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Art. 1. Men are attacked by the devils,[1239]
who try to impede the progress of men because of envy. By
reason of their pride the devils assume the appearance of
the divine majesty. But the order of these attacks on men
is from God, who wills to make use of evils in order that
good may come of them.
The devils attack men: 1. by instigating them to sin
(with God's permission), 2. in order to punish men,
and in this way they are sent by God as was the evil
spirit that punished Achab the King of
Israel.[1240] But those who are tempted are always
assisted by God by His own power and through the good
angels. All this is ordered to the glory of the elect.
Art. 2. To tempt others is a characteristic of the
devil,[1241] and whenever the devil tempts others he
does it to harm them by precipitating them into sin.
Although the devil cannot move the will, he can to some
extent affect man's lower powers by which the will is
inclined, although it is not compelled.
Art. 3. All sins are not to be attributed to the
temptation of the devil; some sins arise from the
concupiscence of the flesh or of the eyes, or from our own
pride.
Art. 4. The devils can seduce men, not by true
miracles, but by cunning and deception.[1242]
With regard to spiritualism the Holy Office has decreed
(1917) as follows: "It is not lawful to be present
at any spiritualistic seances or conferences, with or
without a so-called medium, with or without hypnotism,
even under the guise of piety, for the purpose of
interrogating souls or spirits, of hearing replies, or
even of observing such things with the tacit or expressed
protestation of having nothing to do with evil
spirits."[1243]
All these assaults by the devil are permitted for the
glory of the elect. Christ has already obtained a perfect
victory over the devils, over sin and death, on Calvary
and by His resurrection.
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