Do we challenge the devil by faith?

When Adam and Eve deviated from faith and accepted the advice of the devil, the Garden of Eden turned for them into a place of terror, and the two were deprived of the sweetness of fellowship with God! By believing in the Crucified, the gates of Paradise are opened, that we might see heaven welcoming us and anticipating our eternal wedding day! The word of God bears witness to this, as the Apostle Paul says, “Without faith it is impossible to please him” (Heb. 11:6).

St. Cyril of Jerusalem says, “Faith stopped the mouths of lions , as in Daniel’s case: for the Scripture says concerning him, that Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God (Dan. 6:23). Is there anything more fearful than the devil? Yet even against him we have no other shield than faith (1 Pet. 1:9), an impalpable shield against an unseen foe. For he sends forth various arrows, and shoots down in the dark night (Ps. 11:2) those that watch not; but, since the enemy is unseen, we have faith as our strong armour, according to the saying of the Apostle, above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one (Eph. 6:16). A fiery dart of desire of base indulgence is often shot forth from the devil: but faith, suggesting a picture of the judgment, cools down the mind, and quenches the dart.”³⁴