Know your Enemy: Spiritual Warfare
I received a call to come bless an 88 year old man’s home because strange things were happening at his house. This man kept seeing something black run across the upstairs room.
His own children thought he was crazy at first, but they began to experience this strange phenomenon also. The daughter said she felt something grab her and this is when she knew for sure her dad was not crazy. Whatever it was, it did not seem peaceful, but dark and angry.
I spoke to this man about the reality of evil in the world and how evil wants to stop us from getting closer to God. This man asked me “Why does evil want to hurt us?”
I replied “Evil hates God and evil hates us because God loves us so very much.”
This post is about knowing how to best protect oneself from evil and how we can remain close to God in the midst of evil.
The first lesson in spiritual warfare is that we cannot fight a battle we do not know we are in. God loves you and made you for Heaven. There are evil forces aimed at keeping us from getting to Heaven. They hate God, so they hate all creatures that God has made.
The Good News Jesus Christ came to defeat evil and Jesus won eternal life for us. Jesus has left us ways to protect ourselves and Jesus wants us to trust Him entirely. Since we are still on Earth there is still evil all around us. Our job is to recognize this and trust God.
What can we do? Stay as close to God as possible with faith and trust. Satan and all evil are not equal to God. They are creatures. God is infinitely more powerful than any evil. In your freedom choose to remain close to God.
Here is a list of ways to help protect you from evil:
Keep up your prayer life. Keep communicating with God. Even when life becomes difficult and hard stay close to God through prayer.
The primary weapons against evil is the sacraments that God left the Church. For example, whenever you go to the mass and receive the Eucharist you are making use of the most powerful weapon against evil. The Eucharist is spiritual food that will protect you from evil and it will nourish your relationship with God. Confession is another powerful sacrament that will protect us from evil. I have heard that going to confession is much more powerful than any exorcism. Confession breaks the presence of evil in our lives and it helps us grow in relationship with God.
Sacramentals like Holy Water, blessed objects like rosaries, crosses, statues and scapulars help protect us as well. Keep blessed objects in your home and wear them.
Read Scripture. The bible is God’s word and reading the Bible protects you from evil because you grow closer to God by reading the Bible and when you are closer to God evil has less power over you.
Ask for help from Heaven. The Virgin Mary is feared by demons and all evil. Ask her to help you. Ask the saints in Heaven to protect you as well. Saints like Padre Pio, John Vianney, St. Benedict, St. Michael are especially helpful.
Practice custody of the senses: misuse of the five senses can become a portal for evil.
Avoid complaining and negativity. cultivate gratitude and prayer in all circumstances.
Forgive and accept God’s forgiveness. Forgiveness is never easy especially when people have hurt us. Unforgiveness in our life is a way that evil can get in.. Ask God to help you forgive your enemies.
Satan is like a chained dog. Satan can only bite you if you let him. You have the freedom to choose evil or not. Stay close to God because God loves you and God will protect you if you ask.