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, moving into Rule 6 – how to fight back in spiritual desolation instead of being crushed by it.
They unpack the difference between ordinary psychological struggles and true spiritual desolation, and why a purely natural, “it is all in your head” approach has done massive damage in the Church. While affirming sound, Catholic minded psychology, they expose how bad psychology and a loss of a supernatural worldview have helped decimate vocations, misdiagnose souls, and leave Catholics vulnerable to the enemy.
From the rise of occult tables in mainstream bookstores to movies that normalize pacts with the devil, Dan and Jordan show how the culture is becoming more openly demonic while many Catholics are being told to ignore the enemy entirely. Against that backdrop, Rule 6 becomes a critical tool:
They unpack the difference between ordinary psychological struggles and true spiritual desolation, and why a purely natural, “it is all in your head” approach has done massive damage in the Church. While affirming sound, Catholic minded psychology, they expose how bad psychology and a loss of a supernatural worldview have helped decimate vocations, misdiagnose souls, and leave Catholics vulnerable to the enemy.
From the rise of occult tables in mainstream bookstores to movies that normalize pacts with the devil, Dan and Jordan show how the culture is becoming more openly demonic while many Catholics are being told to ignore the enemy entirely. Against that backdrop, Rule 6 becomes a critical tool:
- Not changing your good resolutions in desolation (Rule 5)
- Intensely resisting desolation with more prayer, meditation, examination, and penance
- Understanding how desolation often comes before sin
- Why God permits desolation as “spiritual exercise” so your will and love grow stronger
They also speak honestly about modern diagnoses like ADHD, the overreach of some psychological theories, and how to integrate therapy, grace, and spiritual warfare in a way that respects Catholic anthropology and actually leads to freedom.
In this episode you will learn:
In this episode you will learn:
- What Rule 6 of St Ignatius actually says and how to live it
- How to tell when you should “double down” instead of backing off
- Why lukewarm Catholics are in serious danger
- How discernment of spirits can help you stop habitual sin at the “desolation” stage
