The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.  Romans 16:20

Recently during Spiritual Direction sessions with people, more and more people are opening up about the thoughts they are having in their heads.  This is actually a wonderful thing.  Fear often keeps us from opening up but we cannot get to the root of an issue if we are not transparent about what is happening.  A good spiritual director can help you navigate this.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5

This process of taking captive our thoughts is so vitally important in the battle that is being waged against us by Satan.  This battle is a battle for dominion, authority, and it is waged in our hearts and minds.  Recognition of where thoughts are coming from is the very first step in becoming a warrior.  It requires self examination and humility to recognize where we have sinned.  We must decide whose kingdom we are serving.

I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. Psalm 32:5

As a person progresses along this path and begins to purge sin from their life, by examining, confessing and embracing the Eucharistic way of living, the devil gets more and more bold, his attacks become more frantic.  Sometimes they’re even ludicrous.  But to get to this level of recognition, we must know our sins, confess them, and purge them.  As long as we have sin, we have an open door to be attacked.  Because I work in deliverance ministry, I go to confession often to help keep the doors to Satan shut.

I started to notice with both myself and other people that the closer we get to God the more ridiculous the thoughts Satan flung at us became.  We must not feel shame or guilt when the devil starts flinging RIDICULOUS things at our minds.  He wants us to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but I want to eat from the Tree of Life.

Then the LORD God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” Genesis 3:22

These ridiculous thoughts do not belong to us.  I want to mention them because often times we do feel shame and guilt when we have been on a path, purging ourselves, going to confession, and then all of the sudden this vile thought enters.  People have described them as violent, sometimes sexual, and out of know where.   I experienced this kind of vile thought myself on vacation this past summer.

In my case this past summer, there was still something I needed to forgive.  And I found that out by talking to God about it.  That unforgiveness was an open door for the devil to speak into my life, something I hadn’t heard in years.  I examined my conscience, asked the Holy Spirit to convict my heart, and he did.

But there have been a few times, where I have been fresh out of confession, and a vile thought enters.  And I ask the Holy Spirit my sin, and nothing is revealed except how much the devil hates me, he wants me destroyed.  This makes me angry.  This makes me have enmity.  How dare this filthy demon fling this garbage at my mind.  You have no authority over me, Jesus is my Lord!

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18

So what do we do when this happens?  For me, whatever the thought is, I say this –  “I unite the suffering of this temptation to Your Cross Jesus, that you would convert it to grace to rescue 1000 souls who are about to commit this sin the devil is flinging at me, so their souls may be saved.”  And I pray for these souls.  I learned this from my Spiritual Director.

So for example, if it is a vile sexual thought, I offer the suffering for 1000 souls to be saved from the addiction of pornography.  If it is a violent thought, I offer the suffering for 1000 souls to be converted away from violence.  You get the idea.  When I do this, the thoughts immediately cease.  This is because the devil, who is trying to make me despair and feel crazy, does not want my soul and most definitely does not want other souls being saved through cooperation with Christ.  So I say to him, I do not own this thought, it is yours you disgusting wretched entity.  My thoughts belong to Christ.  I walk in the Kingdom of God, it most definitely is at hand.

Satan is relentless at his job.  But do not mistake what is his as something that belongs to you.  Your mind belongs to the Holy Spirit.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 2:12

Satan is cunning and he is looking for the weak link in your fence.  He will come at you from every angle.  The thoughts he flings at me may not necessarily be what he uses against you,  so be awake.

… Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you. Ephesians 5:14

The path to get to this place is not instantaneous.  It is often long and winding, and sometimes we backslide.  But stay in the battle, do not surrender.  God will pour grace over you to lift you up.  Be confident in that.

God wants us to see as he sees.  He wants to show you what is happening behind the veil, so that you can walk in His divine will.  Ultimately it looks like Pentecost.  Miracles happen.  Jesus told us we would do greater things than even he did.

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:12-14

Ask yourself why we are not living this way that was promised?  It is through Christ that we live, unafraid.  This allows the Holy Spirit to pour into us and we become who we were meant to be.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  2 Peter 1:3-4

May the Peace of the Lord Jesus Christ pour over all of you.  Onward Christian soldier.

A powerful daily prayer – The Perimeter Prayer

I adjure all you evil spirits, in the name of the spotless Lamb of God, Jesus of Nazareth to depart from here.  I cast you out, every unclean spirit, every phantom , every encroachment of the devil.  Yield then to God!  You are vanquished in your citadel, all you vile demons.  The Most Sovereign Queen of Heaven, the Glorious and Ever Virgin Mary, through her Immaculate purity drives you out; before her countenance you must flee.  Give way, you evil spirits, to the Queen of Heaven.  She is destined by Almighty God to crush your head with her heel.

Lord Jesus Christ, in thy love and mercy establish a perimeter of protection around (Name) and myself and all of our loved ones, those who pray for us and their loved ones.  May the Holy Angels guard (him/her/us) and all our possessions, establishing a perimeter of protection around (Name) rendering (him/her/us) immune from any kind of demonic influence.  I ask that no demonic bondage, door, portron, demonic entity, portal, astral projection, or disembodied spirit may enter the space of 100 yards in all directions of (him/her/us).  I ask that any demons within this vicinity or any that should try to enter here be rendered deaf, dumb and blind; that Thou would strip them of all weapons, armor, power, illusions, and authority; that Thou would bind, rebuke and disable them from communicating or interacting with each other in any way.  Remove them, sending them directly to the foot of Thy Cross.  Jesus, Son of the Most High, I ask this in Thy Glorious and Most Holy Name.  Amen.