From “Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life” by Henri Nouwen with Michael J. Christensen and Rebecca J. Laird
Resisting the forces of evil and death is possible only when we are fully in touch with the forces of goodness and life. When I try to confront the powers of darkness directly, I often feel so powerless that I lose contact with the source of my own life. How easy it is to become a victim of the very forces I am fighting against! When all my attention goes to protesting death, death itself may end up receiving more attention than it deserves. There is wisdom from the fourth-century monks of the Egyptian desert: “Do not combat the demons directly.” The wise ones of the desert felt that a direct confrontation with the forces of evil required such spiritual maturity that few would be ready for it. Instead of paying so much attention to the prince of darkness, they advised their disciples to focus on the Lord of light, and thus, indirectly but inevitably, thwart the power of darkness.