For decades, we tried canceling the devil, refraining from talking much about him, or bothering much with him at all. Catholics thought they could get by without exorcisms, relegating them to the superstitious past. Demonic attacks seemed to belong in Hollywood films, not in the average parish.
However, that decision backfired, with the need for exorcisms now spiking worldwide. Catholics are rediscovering the nature of spiritual warfare, not only in formal exorcisms but also in the prayers of deliverance recited by laity.
The need for a formal, major exorcism is rare. Everyone, however, needs deliverance and protection from the enemy’s influence. During our observance of St. Michael’s Lent, the 40 days leading up to Michaelmas Day on Sept. 29, Exodus, where I work, offered a series of talks called Spiritual Warfare 101. Every day, we’re immersed in a spiritual battle, mostly unaware of the enemy’s tactics to tempt us. He aims to push all of our buttons — making suggestions, building on our tendencies, and straining relationships. We can and should push back, renouncing any evil influences we have allowed into our lives and commanding evil spirits to depart from us.
The basics of spiritual warfare are actually quite simple: stop committing mortal sin and avoid the occult, both of which open our lives to the influence of the enemy. Instead, go to confession, pray every day, and live a sacramental life. Beyond that, we can offer prayers of deliverance to command demons to depart from us, sending them to Jesus to be judged by him. I have found the book Deliverance Prayers for Use by the Laity (Sensus Traditionis Press, 2016) particularly helpful. I recommend it heartily, but it’s important to spend time learning the different kinds of prayers it offers. For instance, general deliverance prayers ask God “to make powerless, banish, and drive out every diabolical power, presence, and machination” (38). There are more specific binding prayers against particular spirits when they can be identified, such as praying against a spirit of anger or another source of affliction (18). Once spirits have been commanded to depart, it is also important to pray for a perimeter of protection to be established around the house and family, invoking Our Lady, St. Michael, and the other angels and saints (39) and to pray against retaliation (40).
In addition, TAN Books has published a helpful guide that assists in understanding the nature of spiritual warfare and can guide us toward liberation from demonic influence: Dan Schneider’s The Liber Christo Method: A Field Manual for Spiritual Combat (2023). The Liber Christo method came together through the work of Fr. Chad Ripperger and his associates, as they guided those requesting assistance to go through a basic protocol for prayer and getting one’s life in order, offering a more comprehensive approach to seeking spiritual freedom. It begins with renouncing spiritual evil, breaking off the source of demonic influence.
The second chapter then presents the pivotal importance of forgiveness and the need for conversion. Next, it explains how we must be built up with what feeds us: the regular practice of the sacraments, especially confession, and a life of virtue. The fourth chapter moves more directly into spiritual warfare, laying out the rules of engagement, which follow from authority. We have authority in Christ over our own lives and our dependents, but we need to make sure we offer prayers of command only for those over whom we have authority. In its final chapter, the book lays out the enemy’s tactics and how to respond to them in prayer. I found this book to be the best accessible overview of the nature of spiritual warfare and how to enter into it comprehensively.
The devil seeks to keep us in darkness and fear. Understanding spiritual warfare shows us that the Lord is in control and that he is ready to help us. He wants us to be free, and, as his disciples, he has given us the means to fight back against the enemy and even to achieve victory over him. To do so, we must break from anything that leads us into enemy territory and stay rooted in a Christian way of life. The deeper our conversion from sin into a life of grace, the more we will begin to understand our weaknesses and how the enemy exploits them. This will enable us to strengthen our defenses and push back in prayer when we recognize an attack coming.
Catholics have been waking up to the reality of the spiritual war raging around us. We have tools at hand to train us for battle so that we can enter the fight with a greater understanding of the enemy’s tactics and how to fight back in prayer, relying on the victory of the true king who conquered all evil through his death and resurrection.
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Exorcists are picking up chatter that Archangel Michael is on his way to earth and Satan is getting nervous.
“A famous American exorcist said Satan told him during an exorcism session that God “is about to take my power away.””
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/exorcist-says-satans-time-is-running-short/
Dear Dr. R. Jared Staudt, thank you for your article alerting our Catholic brothers & sisters to the challenging spiritual realities of life in this world.
Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10 to 20 provide a definitive Apostolic depiction of the seriousness of the spiritual war we are combatants in, whether we realize it or not.
In many parishes in Australia, we see the phenomenon of spiritual OPPRESSION – that is not to the extent of demonic possession but as shown by a quenching of passion for our LORD Jesus Christ that inhibits praise & worship and undermines the evangelic desire to bring others to faith in Him.
Our hard-working priests deserve more lively congregations who have found their freedom in Christ and are full of The Holy Spirit of the Father.
Ever in the grace & mercy of King Jesus Christ; love & blessings from marty
Dear Dr Staudt: “Catholics are rediscovering the nature of spiritual warfare.”
But that may be localized, since in Brisbane Australia at least, a high percentage of Catholic men & women clergy & lay are committing themselves under Freemason & Witchcraft & other Occult & Syncretistic vows & oaths. Here, one would consider the positive Catholic Christian spiritual warfare you describe to be a vanishing talent.
Many who’ve bowed their knee to evil, still operate as clergy (even as hierarchs), or regular lay. They DO engage in spiritual warfare, but it’s against those clergy & lay who remain faithful to Christ alone. This sort of negative spiritual warfare within The Church aims to cause our good priests to fail doctrinally, morally, & administratively; and to be broken-in as children of this world.
Catholics here desperately need further information and regular instruction. For example, there seem to be only 3 apposite observations in The Catechism:
The whole life of humans, individually & socially, is a dramatic struggle between good & evil, between light & darkness . . [1707]
There’s no single aspect of the Christian message that’s not in part an answer to the question of evil. [309]
We only approach the question of the origin of evil by fixing the eyes of our faith on Jesus Christ, who alone is The Conqueror of evil. [385]
Our identity as a Catholic is of a person who has been Baptized into the death of Christ, reborn in the power of Christ’s Resurrection by God’s Holy Spirit, shriven of sin by Christ’s Precious Blood shed on the Cross of Calvary, exclusively taught by Christ’s Word in The New Testament, and nourished in Holy Mass by Christ’s Flesh (“Real Food”) and by Christ’s Blood (“Real Drink”).
An unshakeable faith & lively Catholic proclamation & practice of who we truly ARE, as incorporated in Christ, is sovereign protection against all evil.
Let’s rejoice! We are part of the greatest saga imaginable! Following the Greatest Champion! As brilliantly taught by St Peter in 1 Peter 1:3-9.
This universe, the world, & the whole human story are moving slowly & painfully but inexorably to subjection under Christ of all sovereigns, authorities, & powers – i.e. neutralization of all the enemies of God. The last enemy Christ will destroy will be death (that is evil, the devil, lies, destruction & dissolution) – see 1 Cor 15:26.
Being IN Christ we have eternal life. Without Him ultimate futility & destruction.
That’s why evil aims to diminish, undermine, conflate, and pollute a Catholic’s faith in the supremacy & sufficiency of Jesus Christ. All demonic oppression & even possession begins with a lack of resistance to the erosion of complete trust in & reliance upon & loving obedience to our all-sufficient KING, Jesus Christ.
We need more clergy & lay to insist on & courageously teach this & with the power of The Holy Spirit, assert it over the captives & set our people free to sing the praises of God in Christ. Yet, there are blockages; can anyone suggest:
How we could cope with e.g. an archbishop who doesn’t believe in Christ’s miracles & Resurrection & who sports a Freemason pectoral cross, etc.?
Thanks again to Dr. R. Jared Staudt and CWR. Hoping we see an enduring & detailed conversation on this foundational matter. That would immensely benefit the whole Church.
Ever aspiring to hear & follow King Jesus Christ; love & blessings from marty
The word “mason” appears in the chapters, lessons, appendices, and bibliography of “The Liber Christo Method” a total of 42 times.
Thanks, dear Charles E. Flynn – though your comment is a bit cryptic.
This may clarify:
Directed by Pope Francis, the traditional condemnation of Catholic membership in Freemasonry was confirmed in a note dated 13th November 2023, issued in Rome on 16th by the DDF. The note is directed to those who have: ‘formally & knowingly enrolled in a Masonic Lodge.’
Church doctrine instructs us all that Catholic faith & Freemasonry are two separate and incompatible belief systems. Catholics who become Freemasons are in grave sin and are banned from receiving Holy Communion until they repent, exit Freemasonry, and return to sole membership of The Church.
Pantheism, rationalism, & the naturalistic worldview of Freemasonry are listed as antithetical to Catholic faith. The secrecy that all Masons bind themselves with is seen as cover for potential political & spiritual subversion.
Persistence in Freemason affiliation causes automatic excommunication and alienation from most of the benefits of The Church, including from a Catholic burial.
Rome further instructs that this ban is absolute and cannot be lifted by local church authorities.
Hoping this is information is relevant to your point, dear Charles.
Ever aspiring to follow King Jesus Christ; love & blessings from marty
Dr. Rice,
You are welcome, and thanks for the additional details.
The bibliography for “The Liber Christo Method” has references to these documents:
“Clement XII, Pope. In Eminenti: Papal Bull Dealing with the Condemnation of Freemasonry https://www.papalencyclicals.net/clem12/c12inemengl.htm. Accessed 9 June 2022.
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Declaration on Masonic Associations (November 26, 1983). https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19831126_declaration-masonic_en.html. Accessed 21 February 2021.”
I regret that I do not recall which book on the topic of spiritual warfare recommend the burning of any Masonic paraphernalia people might find in their homes.
Responding to Charles E. Flyn of 4th December 2023.
Many thanks for the relevant doctrinal declarations, dear Charles.
Regarding your comment about Catholics exiting Masonic associations needing to destroy everything that has linked them with the Freemason spirit:
If a Catholic voluntarily submits to initiation into Freemasonry and vows allegiance to they know not what, they have allied with the spirit of death, as is amply apparent even in the earliest Blue Lodge rituals imposed on Apprentice First Degree candidates. Right from the start, they bow their knee to powers that are not of Jesus Christ. They renounce their Catholic baptism & The Church by proclaiming: “I am in darkness, and I seek the true light that only comes from Freemasonry”. To exit the lodge, they must repent of that lie and then, calling on the mercy of King Jesus Christ, renounce the hoodwink, the rope around their neck, the serpent clasp, the secret word ‘Boaz’, the sharp implement pointed at their naked breast, the signature they made in their own blood, all the symbols & signs of Freemasonry, and the rituals they engaged in. They need to pray a covering of Christ’s Precious Blood before incinerating all of their Freemason apparel, rings, instruments, books, & literature.
Catholics repenting for involvement in Freemasonry need to strongly affirm that God is more powerful than all that they have engaged with and all that has been imposed on them in the lodge. They need to know and to proclaim that God is Supreme Love, and that God in Jesus Christ is well able to cleanse them of their fraternizing with the spirit of death, rejoicing that He wills to present them as spotless before His Presence, as in Jude 24:
“To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His Glorious Presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our LORD, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen!”
For longtime Freemasons & those who descended to the worst degrees, restoration of membership in Christ will be a long journey requiring much prayer and help from strong, informed. and Holy Spirit-filled Catholic clergy and laity. They can take heart from the many who have already abjured the heresies & curses of the Freemason spirit, and who have been joyfully restored to the fullness of LIFE, as members of Jesus’ sheep fold.
The LORD Jesus’ own words: “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin!” (John 8:11) are a great encouragement to all.
Hoping this is relevant to your needs, Charles.
Ever in the love of Jesus Christ; blessings from marty
The Acts of The Apostles 9:19 – “Some believers, too, came forward to admit how they had used spells and a number of them who had practiced magic collected their books and made a bonfire of them in public. The value of these was calculated to be 50,000 silver pieces.”
I fear to engage for fear of being overwhelmed. I appreciate the suggested reading and would like to see something on the responsibilities of spiritual directors and the selection of the same.
Spiritual warfare like our baptismal promises, renewed yearly on Easter: “to renounce Satan, and all his works, and all his empty show, so as to live in the freedom as the children of God, to renounce the lure of evil, so that sin may have no mastery over you”
The devil never sleeps, he is a fallen angel, he gets into our thoughts and emotions. He wants us to be afraid of him. BUT we are redeemed and we can wash in the precious Blood of Christ Jesus. The devil has no power over us if we TRUST IN JESUS. He abides in us and we abide in Him. It is good to have exorcists for souls that are possessed by the evil one. My experience in the dark night of the soul taught me Satan and the evil spirits should be ignored. To attend mass daily, say our prayers and the rosary and devotionals, go to confession regularly and love and thank the Lord Jesus in whom we trust. He is our rescue and he will defend us. Ignore the devil. Adore your Lord and God Jesus Christ Adonai. (that is the only thing the devil fears)
Dear Edith Wohldmann, that is sound advice to individual Catholics who are set on hearing and lovingly following our LORD Jesus Christ. Resonating well with:
“Submit yourself, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
“Be self-controlled & alert. Your enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him . . .” 1 Peter 5:8-9
In addition, however, such Catholics as are enjoying freedom in Christ have a responsibility to the many other Catholics who are held in thrall by the enemy. The vast majority of those are not possessed; that is, they still exercise their freedom of choice & function well in normal life, even as exemplary church attenders.
However, they are oppressed: robbed of closeness to Jesus, the full experience of being cleansed by His Precious Blood, & of the daily experience of the gifts & fruit of The Holy Spirit anointing. They find it difficult to joyfully pray spontaneously & meaningfully; they find it almost impossible to sing out glad praise & worship of our Savior, who is our everything. Something is blocking them!
In that moribund state the idea of dancing with joy before The LORD is anathema to them!
If we are indeed free in Christ we have a duty, like the 72 disciples mentioned in Luke 10, who Jesus instructed: “Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot [spiritual] serpents & scorpions & the whole strength of the enemy; nothing [of all that evil] shall ever hurt you.”
As well as prayer & anointing for the sick, it should be routine among us to request & receive prayer for freedom from whatever is blocking us off from the fullness of Christ; and, prayer for more of The Holy Spirit. Jesus has instructed us: “. . how much more will The Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13b
There’s so much more that could be discussed about regaining the freedom and joy in Christ that He has won for us & that’s proper to a flourishing Catholic life.
Ever looking toward King Jesus Christ; love & blessings from marty
CORRECTION:
* The Acts of The Apostles 19:19 * (not 9:19).
There’re many New Testament scriptures relevant to this article & comments. A pericope that’s rare in sermons [but should be common) is 1 John 3:8b –
“The Som of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil.”
As we celebrate Christ’s birth this Christmas let’s recall how this gentle Child comes with a comprehensive cosmic mission – to destroy the works of the devil, Satan, Lucifer, the ancient serpent, the red dragon, father of lies & evil, robber, murderer, destroyer. See the Catechism of the Catholic Church # 392 & # 394.
When someone bows their knee to the devil and/or his works, they state they are opposed to the Incarnation of Blessed Mary’s Son, The Son of God, Christ, The Messiah. Knowingly or in ignorance those who dally with the devil in freemasonry, witchcraft, spiritism, & occult are inherently opposed to the birth of Christ.
A wake-up call for them to repent, renounce evil & serve God in Christ alone.
Happy Christmas everyone; love & blessings from marty