Episode 3153: The Enemy Has Many Names: How Every Nation Recognized the Devil’s Hand

Meeting ID: 865 8978 0399
Passcode: Wjjv4960!
Speak Lord for your Servant is Listening
Confuse Satan by changing up your prayers
Book Recommendation of the Day
Mary Magdalene in the Visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich
• Author: Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (compiled by Clemens Brentano)
• Overview: This book contains vivid, mystical visions of St. Mary Magdalene’s life, conversion, and devotion to Our Lord. It provides deep insight into her penance and holiness as seen by one of the Church's most notable mystics.
• Why it's valuable: Rooted in traditional Catholic mysticism, it presents her as the true penitent saint, fully devoted to Christ.
The Enemy Has Many Names: How Every Nation Recognized the Devil’s Hand
Welcome to Catholic Reboot, where we bring eternal truths to a fallen world. Today’s episode is a powerful reminder that the war between good and evil transcends time, place, and language. From the desert fathers of Egypt to the peasant Catholics of Poland, from Irish monks to African converts, every people who encountered the Gospel also came face to face with the Devil and gave him a name.
And though these names differ, the enemy is the same: the ancient serpent, the liar, the deceiver, the adversary of mankind.
we explore how different cultures, particularly those shaped by the Catholic Faith, recognized Satan’s influence, named him, and warned each generation of his tactics and So why does our Modern church dismiss the devil and leave the flock unarmed?
In my research of the Angels in the writings of exorcists like Fr. Chad Ripperger and classic theologians like St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Robert Bellarmine there is a concept that fallen angels (devils) retain the structure of the Nine Choirs of Angels in their corrupted state. Thus, there are nine choirs of demons that mirror and oppose the nine choirs of holy angels.
The Nine Choirs of Angels (Holy Order):
According to traditional teaching, the nine choirs of angels are:
1. Seraphim
2. Cherubim
3. Thrones
4. Dominions (Dominations)
5. Virtues
6. Powers
7. Principalities
8. Archangels
9. Angels
These choirs are divided into three triads, each with its own purpose:
• Highest triad (contemplate God directly): Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones
• Middle triad (govern the cosmos): Dominions, Virtues, Powers
• Lowest triad (interact with the human realm): Principalities, Archangels, Angels
The Nine Choirs of Demons (Corrupted Counterparts):
The fallen angels, according to tradition, retained their natural hierarchy even after their rebellion, and thus these same choirs became the nine choirs of demons, now working against God and His creation.
Each demonic choir is believed to counter or distort the work of its angelic counterpart. For example:
1. Fallen Seraphim – They were the closest to God in Heaven and now are filled with the greatest hatred of Him. They seek to lead souls to despair and hatred of God.
2. Fallen Cherubim – Once full of divine knowledge, they now promote heresy, confusion, and intellectual pride.
3. Fallen Thrones – These spirits pervert God's justice and encourage hardness of heart and impenitence.
4. Fallen Dominions – Seek to enslave souls and dominate human structures, such as governments or institutions.
5. Fallen Virtues – Interfere with miracles or the graces that sustain nature; they influence signs and wonders falsely.
6. Fallen Powers – These wage spiritual warfare, particularly against the Church and its hierarchy.
7. Fallen Principalities – Focus on corrupting nations, cities, and groups.
8. Fallen Archangels – Target religious leaders and guide false mysticism.
9. Fallen Angels – The lowest level, they often afflict individual persons through temptation and harassment.
Support from Tradition:
This structure is not infallibly defined doctrine, but is supported by:
• St. Thomas Aquinas in Summa Theologiae (especially in Prima Pars, questions 106–114),
• Fr. Chad Ripperger, in his lectures and writings on spiritual warfare,
• St. Bonaventure and others who explored the parallel structure in demonology.
Why This Matters:
Understanding the mirrored hierarchy helps exorcists and spiritual warriors to:
• Recognize the types of temptations or attacks that may come from specific levels of demons,
• Combat demonic influence with the appropriate virtues, prayers, and sacramentals,
• Appreciate the order within Heaven, and the disorder in Hell which still functions with perverse imitation.
Segment 1: The Devil in Sacred Scripture and Tradition
Before we look at specific cultures, let us recall what Holy Mother Church teaches.
In Scripture, Satan is called:
• Lucifer – the “light bearer” who fell from Heaven (Isaiah 14:12)
• Satan – from the Hebrew Satan, meaning “adversary”
• Diabolos (Greek) – the “slanderer” or “accuser”
• The Dragon and the Serpent of Old – Revelation 12
• Beelzebub – “Lord of the Flies,” associated with filth and decay (Matt 12:24)
• The Tempter – as in Christ’s temptation in the desert
The Catechism of the Council of Trent and countless saints, including St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Anthony of the Desert, affirm the personal reality of the Devil and his legions of fallen angels who prowl the earth.
Segment 2: The Devil Among the Nations
Now we turn to the ethnic and cultural names and views of Satan, especially as recognized in Christianized nations:
1. Ireland – "An Diabhal"
In Gaelic, Satan was called “An Diabhal.”
• The Irish saw him as a trickster, appearing in disguise to sow discord.
• Irish Catholic lore speaks of the Devil trying to enter homes or hearts through pride and drunkenness.
• Holy Water, the Rosary, and the St. Patrick’s Breastplate were invoked to drive him away.
2. Poland – "Szatan" or "Zły"
In Polish, he is known as “Szatan” or “Zły” – meaning “The Evil One.”
• Polish peasants were deeply Marian and knew Satan feared the Virgin most.
• The Black Madonna of Częstochowa was a shield against his attacks.
• Legends often depict him trying to disrupt family or faith life, only to be thwarted by devotion.
3. Italy – "Il Diavolo"
In Italian tradition, “Il Diavolo” is not just a name but a figure embedded in folklore.
• The Italian Devil often appeared at crossroads, mimicking temptation and confusion.
• Southern Italians, especially in Sicily, linked him with envy and destruction of the home.
• St. Benedict medals and the name of Jesus were used to banish him.
4. Spain – "El Diablo"
Among Spaniards, “El Diablo” was feared for attacking the soul through pride and lust.
• The Spanish Catholic tradition emphasized the battle between the flesh and spirit, with the Devil always working through passions.
• Saints like St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross wrote extensively about the Devil’s tricks and the need for humility and penance.
5. France – "Le Diable"
The French saw “Le Diable” as a tempter of the mind—sowing doubt, heresy, and rebellion.
• In the aftermath of the French Revolution, Traditional Catholics saw the Devil’s fingerprints in the attack on Church and monarchy.
• Exorcism prayers and devotion to the Sacred Heart became weapons of resistance.
6. African Christian Converts – Names Vary
In various African cultures where Catholic missionaries evangelized, the Devil took on local names, such as:
• “Shaitan” (in Islamic-influenced areas)
• “Ekwensu” (Igbo Nigeria, pre-Christian but later identified with the Devil)
• Many African Catholics view him as the cause of division in the family and tribal strife.
• Converts found strength in the Precious Blood devotion, fearing the Devil’s power but trusting in Christ.
7. Germanic Peoples – "Teufel"
In German, Satan is “Der Teufel.”
• Martin Luther saw him as real, but traditional German Catholics went deeper seeing his hand in theological error and schism.
• Bavarian Catholics fought Satan’s lies through fidelity to the Eucharist and the Holy Rosary.
8. Slavs – "Bes" or "Chort"
In Russian and other Slavic traditions, names like “Chort” or “Bes” referred to demonic spirits.
• Post-conversion, Slavic Catholics viewed the Devil as an enemy of order and family life.
• Icons, incense, and the Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”—were used against him.

Segment 3: What the Devil Attacks
No matter the name, the strategy is the same:
• He attacks Faith, with doubts and heresies.
• He attacks Family, with division, impurity, and pride.
• He attacks Worship, trying to destroy reverence and doctrine.
• He attacks Truth, making relativism seem noble.
He does not rest. But Our Lord has already triumphed.
As St. Paul wrote, “Put you on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil.” (Eph 6:11)
Segment 4: How the Saints Fought
• St. Anthony of the Desert fought demons in the wilderness with prayer and fasting.
• St. Padre Pio endured physical assaults from the devil but never ceased his daily Rosary and Mass.
• St. John Vianney was harassed nightly but remained firm in hearing confessions and saving souls.

Their advice: frequent the sacraments, love Our Lady, and never give Satan an inch.
Conclusion: The Universality of the Battle
Every tongue, tribe, and nation that has received the Gospel has also received the warning: the Devil is real. He is not a myth or metaphor he is a fallen angel who wants your soul.
But he has already been crushed by the Woman clothed with the sun Our Lady.
Closing Prayer:
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
St. Joseph, Terror of Demons, pray for us.
St. Benedict, pray for us.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

St. Peter warns us plainly:
"Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8)
This is not poetic exaggeration it is doctrine.
Every people who have been touched by the Gospel and Tradition have had their eyes opened to the Enemy. Each culture gave him a name. Each generation battled his deceptions. And the faithful always knew: if we forget him, he will not forget us.
1. Revelation 12:9:
“And that great dragon was cast out, the old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world.”
The Devil seduces the world—not always by war or violence, but by subtle half-truths, false peace, and spiritual slumber.
The Early Church Fathers, such as St. Ignatius of Antioch and St. Irenaeus, constantly warned their flocks that the Devil disguises himself as light but leads only to death. This battle is ancient and global.
A Call to Vigilance
Catholics, now more than ever, we must be awake.
The modern world has lulled us into comfort. The Devil no longer comes as a dragon but as a therapist, a teacher, a reformer, or a “synodal path.” But his goal is the same: the ruin of souls.
We must teach our children his reality, warn our parishes of his traps, and fortify our homes with prayer.
Let us remember that while the Devil may roam, he is already defeated by the Cross, by the Precious Blood, and by the heel of Our Immaculate Mother.
Epistle: Canticle of Canticles 3:2-5; 8:6-7 (Douay-Rheims)
"I will rise and will go about the city: in the streets and the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him and I found him not. The watchmen who keep the city found me: Have you seen him, whom my soul loveth? When I had a little passed by them, I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and I will not let him go, till I bring him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that bore me. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and the harts of the fields, that you stir not up, nor make the beloved to awake, till she please... Put me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm: for love is strong as death, jealousy is hard as hell, the lamps thereof are fire and flames. Many waters cannot quench charity, neither can the floods drown it: if a man should give all the substance of his house for love, he shall despise it as nothing."
Reflection on the Epistle:
This poetic and symbolic passage from the Canticle of Canticles perfectly captures the soul’s longing for Christ, which so beautifully reflects the heart of St. Mary Magdalene.
Her passionate search for Our Lord mirrors the soul’s burning love that cannot be satisfied by anything in this world. “I sought Him whom my soul loveth.” Mary Magdalene had once sought satisfaction in the things of the world, but when she found Christ, she would not let Him go.
She becomes a type of the faithful soul purified by sorrow, adorned with charity, and sealed by divine love. “Many waters cannot quench charity.” Neither her sins nor her past could keep her from being transformed by the grace of Christ.
Gospel – Luke 7:36-50 (Douay-Rheims)
At that time, one of the Pharisees desired Jesus to eat with him. And He went into the house of the Pharisee and sat down to meat. And behold a woman that was in the city, a sinner, when she knew that He sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment. And standing behind at His feet, she began to wash His feet with tears; and wiped them with the hairs of her head; and kissed His feet; and anointed them with the ointment... And Jesus said to her: ‘Thy sins are forgiven thee... Thy faith hath made thee safe; go in peace.’”
Reflection on the Gospel:
The woman in today’s Gospel is identified by Sacred Tradition as St. Mary Magdalene once a public sinner, now the model of humble repentance.
She approaches Christ with tears, not excuses. She weeps not for being caught, but for having offended her God. With no words, only gestures of immense love washing His feet with tears, drying them with her hair, anointing them with precious ointment she pours out her soul.
Our Lord sees the heart and proclaims: "Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much."
In stark contrast, Simon the Pharisee, though outwardly respectable, lacks true charity. Mary Magdalene becomes a rebuke to the prideful, a hope to the fallen, and an example for all of us.
Saint of the Day – St. Mary Magdalene
According to the 1945 St. Andrew’s Missal, St. Mary Magdalene is honored as the sister of Martha and Lazarus, the penitent who became a contemplative, and the first witness of the Resurrection. The Missal speaks of her as the one “from whom the Lord cast out seven devils,” and who “chose the better part.”
After Our Lord’s Ascension, according to pious tradition, she retired to a life of penance in a cave near Marseilles in France, living in contemplation until her holy death.
She is the patroness of penitents, converts, contemplatives, and women seeking healing.
Final Reflection:
Dear listeners, St. Mary Magdalene teaches us that no matter how grave our sins, God’s mercy is greater. Her life is proof that it is not how we start, but how we finish. Holiness is not reserved for the perfect, but for the penitent.
Let us examine our hearts: Are we seeking Christ with the same urgency, passion, and humility? Do we truly believe that Christ can make saints out of sinners?
May her love rekindle ours. May her tears soften our hardened hearts.
Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, deliver us from the spirit of this age, which denies the reality of sin and evil. Open our eyes to the spiritual war that rages, and fortify us with Your grace. By the intercession of Our Lady, St. Michael the Archangel, and all the saints, make us watchful and brave. Amen.
St. Mary Magdalene,
pray for us.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.