All great events have been distorted, most of the important causes concealed, some of the principal characters never appear, and all who figure are so misunderstood and misrepresented that the result is a complex mystification. ~ Benjamin Disraeli, Coningsby

He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ ~ Matthew 13:28

Separation from the Light

Demons made their choice and were banished into the darkness. From there, they can have no vision of heaven as Jacob Boehme explains:

Heaven is in hell, and hell is in heaven, and nevertheless there is neither of them revealed to the other. Even if the devil were travelling for many hundred thousands of miles, for the purpose of going to heaven, he would nevertheless always remain in hell. Thus the angels do not see the darkness; they see only the light of divine power; but the devils see only the darkness of the wrath of God. ~ Jacob Boehme, Mysterium Magnum

Satan rules hell and can never rule heaven. Hence, the only battleground is the world in the middle: Earth.

Lucifer’s Goal

Boehme reveals Lucifer’s motivation.

Lucifer saw creation and knew its foundation. Thereupon he also wanted to be a god, and to rule in all things by the power of fire. He wanted to bring his own thoughts into form and not what the Creator desired. Thus he became an enemy of God, an desired to destroy what was formed by the action of God for the purpose of putting in its place his own effects and figurations. Jacob Boehme, Theosophical Questions

The Battle for Earth

Adam and his descendants have been granted dominion over the earth. Since Satan cannot directly and physically have dominion, he relies on human agents whom he leads astray by whispering in their hearts. In this way, demonic intelligences plan to displace God in His creation. Human beings refuse to, or are unable to, comprehend the magnitude of that conspiracy; therefore, they are unable to implement it on their own. Solange Hertz, in her book Utopia, explains why:

Sinful men’s lives are too short, their wills too weak, their thinking too limited. Bound to bodies shackled by recurring hunger and fatigue, they are incapable of an effort which must be sustained at white heat literally through centuries.

Disinformation

When Adam was created to live in the Garden of Eden, Satan saw his opportunity. If he could persuade Adam to disobey God, he could then be the ruler of creation. He invented disinformation, the big lie, to accomplish his goal:

Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ~ Genesis 3:1-5

Here we learn a few things. First, the devil is more intelligent and more knowledgeable than human beings. Second, he understands human psychology. Third, he works through disinformation. He will distort a truth just enough to sound plausible. The subsequent fall of Adam made Satan prince of the world.

Conspiracy Theories

Whoever thinks history “just happens” needs to read the Mystical City of God, by Maria Agreda, for proper perspective. Called on for their opinions after the Crucifixion, the higher ranking demons agreed that it would be impossible to reverse the Redemption now accomplished by Christ, but they could labor to prevent the application of its fruits. They advised that, “in accordance with the new order of assistance and favor established by God for the salvation of men, they should seek new ways of hindering and preventing the work of God by deceits and temptations so much the greater.” ~ Solange Hertz, Utopia

The Redemption

After the Redemption, Satan was no longer ruler of the world. Hence, he needed a long term plan to reassert his dominion. Here is a more text from the City of God, describing a meeting of the demons;

They resolved that, in accordance with the new order of assistance and favor established by God for the salvation of men, they should now seek new ways of hindering and preventing the work of God by so much the greater deceits and temptations.

Human nature was still weak:

The natural inclinations and passions of the flesh remain just the same, and the sensible and delectable creatures have not changed their nature. Let us then, making use of this situation with increased astuteness, foil as far as in us lies the effects of what this Godman has wrought for men. Let us begin strenuous warfare against mankind by suggesting new attractions, exciting them to follow their passions in forgetfulness of all else. Thus men, being taken up with these dangerous things, cannot attend to the contrary.

Now then, ye demons who follow me, now is the time to give way to our wrath against God. Come all of ye to take counsel what we are to do; for I desire to hear your opinions. Acting upon this counsel they redistributed the spheres of work among themselves, in order that each squadron of demons might, with a specialized astuteness, tempt men to different vices. They resolved to continue to propagate idolatry in the world, so that men might not come to the knowledge of the true God.

All agreed to sow among men the seeds of discord, hatred and vengeance, proud and sensual thoughts, desire of riches or honors, and by suggesting sophistical reasons against all the virtues Christ has taught… Some of the devils charged themselves with perverting the inclinations of children at their conception and birth; others to induce parents to be negligent in the education and instruction of their children, either through an inordinate love or aversion, and to cause a hatred of parents among the children. Some offered to create hatred between husbands and wives, to place them in the way of adultery…

Key to Understanding

There are three worlds, corresponding to the Body, Soul, and Spirit. Satan did not create the physical world so he has no power over it. He has no consciousness of the spiritual or celestial world. He can only work through the world of the Soul, the is through emotions, images, and thoughts.

So unlike Hollywood depictions, Satan does not do physical harm, certainly not directly. That is not what must be feared. Also, Hollywood assumes evil is difficult to find; there is a portal that must be opened, or a haunted house, some unusual event that frees up a demonic spirit, etc. On the contrary, evil is commonplace and will find you. That spiritual battle takes place in the soul.

If you are “visualizing” some meeting, etc., you won’t understand. Rather you need to monitor your emotions, imagination, and thoughts. That is where you will encounter evil.