Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that we were not delivered from the power of the devil through Christ's Passion. For he has no power over others, who can do nothing to them without the sanction of another. But without the Divine permission the devil could never do hurt to any man, as is evident in the instance of Job (1,2), where, by power received from God, the devil first injured him in his possessions, and afterwards in his body. In like manner it is stated (Mt. 8:31,32) that the devils could not enter into the swine except with Christ's leave. Therefore the devil never had power over men: and hence we are not delivered from his power through Christ's Passion.

Objection 2: Further, the devil exercises his power over men by tempting them and molesting their bodies. But even after the Passion he continues to do the same to men. Therefore we are not delivered from his power through Christ's Passion.

Objection 3: Further, the might of Christ's Passion endures for ever, as, according to Heb. 10:14: "By one oblation He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." But deliverance rom the devil's power is not found everywhere, since there are still idolaters in many regions of the world; nor will it endure for ever, because in the time of Antichrist he will be especially active in using his power to the hurt of men; because it is said of him (2 Thess. 2:9): "Whose coming is according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and in all seduction of iniquity." Consequently it seems that Christ's Passion is not the cause of the human race being delivered from the power of the devil.

On the contrary, our Lord said (Jn. 12:31), when His Passion was drawing nigh: "Now shall the prince of this world be cast out; and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to Myself." Now He was lifted up from the earth by His Passion on the cross. Therefore by His Passion the devil was deprived of his power over man.

I answer that, There are three things to be considered regarding the power which the devil exercised over men previous to Christ's Passion. The first is on man's own part, who by his sin deserved to be delivered over to the devil's power, and was overcome by his tempting. Another point is on God's part, whom man had offended by sinning, and who with justice left man under the devil's power. The third is on the devil's part, who out of his most wicked will hindered man from securing his salvation.

As to the first point, by Christ's Passion man was delivered from the devil's power, in so far as the Passion is the cause of the forgiveness of sins, as stated above (Article 1). As to the second, it must be said that Christ's Passion freed us from the devil's power, inasmuch as it reconciled us with God, as shall be shown later (Article 4). But as to the third, Christ's Passion delivered us from the devil, inasmuch as in Christ's Passion he exceeded the limit of power assigned him by God, by conspiring to bring about Christ's death, Who, being sinless, did not deserve to die. Hence Augustine says (De Trin. xiii, cap. xiv): "The devil was vanquished by Christ's justice: because, while discovering in Him nothing deserving of death, nevertheless he slew Him. And it is certainly just that the debtors whom he held captive should be set at liberty since they believed in Him whom the devil slew, though He was no debtor."

Reply to Objection 1: The devil is said to have had such power over men not as though he were able to injure them without God's sanction, but because he was justly permitted to injure men whom by tempting he had induced to give consent.

Reply to Objection 2: God so permitting it, the devil can still tempt men's souls and harass their bodies: yet there is a remedy provided for man through Christ's Passion, whereby he can safeguard himself against the enemy's assaults, so as not to be dragged down into the destruction of everlasting death. And all who resisted the devil previous to the Passion were enabled to do so through faith in the Passion, although it was not yet accomplished. Yet in one respect no one was able to escape the devil's hands, i.e. so as not to descend into hell. But after Christ's Passion, men can defend themselves from this by its power.

Reply to Objection 3: God permits the devil to deceive men by certain persons, and in times and places, according to the hidden motive of His judgments; still, there is always a remedy provided through Christ's Passion, for defending themselves against the wicked snares of the demons, even in Antichrist's time. But if any man neglect to make use of this remedy, it detracts nothing from the efficacy of Christ's Passion.

Articulus 2

Argumentum 1

Ad secundum sic proceditur. Videtur quod per passionem christi non simus liberati a potestate diaboli. Ille enim non habet potestatem super aliquos, in quibus nihil sine permissione alterius facere potest. Sed diabolus nunquam potuit aliquid in nocumentum hominum facere nisi ex permissione divina, sicut patet iob I et II quod, potestate divinitus accepta, eum primo in rebus, et postea in corpore laesit.

Et similiter Matth. VIII dicitur quod Daemones, nisi christo concedente, non potuerunt porcos intrare. Ergo diabolus nunquam habuit in hominibus potestatem. Et ita per passionem christi non sumus a potestate diaboli liberati.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, diabolus potestatem suam in hominibus exercet tentando et corporaliter vexando. Sed hoc adhuc in hominibus operatur, post christi passionem. Ergo non sumus per passionem christi ab eius potestate liberati.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, virtus passionis christi in perpetuum durat, secundum illud Heb. X, una oblatione consummavit sanctificatos in sempiternum.

Sed liberatio a potestate diaboli nec est ubique, quia in multis partibus mundi adhuc sunt idololatrae, nec etiam erit semper, quia tempore Antichristi maxime suam potestatem exercebit in hominum nocumentum, de quo dicitur, II ad Thess. II, quod eius adventus erit secundum operationem Satanae in omni virtute et signis et prodigiis mendacibus, et in omni seductione iniquitatis.

Ergo videtur quod passio christi non sit causa liberationis humani generis a potestate diaboli.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dominus dicit, Ioan. XII, passione imminente, nunc princeps huius mundi eiicietur foras, et ego, si exaltatus fuero a terra, omnia traham ad meipsum.

Est autem exaltatus a terra per crucis passionem.

Ergo per eius passionem diabolus est a potestate hominum eiectus.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod circa potestatem quam diabolus in homines exercebat ante christi passionem, tria sunt consideranda.

Primum quidem est ex parte hominis, qui suo peccato meruit ut in potestatem traderetur diaboli, per cuius tentationem fuerat superatus. Aliud autem est ex parte dei, quem homo peccando offenderat, qui, per suam iustitiam, hominem reliquerat potestati diaboli. Tertium autem est ex parte ipsius diaboli, qui sua nequissima voluntate hominem a consecutione salutis impediebat. Quantum igitur ad primum, homo est a potestate diaboli liberatus per passionem christi, inquantum passio christi est causa remissionis peccatorum, ut dictum est.

Quantum autem ad secundum, dicendum quod passio christi nos a potestate diaboli liberavit, inquantum nos deo reconciliavit, ut infra dicetur.

Quantum vero ad tertium, passio christi nos a diabolo liberavit, inquantum in passione christi excessit modum potestatis sibi traditae a deo, machinando in mortem christi, qui non habebat meritum mortis, cum esset absque peccato.

Unde Augustinus dicit, in XIII de Trin., iustitia christi diabolus victus est, quia, cum in eo nihil morte dignum inveniret, occidit eum tamen; et utique iustum est ut debitores quos tenebat, liberi dimittantur, in eum credentes quem sine ullo debito occidit.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod non dicitur sic diabolus in homines potestatem habuisse quasi posset eis nocere deo non permittente.

Sed quia iuste permittebatur nocere hominibus, quos tentando ad suum consensum perduxerat.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod diabolus etiam nunc quidem potest, deo permittente, homines tentare quantum ad animam, et vexare quantum ad corpus, sed tamen praeparatum est homini remedium ex passione christi, quo se potest tueri contra hostis impugnationes, ne deducatur in interitum mortis aeternae.

Et quicumque ante passionem christi diabolo resistebant, per fidem passionis christi hoc facere poterant, licet, passione christi nondum peracta, quantum ad aliquid nullus potuerit diaboli manus evadere, ut scilicet non descenderet in infernum. A quo, post passionem christi, se possunt homines eius virtute tueri.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod deus permittit diabolo posse decipere homines certis personis, temporibus et locis, secundum occultam rationem iudiciorum suorum. Semper tamen per passionem christi est paratum hominibus remedium se tuendi contra nequitias Daemonum, etiam tempore Antichristi. Sed si aliqui hoc remedio uti negligant, nil deperit efficaciae passionis christi.