8.118. I don’t really believe in the devil or demons. That seems like a fear tactic to make people behave. Isn’t it just symbolic of evil or temptation?
This is one of the most perilous modern errors, because it denies the reality of evil as taught by Christ Himself. To reject the existence of the devil is to reject divine revelation, the teachings of the saints, and the testimony of Scripture and Tradition. It also leaves souls vulnerable to the very enemy they deny.
Modernism has tried to “demythologize” the devil, turning him into a mere symbol of human weakness. But the devil is real, personal, active—and his greatest triumph today is convincing people he doesn’t exist.
No, it is not symbolic. The devil is real, and so are demons. Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke about the devil, cast out demons, and warned constantly about temptation, hell, and the enemy of souls. If you reject the devil, you are rejecting the very words of Christ Himself.
This denial has become common only because modernists after Vatican II downplayed or ignored the reality of the supernatural battle. The devil wants nothing more than for you to think he doesn’t exist—because then you won’t resist him. But denial does not make him disappear—it makes you easier to devour.
| Category | Traditional Catholic Teaching | Modern Rationalist View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Existence of the Devil | Real, personal, fallen angel with intellect and will | Symbol of evil or outdated superstition | Denying the devil is a rejection of divine revelation |
| Demons | Numerous fallen angels, working to tempt and destroy souls | Metaphors for bad habits, trauma, or social evils | Christ cast out demons repeatedly—He didn’t preach metaphors |
| Temptation | Often instigated or intensified by demonic suggestion | Just part of human psychology or impulse | We are in a **real battle** against principalities and powers (Eph. 6:12) |
| Fear Tactics? | The truth is told to save souls from eternal ruin | Fear is manipulation; religion should be comforting | True fear of Hell is a **gift of the Holy Ghost** (cf. Prov. 1:7) |
| Spiritual Warfare | Daily battle with prayer, sacraments, fasting, vigilance | Seen as fanatical, unnecessary, or superstitious | The saints fought demons with intensity and joy |
| Fruits of Belief | Vigilance, purity, humility, dependence on God | Neglect of the soul, spiritual blindness, lukewarmness | “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16) |
Summary:
The devil is not a metaphor. He is a fallen angel who hates you, envies your destiny, and works relentlessly to drag your soul to Hell.
This isn’t a scare tactic—it’s reality, and it’s exactly what Christ, the apostles, the saints, and the Church have taught for 2,000 years. To deny the devil is to fall into his trap.
Spiritual warfare is not optional. You are in it—whether you acknowledge it or not.
As Pope Leo XIII wrote:
“Who will dare to deny that human society is perverted and in a miserable condition because it has strayed from the path of truth and virtue? The devil... is using every cunning trick to make the world forget God.”
And as the Rite of Baptism says to the godparents:
“Do you renounce Satan? And all his works? And all his pomps?”
If Satan were just a metaphor, Christ would not have warned us so solemnly.
Further reading:
Humanum Genus (On Freemasonry) by Pope Leo XIII (1884)