In the first rule, we discussed how Satan (the evil spirit) and God (the good spirit) will act to influence a soul who is persisting in sin. Satan will try to keep the soul ensnared in sin by proposing more sinful pleasures and enticements, while God tries to “prick” the soul’s conscience to awaken reason and awareness, helping the soul out of sin.
In the Second Rule, St. Ignatius instructs us in the opposite case: what happens when a soul is moving away from sin and toward God.
As we start responding to God’s “pricks” of grace and stop allowing unhealthy pleasures to rule over reason, we begin to overcome sinful enticements. In response, the actions of God and Satan seem to switch. As St. Ignatius writes in his Second Rule:
“In the persons who are going on intensely cleansing their sins and rising from good to better in the service of God our Lord, it is the method contrary to that in the first Rule, for then it is the way of the evil spirit to bite, sadden and put obstacles, disquieting with false reasons, that one may not go on; and it is proper to the good to give courage and strength, consolations, tears, inspirations and quiet, easing, and putting away all obstacles, that one may go on in well doing” (source).
St. Ignatius explains that when in relationship with God and working to rid our lives of sin, Satan will try to block our progress with obstacles, pain, and doubts, while God will try to remove obstacles and give us courage, strength, and spiritual consolation to persevere. In short, Satan tries to make bad things feel or seem good, and good things seem or feel bad. Conversely, God seeks to help us recognize the pain of sin and encourage us in the pursuit of divine goodness which will ultimately satisfy our every desire.
Many years ago, I was struggling with shame over a particular sin. I had worked hard to overcome it but had slipped up in a moment of fear. Even though it wasn’t grave matter, I still felt like a total hypocrite heading to my regular Adoration commitment that day. I shuffled into the church and genuflected at the end of the pew, unable to make eye contact with the monstrance on the altar. I slid into the pew, the voice of shame internally condemning me. Who do you think you are, coming to pray like this? You haven’t even been to confession yet but you’re trying to act so holy. What a hypocrite!
In response, I felt the presence of Love so strong that it was unignorable. It was as if Jesus had reached out, placed the tip of his fingers under my chin, and lifted it gently but firmly so I would really look at Him in the monstrance.
As I allowed my gaze to settle on His Eucharistic heart, I sensed what He wanted to say: I could not love you any more or any less than I do in this moment—or any other moment. My love for you is unchanging. I understood deeply that this true, and the only thing that had changed was my ability to receive His love.
Peace flooded through me, and I allowed myself to keep gazing upon the Lord, freely receiving His love despite my faults and imperfections. The next day when I had the opportunity to go to confession, I was compelled to go out of love for God, gratitude for His mercy, and a real desire to repair our relationship—not shame or scrupulous fear of punishment.
In the example above, we can clearly see the dynamics of the Second Rule at work. I had been growing closer to God in relationship and working to purify myself from sin. Yet the moment I wavered, the enemy was ready to pounce with discouragement, doubt, and false reasoning. The Lord, on the other hand, was waiting with His consoling love and grace-filled strength.
Let’s look at these movements more closely. When I became convicted of my sin and was growing in service to God, I (like so many of us) expected myself to become perfect overnight. Yet human imperfection can never live up to our perfectionist expectations. When I fell again, the enemy used this as an opportune moment to attack—to ‘bite, sadden, and disquiet’ me with false reasoning so I could not go on. Satan’s goal was to keep me from honest relational prayer, where I would be flooded with God’s mercy and propelled toward the grace of the Sacraments. Satan tried to use shame as an obstacle so I would stop persisting in prayer, doubt God’s unconditional love, and become discouraged in pursuing holiness.
The evil spirit’s resistance to your growth can happen in several ways in your own life. It may mirror what I experienced with feelings of shame, doubt, or confusion. You also might experience situational or physical obstacles—maybe it’s a disagreement with a loved one, a flat tire on the way to a retreat, or sudden work distraction in prayer.
Once, when I was teaching an RCIA class on the rules of discernment, a member of the class shared that he’d had a sudden flareup of back pain several weeks in a row—but only on the nights that RCIA class was scheduled. This individual realized with sudden clarity that although this pain had a natural cause, Satan was trying to capitalize on it so he would become discouraged, consider skipping the class, and stop progressing toward God. This clarity also allowed his sponsor to also become aware of the resistance and offer encouragement in the future.
As you push against the enemy’s resistance, you might also experience God’s consolation in different forms. In my case of shame over my sin, God used my sense of duty to help me follow through with my Holy Hour. In His presence I became aware of the “false reasoning,” or shame narrative, running through my head. Jesus countered this with His truth and flooded me with spiritual. This consolation then propelled me to the sacramental grace of confession, which gave me even more strength to persevere in prayer—along with a deeper experience of God’s love to help with future shame.
You may experience God’s help as feelings of lightness, peace, or comfort in prayer. He might also help remove those physical obstacles—or if He doesn’t remove them, He will provide specific grace and strength to work through them. God’s consolation might also show up in surprising ways, like the cleansing “tears” that St. Ignatius mentions in this Rule. Tears often flow when you begin to honestly share your pain, weaknesses, and desires with the Lord. The key is that these tears continue to move your soul toward God in hope and repentance, rather than drawing you away from God in discouragement and despair.
God also uses other people to bring us His consolation. Recently I was talking to a woman who was considering returning to Mass. Through our conversation, she felt assured her that she was not alone in the struggles she’d been facing and gave her hope that God was working some good her in her suffering. She said that the conversation felt like a sign to keep giving her suffering to God and trusting Him. This was not a coincidence—it was God’s love meeting her in the most tender, personal way.
You may have a friend or mentor who offers a word of encouragement that sticks. Someone might mention a spiritual book or prayer practice you already had in mind, which strengthens your resolve to pursue it. A friend might invite you to a study or retreat that brings about great fruit. Whatever it looks like, God has abundant means to help us with His divine consolation, offer us strength, and sustain us in courage as we move toward Him.
Throughout these examples runs a common thread to help us distinguish between God’s help and the enemy’s temptation. Spiritual consolation moves us toward God and a state of grace, while spiritual desolation drags us away from God’s mercy and a state of grace. As we approach the next two rules, St. Ignatius will give us a detailed look into these definitions of consolation and desolation. In the meantime, as we strive to grow in relationship with God, we can be assured that His merciful love is unconditional and unchanging—and His divine help is always available.
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