to make himself equal with God.

In the account given in Revelation of the war in heaven, St. Michael,
whose name is simply a Hebrew word meaning "Who is like God?" is
mentioned as the captain of God's host, who fought against the dragon
and his angels, and overcame and cast them out.[2] It would seem that
the leader of the loyal angels took his name from the battle cry with
which the armies of God, as they pressed upon the rebel ranks,
repudiated the blasphemous claim of him who was seeking to be like the
Most High.[3]

As we think of Satan as he is to-day, and as he meets us in the
conflict, it will be of great value to us to keep definitely in mind
the effect that his fall must have had upon his nature and powers.

Not only is the adversary finite, with all the limitations common to
finite beings, but he is one who, by his fall from original
righteousness, has become a blasted creature, maimed and wounded in all
his faculties.

Man, too has fallen, and the blight is also upon {18} all his powers;
but with every return to God in penitence man's powers are recuperated;
he regains somewhat of his former strength. Nay, more, the spiritual
strength we lay hold of through penitence is often greater than that
which we lost through sin. "Where sin abounded, grace did much more
abound."[4] God through the Precious Blood of His Son so mightily
overrules the evil that, as we think of our sin, we can indeed
triumphantly cry, "_O felix culpa!_"

Not so with Satan and his companions. From the day of their fall the
poison of the evil that is in them has been working relentlessly, and
with never a moment's cessation, toward their ultimate destruction. By
an humble, earnest effort for God's service in the little opportunities
of daily life, we go on from strength to strength, while our foe,
however powerful he may be in his warfare against the weakness of man,
is daily drawing nearer to the time when he will lie in hell, an
impotent and inert slave of the evil he has chosen as his portion.

Even now, when so much of his ancient might remains, we can see the
signs of his growing weakness.

One illustration of the effect of his fall upon him is found in the
stupidity which marks his {19} work. It is almost incredible that,
after all the long millenniums of his warfare, and especially his
experience since the Incarnation, he should be so incapable of
realizing the inevitable consequence of his warfare against God.

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