Jamin Bradley

Having spent time in God’s council and presence, Satan acquired considerable wisdom. Indeed, it was one of several good qualities that God celebrated about him. Unfortunately, pride went to Satan’s head, which corrupted his wisdom, leading to his fall from Heaven and his empowerment over the humans he ensnared.

It can feel a bit intimidating at first to recognize that Satan is wise and crafty. How might a human who has been alive for a few short years contend with an ancient liar who knows all the well-tested tricks necessary to convince humans to follow him? We don’t need to look any further than our own souls to recognize that we have all fallen prey to his traps and sinned.

But all hope is not lost, for God’s wisdom is higher, as he is the source of true wisdom. On top of that, Satan has a very specific blind spot that God knows how to navigate: Because Satan’s wisdom is funneled through pride, strength, and power, God can use the humble, weak, and powerless to bring about his plans. And so, God invites his followers to become fools in the eyes of the world so that they might become truly wise.

Indeed, Jesus illustrates exactly this through the cross. Satan never expected God to overthrow him through crucifixion, and so God used this blind spot as a bait-and-switch: “Complete your prideful quest for power and overthrow me by violently murdering me on a cross.” Satan couldn’t resist. And by doing so, he broke one of the rules of the cosmos. Because a sinless human is not worthy of death, Satan must forfeit the power of death for killing him.

In the “fundamentally religious and Catholic work,” The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien imagined an ancient plan of Satan’s being foiled in a manner similar to this. Because Sauron’s quest was always for pride and power, Gandalf saw his blind spot:

Well, let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy! For he is very wise, and weighs all things to a nicety in the scales of his malice. But the only measure that he knows is desire, desire for power; and so he judges all hearts. Into his heart the thought will not enter that any will refuse it, that having the Ring we may seek to destroy it.

And so their plan of foolishness was put into effect. Instead of trying to use the ring of power for good, they would destroy it—the most foolish plan imaginable. They would walk straight into the place their enemy dwelt—the most foolish place imaginable. And they would send the small hobbits of the Shire to do their bidding—the most foolish choice imaginable. As Elrond summarized,

This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they arise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the Great. Who of all the Wise could have foreseen it? Or, if they are wise, why should they expect to know it, until the hour has struck?

Whose wisdom are we practicing? Does it echo the Sermon on the Mount? Does it employ the tactics of crucifixion? Or is there nothing especially different or “Christian” about our wisdom? May we let the Spirit search our hearts to find the answer.