How Do I Persevere When God Feels Distant? | Ignatian Rule 8 Explained

In this episode of The Devil is in the Details, Dan and Jordan continue their series on St Ignatius of Loyola’s Rules for the Discernment of Spirits, arriving at Rule 8 – perseverance in spiritual desolation.

They unpack what it means to “work to be patient” when God feels distant, prayer is dry, and everything in you wants to quit. Rule 8 insists that perseverance is not a personality trait you either have or do not have. It is a virtue that grows through choices made before and during desolation.

Along the way they tackle:

The lie of “I am just this way” – “I am not a morning person,” “I am messy,” “I am an addict” – and how that twists your identity
How EMDR and “negative cognitions” echo the Ignatian call to reject false identities and embrace the truth of being a beloved son or daughter
Why not choosing to fight in desolation is effectively choosing the desolation and the author of it
The line from Scupoli: “We must learn to love the battle more than the victory”
Practical images that anchor hope: “Every storm runs out of rain,” going to the hospital without fear after many surgeries, and seeing “Trust Jesus” painted above a three hour traffic jam

They also revisit earlier rules:

Rule 5 – Do not change your spiritual resolutions in desolation
Rule 6 – Fight back with more prayer, meditation, and penance
Rule 7 – Take thoughts captive and reject lies about your identity

Rule 8 ties these together and says: keep going. Desolation is a trial God permits so you grow in patience, perseverance, and trust, not a sign that God has abandoned you.

In this episode you will learn: