Unless I heard it with my own ears, I wouldn’t think it was possible for something as simple as self-discipline to make the devil seek the nearest exit. But it’s true! Here’s why.
During a recent lunch break, I was rooting around YouTube and came across a talk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQOSzZprIO4) by exorcist Fr. Chad Ripperger in January of 2024. In this conference, he spoke about the staggering statistics regarding demonic activity in the U.S. population – a number so high I played it twice to be sure I heard it right. But there was some good news in his talk as well.
For example, he spoke about a phenomenon he observed in his exorcism ministry while working with people who were suffering from various forms of demonic attack such as oppression, obsession, possession. When he put these victims on a 30-day prayer regimen, a whopping 80 percent were able to be “cleared of everything that was less than possession.”
Naturally, he wanted to know why and came to a striking conclusion – it was the discipline required by the regimen that was so powerful against the devil. None of these people had a lot of discipline in their spiritual lives when they came to him for help, but when they were required to wake up at a certain time every morning to pray, when they were assigned prescribed times throughout the day to pray, and given certain devotions to practice daily, etc. they began to have a lot more success when under attack. Apparently, the discipline of the prayer regimen worked, but it wasn’t just because of the fixed schedule, it was because adhering to that fixed schedule required self-denial in order to successfully execute it. This inclusion of self-denial into a daily regimen of prayer is what made all the difference. Why? Because persisting in the regimen, regardless of the sacrifices it required, enabled them to be in better control of their lower faculties, thus building up their spiritual strength.
“That was what was driving the devils out,” Father concluded. “That’s what was making people immune from attack. The more disciplined you are, the less demons are going to want to attack you.”
He used a simple military analogy to explain why this works. An enemy is much more likely to attack a soft target where the soldiers aren’t training daily, are taking off on weekends, and generally not embracing a high standard of readiness. On the other hand, the enemy is far less likely to go up against soldiers who are working out and training daily, sticking to a strict regimen and keeping their weapons honed and ready.
Makes sense to me!
Having been a Carmelite for 24 years now, I am familiar with a similar teaching from St. Teresa of Avila who was a strong proponent of injecting discipline into our spiritual life. She insisted that we set a specific time each day for prayer – at least 30 minutes – and unless the house is on fire, this time belongs to God alone.
I started teaching this in my classes on Carmelite spirituality (www.livecatholic.org) and have often been met with groans and complaints. “But I like to be spontaneous!” many students argued. “Why can’t I just pray when I feel like it?”
The answer is simple. Spontaneous prayer might be fine in the beginning of one’s relationship with God but, just like any other relationship, sooner or later it’s time to get serious. Making a commitment is how we prove our love for someone, show them we care enough to be faithful even when we have to suffer a little to keep that promise.
It’s also a good way to inject some of that demon-defying discipline into your spiritual life.
When considering the best time for your 30 minutes of prayer, be careful to pick a time that won’t interfere with your responsibility to family and job, and when there won’t be too many distractions. Some people (like me) find first thing in the morning to be perfect. Others prefer after dinner or before bed.
Experiment and see what times work for you, then put yourself on this regimen. It won’t always be easy. Sometimes you won’t feel like it, other days you’ll have to fight the temptation to use the time to get the laundry done or send out a few emails. Consider these occasions to be crosses and soldier through them. Not only will you be strengthening your will, but spiritual masters like St. Teresa claim that this practice enables you to pivot from coming to prayer for yourself, to coming to prayer for God – a change in attitude that marks a giant step forward in maturity in the spiritual life.
When you’re ready to take this step, you’ll know your love for God is starting to get real.
