Mastering The Spirits

We know that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and given us understanding so that we may know him who is true. 1 John 5:19,20.

Thirty years before David was born God spoke to his father in a dream in which he was hunting. He came upon a stag, a fish, and a hive of bees. He was told to send the hive, portions of the stag meat and of the fish to a local monastery, where they would be preserved for a son who would be born to him.

The three gifts, he was told in the dream, were symbols of three features of his future son. The honeycomb symbolised wisdom, for as the honey lies embedded in the wax so his son would perceive the spiritual meaning embedded in words of the Bible. The fish symbolised his life-style; for as fish live in water so this son would say ‘no’ to addictive food and drink, and live in God – eating only basics such as bread and water. The stag represented the power he would have over Satan, who is often depicted as the ancient serpent. As a stag, after it has fed itself off the snakes it has killed, longs for a water spring to re-invigorate its youth, so this future son, after overcoming humanity’s ancient enemy, the Devil, would choose a spring of life with tears often flowing.

In this way, the future son, in the power of the Trinity, and in the strength obtained by his fights against physical cravings, would acquire a healing knowledge of the way to overcome evil spirits.

All this was fulfilled in David’s life a generation later. We, in our turn, can gradually learn mastery of self and evil.

Lord, as fish live in water, may I live in you.
Grant me the strength to do without things.
Grant me the wisdom to see the ‘within’ of things.
Grant me the knowledge
To take the measure of evil spirits
Grant me understanding to know you
Who alone are true