Spiritual Combat - A Primer - New Evangelizers

 ^“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty to God unto the pulling down of fortifications, destroying counsels, And every height that exhalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every understanding unto the obedience of Christ”.  2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Fellow Christians, take a look around you. Do you see them? Do you hear them? Do you feel them? The constant whisper in your ear. The tugging on your arm. The slight nudge to your shoulder. Probably not.

There are two fields of war going on for Christians. One is raging all around us. The constant attacks on our faith, our church and believers. Some overt and subversive.

The other is raging within us. Silently and barely imperceptible. It follows us around every hour of every day. Unless we recognize it and know the enemy, we give it free reign to wreak havoc on our souls and our minds. Weak souls and weak minds make for weak Christians.  Weak Christians make for weak societies. Hell is inhabited with civilians living in weak societies. It is this battle field I wish to address.

In an effort to provide you with some tools and weapons to combat this inner war, I have prepared a primer that I believe can give you the upper hand in your daily battles. I will focus on a number of books and several prayers that will provide you with a foundation on understanding this inner war and how to battle the enemy within.

The first book I would like to introduce to you is The Spiritual Combat and a Treatise on the Soul by Dom Lorenzo Scupoli  first published in 1589. Do not let the publication date throw you off. It will hit you like a sledge hammer square to the head. Though short and brief, it hits every aspect of how one should live and practice the spiritual life. A thorough reading of this text will provide you with the basic training a spiritual foot soldier will need.

Since Scupoli’s book was written for an audience that at the time was probably well versed on Christian living, he wrote it with those assumptions in mind.

Given the current culture and the spiritual devastation that surrounds us – that even Dom Lorenzo Scupoli could not have envisioned possible – a second book based on the Scupoli text was published, Spiritual Combat Revisited written by Fr. Jonathan Robinson.  Fr. Robinson builds on the Scupoli edition and brings it to the modern era we are  all familiar with.

Where Scupoli provides the basic structure for internal spiritual combat, Fr. Robinson pours on the subtle nuances of that structure. The two texts taken together provide a formidable arsenal for spiritual combat.

To round out the Scupoli and Fr. Robinson texts, I would like to recommend a third by Paul Thigpen, Manual for Spiritual Warfare.

True to its title, it reads like a manual. It is full of prayers, religious readings, scripture, devotions, litanies and hymns. You can read it straight through or pick and choose what you need. It leaves no stone unturned. It is a small book that packs a solid punch.

The final book I would like to propose is The End of The Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life by Fr. Charles Arminjon. It was written in the late 19th century, it is based on a number of ‘conferences’ conducted by Fr. Arminjon of France. This book had a significant influence on St. Therese of Lisieux, a Doctor of the Church. It is hard hitting and pulls no punches. This book has the potential of changing lives. It has had a significant influence on mine. It treads where many fear to walk. The challenge you will encounter is undeniable. You choose to live a Christ centred life or you don’t and accept the consequences of that decision. I use the word decision because after reading this book – you ‘will know’. You cannot argue that you ‘did not know’ any longer. There is no middle ground.

In addition to these texts I have outlined above, I would also like you to consider two powerful prayers.The first is the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel – the long version. It can be found here.

This prayer should be recited daily. It is a powerful prayer of protection from the attacks of Satan and his fallen angels and demons.

The second prayer I would recommend is St. Patrick’s Breast plate – long version. It can be found here.

This is a prayer that I recite every morning. It truly is a breastplate of armour against any and all attacks of Satan and his fallen angels and demons.

There are numerous other works and aids for Spiritual Combat. I have simply presented a few that I have personally used and that have proven successful in my daily Spiritual battles. I hope they will do the same for you.

God Bless,

Copyright 2016, Luciano Corbo

Luciano Corbo

Luciano Corbo holds a Master of Arts - Integrated Studies from Athabasca University. His major interests are Culture, Work, Organizations and Leadership, within a context of Catholic Social Teaching Principles. He writes from Canada.