Insurance Against Mayhem

You’ve probably seen the Allstate Insurance commercial where “Actor Dean Winters plays the dastardly and destructive Mayhem, wreaking havoc on people’s property, prompting their need for some Allstate coverage.” Hmmmmmm. It could almost remind us of  some of the antics of the devil. 

Today many would ask, “hey, is there really a devil; is there really a spiritual battle going on? A lot would  say, “oh no, that’s just your imagination…wake up and get some education.” Well the church teaches very clearly that there is a devil… a fallen angel, called “Satan” or the”devil”. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, par.267). Jesus calls Satan a murderer from the beginning…the father of lies. Our Lord Jesus came to conquer sin and death and to destroy the works of the devil. (CCC 274) While Satan is real, he is not god and is limited in his influence. But he can sure cause a lot of mayhem…. much more than that portrayed in the Allstate commercial.

While Satan was defeated by the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he is still sneaking around causing problems….. and I for one, will be happy when God puts an end once and for all to his “mayhem”.

So how do we keep this enemy of God at bay while he is temporarily “prowling around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” (1Peter 5:8) Fr. Gabriele Amorth, the former Chief Exorcist of Rome, tells us to “persevere in prayer, read the Scripture, receive the sacrament of penance and the Eucharist, and practice a Christian life rich in charity, good works, and fraternal love… while cultivating a gratitude toward Jesus, our Lady, and the saints.” (ref. Magnificat, 1-30-23)

In essence, let’s stay close to the Lord knowing that the Lord is by our side and will not allow the devil to hurt us; Satan may be able to trip us up, but even that, God will work for the good on our behalf. God always has the last word in every aspect of our life. So, let’s put on the armor of God (ref. Eph. 6:10-18), stay close to the Lord and any mayhem that comes our way will be deflected to the side of the road.

Whenever we recognize that the evil one is harassing us, let us cry out to the Lord for help…”Jesus, the boat is sinking, save us.” He is always close at hand and will be there to rescue us. We have nothing to fear. In these situations, we don’t need Allstate Insurance, we need the Lord. And that is very good news.