satan is not some kind of evil god who fights against the God of the good. Instead, he’s a being that God created as good, but he became evil by refusing God. Whereas pride is his hallmark, humble people who trust in God are stronger than every evil. As Our Lady said in one of her messages, “With the love that comes forth from humility you will bring light to where darkness and blindness rule.” (185).
My awful encounter with evil taught me something about his tactics, too. The devil will try to convince you that following God only leads to suffering, and that living according to the teachings of Jesus will rob you of your freedom. In a way, becoming a believer does require you to give up certain freedoms—the freedom to destroy yourself, for example, or the freedom to lie and steal. There’s a big difference between free will and God’s will. One is a gift while the other is a choice. When we put our trust in God, then we become free in Him, and that’s the only type of freedom that leads to eternal life. I do not want to give the devil any importance. He has always been below Our Lady’s feet, and I believe we should leave him there. He only has as much power as we give him, and we can only give it to him through our free will. I think this is true on a personal level as well as collectively for mankind. But if Jesus and the Blessed Mother are at the center of our lives, then the devil cannot do anything to harm us. Love always triumphs. “Whenever I come to you, my Son comes with me, but so does Satan,” Our Lady once said. (185-6).
Međugorje was a target of his attacks from the beginning. He could not watch so many people praying, going to Mass, confessing and converting without trying to do something. But unlike in the movies, he doesn’t come as some grotesque creature lurking in the shadows—he attacks through people who have allowed him to reign in their hearts. People unknowingly accept his influence through their choices in life. Most do not realize how easy it is to get under his control, and that’s one reason Our Lady always stresses the importance of prayer. If God reigns in your heart, then there is no room for anything bad. (186).
Prodigal Catholic 