SPIRITUAL WARFARE: DISCERNMENT, LIBERATION AND EXORCISM

GEARING UP FOR THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE

(Adapted from Fr. Machado)
1. Remember Who You Are: Your Identity.
Adam and Eve
Gen 1:27 God created man in his image; in the divine image he created
him; male and female he created them.
Gen 3:2-5 The woman answered the serpent: "We may eat of the fruit of the
trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the
garden that God said, 'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'" But
the serpent said to the woman: "You certainly will not die! No, God knows
well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be
like gods who know what is good and what is bad."
What should have been her immediate response to Satan? I know who I am!
Know who the enemy is! Nothing good can come from Satan!
Esau
Gen 25:29-34 Once, when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from
the open, famished.
He said to Jacob, "Let me gulp down some of that red stuff; I'm starving."
(That is why he was called Edom.) But Jacob replied, "First give me your
birthright in exchange for it."
"Look," said Esau, "I'm on the point of dying. What good will any birthright do
me?" But Jacob insisted, "Swear to me first!" So he sold Jacob his birthright
under oath. Jacob then gave him some bread and the lentil stew; and Esau
ate, drank, got up, and went his way. Esau cared little for his birthright.
I used to be catholic; but now I am not into organized religion; I am just
spiritual.
You are Peter, on upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the
netherworld shall not prevail against it! (Mt 16:18). Jesus built a church!
Age of Enlightenment, Modernism, Communism, Post-Modernism and
Atheism have come and gone, the Church is still standing!
Paul
Act 9:3-4 On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky
suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying
to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
2. Remember that We are at War!
John 10:10 A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so
that they might have life and have it more abundantly.
You cannot be neutral!
1 Peter 5:8: Be sober and vigilant! You opponent the devil is prowling
around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
You cannot say: Im a lover not a fighter. I just want to be neutral!
Put on the Armor of God
Eph 6:11 Put on the armor of God so you may be able to stand firm against
the tactics of the devil; for our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but with
the principalities, with the powers, the world rulers of this present darkness,
with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that
you may be able to resist on the evil day and having done everything to hold
your ground.
3. Know the tactics of your enemy.
Two Tactics of Satan
a. He Accuses
Rev 12:10 The accuser of our brother is cast out who accuses our brother
day and night.
He accuses us: You are no good. I know the bad things you have done. You
call yourself a Christian? I know you are a weak person! You cant be
forgiven. Thats the accusation you hear from Satan. If we do not realize the
devil is the one accusing us, we will allow these into our minds.
b. He Lies
Jesus says the truth will set you free! The enemy does not speak the truth to
us!
Jn 8:44 You belong to your father the devil and you willingly carry out your
father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand
in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in
character, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
So guard your mind
2 Cor 10:5 and every pretension raising itself against the knowledge of
God, and take every thought captive in obedience to Christ..
What are your thoughts? Are they true, beautiful and good? Or impure and
unholy? Or have we allowed the lies of the enemies capture our minds?
1 Samuel 17:49 David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone,
hurled it with the sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone
embedded itself in his brow, and he fell prostrate on the ground.
The bible scholars see the imagery here as the thoughts of the accuser

being the target of our will.

Rom 12:2 Be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may
know what is Gods will, what is good, pleasing and perfect.
What thoughts cycle through your mind? Are they true? If not, you have to
renounce them.
4. Keep your peace, in spiritual battle.
Col 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.
When you fall, you get up and you dont lose your peace. If an enemy is
attacking you you dont panic, you keep going.
St. Faustina was often attacked by demons in the form of wolves. She never
lost her peace. She was once told, We are going to tear you apart! She
said, Well, if that is Gods will thats okay. She never lost her peace.
Dont lose your peace in battle. That is what the devil wants to take away
from you, your peace. Even when you fall; get up, repent and keep going.
5. Know your weaknesses.
The first thing Satan looks for is your weakest line of defence. If you want to
attack a city you find the weakest wall. Only a fool does not want to know
what his weaknesses are.
When the demons attack us, he does not come like a scary creature with
horns and tail and fiery red eyes. For most of us, our weakest line of
defence, are our fallen passions.
In the areas of the seven deadly sins: Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Avarice, Sloth,
Pride and Ire/ Anger.
Rom 8:6,13 The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is
life and peace. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the
spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
If we let this interior whiny child control our lives, it will kill us. No discipline
in food, in relationships and in our biological cravings, Satan will ruin us!
So you better know your weaknesses and strengthen them!
6. We need to have a Holy Spirit Inspired Specific Strategy.
When we go into battle, we need to think, plan and organize. We need to
prepare.
We use our head, heart, soul and strength.
Luke 14:28-30 Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit
down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish
the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, 'This one began to
build but did not have the resources to finish.'
We are endowed with intellect to use it to overcome our weaknesses.
Create Commitment devices
10% of my baon to somebody else unknown to me.
One in-One out rule
If you are praying for something you have not have, be willing to do
something about it that you have not done before!
How much are you willing to pay for what you truly want?
If youve been gossiping and love coffee, make a commitment device: if ever
I gossip today, even a tiny bit engagement in gossips, no coffee the
following day.
Or no fish sauce or salt in my food; or no sugar, etc.
7. Remember. Do not forget the Lord your God.
Solomon, son of King David, the wisest, most powerful and the richest man
in the world. He forgot or even chose not to remember Yahweh. According to
the Bible, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Solomon permitted
his foreign wives to import their national deities, building temples to
Ashtoreth and Milcom.
1 Kings 11:4 When Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to
strange gods, and his heart was not entirely with the LORD, his God,
as the heart of his father David had been.
Solomon forgot his union with God.
The book of Deuteronomy can be summarized in one word: remember. It
was Yahweh reminding His chosen people His great love of them.
Dt 6:4-9 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words
which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of
them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. Bind them
at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead.
Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.
Because to forget is to die.
Dt 4: 31 For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or
destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.

Christians.
Once legal rights have been given to demons to be active those
rights have to be removed before they can be cast away.
9. The free will choices of parents for their children can give legal
rights for interaction. The good version of this is baptism; the bad
version is when parents consecrate their children to the enemy.
10. The free will choices of ancestors for their family line can give
legal rights for interaction. Legal rights in these cases can be
renounced by the current generation on behalf of the one that
caused the problem in the past.
11. Spiritual problems are corrective experiences allowed by God to
educate and correct us, like correcting a child's understanding so
they don't get hurt again. This is why cases sometimes linger until
the people change their lives and grow closer to God in their
behaviour and hearts.
12. Demons were cast down to earth, not hell, to roam here until the
final judgment (Revelations 12:8). They are allowed to tempt
people as their normal activity, which provides an opportunity for
free will to be exercised.
8.

SOME GENERAL RULES FOR DISCERNMENT

By Fr. Jocis Syquia
Whether possession, oppression, or obsession, there is a greater probability
of the demonic if there is the presence of esoteric, occult, and sinful
activities that occurred right before the onset of the problems. The existence
of the following will point to the probability of extraordinary demonic
harassment:
1. Recently playing, or engaging in occult and esoteric games and
activities such as spirit of the glass, the Ouija board, and the like.
2. Recently practicing magic rites and rituals, (sorcery, spells, hexes, curses,
etc.).
3. Recently going to a cemetery and other so-called haunted locations for
ghost hunting and sances.
4. Having recently visited a dead person or being close by when someone
died and the person concerned has been known to be sensitive ,(psychic),
to the spirit world.
5. Started wearing and carrying talis mans, amulets,( anting-anting), and
other occult objects.
6. Recently having contact with the spirit world such as psychically
communicating with imaginary friends, spirit guides, ascended masters,
familiars, dead ancestors, elementals,( fairies), wandering souls, etc. as
well as recently making deals with them,( in order to find treasure, for
example),or challenging them in any way.
7. Recently visiting and, or or joining satanic, esoteric, or occult, and spiritist
groups.
8. Having had a recent traumatic experience. Deep psychological and
emotional wounds can be openings that evil spirits can latch on to.
9. Having recently committed a gravely sinful action,( ex. abortion),or living a
sinful lifestyle for a long period of time.
10. Having sought healing and other benets from an occult, or esoteric
practitioner recently like a faith healer, or,( albularyo), fortune-teller, witch
doctor, shaman, spiritist, medium, etc.
11. Having recently engaged in a quarrel or misunderstanding with someone
who has access to witchcraft and sorcery.
12. Practicing the science of the mind and other mind-altering techniques
and methods that open the psychic faculty ( 3rd eye).
13. Into heavy metal and death metal music; these are offered to Satan by
the composers and have hypnotic rhythms and subliminal lyrics that have a
very negative effect on the psyche of the person.

Rev 12:7-9 Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled
against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not
prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge
dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who
deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were
thrown down with it.
TEN SUMMARY STATEMENTS
There are some summary statements that should address common
questions and clarify expectations:
I.

There are basically six identifiable types of spiritual cases:

1)

Visitations/ Apparitions: souls in purgatory signalling a need for

prayer; many souls from Purgatory visited St. Padre Pio seeking
his prayers, sacrifices and sufferings to obtain their release
(http://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/2012/04/amazing-storiesfrom-purgatory-and.html)
Hauntings: demons pretending to be human souls,
Infestations: demonic infestations of places,
Oppressions: demonic oppression of people, external
manifestations
Obsessions: demonic obsession of people, external and internal
(psycho-emotional, spiritual)
Possessions: demonic possession of people, partial or full

2)
3)
4)
5)

Also check for any occult, or esoteric involvement and contamination when
the patient was younger in order for them to be renounced and confessed.
Extraordinary demonic attacks are usually the end result of a number of
events that allowed the person to be more and more vulnerable or open to
these demonic attacks as well as invited more and more evil spirits to attach
themselves to the person; when evil spirits latching on have reached a
certain level of number and power, they then are able to attack
extraordinarily and not merely ordinarily,( temptation).
Finally, whether possession, oppression, or obsession, there is a greater
probability of the demonic if the persons family or ancestors had
involvement with the occult such as being occult practitioners.
FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS
(Adam Blai)
Many people have ideas about the spiritual world and demons based on
movies, television, or popular books. Since entertainment is a business
usually more interested in selling sensationalism than sober truth many
common errors are perpetuated. In order to form a correct and effective
perspective one needs to understand:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.

The spiritual world is legalistic.

There are rules that spirits operate under.
The rules were created by God.
God is always present and always in charge of what spirits are
allowed to do. (Demons are not running loose free to do whatever
they want.)
Human spirits in purgatory limit their communication to a need for
help (prayer for them) or some unfinished restitution of a sinful act
they did. There are rare exceptions to this but generally if there is
ongoing dialogue it is not a human spirit.
Demons are limited to whatever legal rights people have given
them by their free will choices.
Since God does not violate people's free will they can choose to
form a relationship with demons, even if they are baptized

6)

Case #1 is considered a supernatural activity as this happens with the

presumed permission of God.
Cases #2-#6 are considered preternatural as they are solely demonic
activities, albeit some are with Gods permission for a purpose, others are
welcomed through human weakness.
II.

There is only the Trinity, human souls, holy angels, fallen

angels, and damned souls. There are no other types of
spirits, but demons will masquerade as whatever type of spirit
will engender sympathy or interaction. (So-called nature
spirits, elementals, gnomes, dwarves, fairies, even vampires
are demonic spirits shape-shifting as such to accommodate
current spiritual socio-cultural beliefs to deceive human
beings)

III.

Supposed human spirits that engage in dialogue beyond

asking for help are demons pretending to be human souls.

IV.

The way to resolve a human spirit haunting is to pray for the

dead. This means asking forgiveness for their sins and
offering up prayers for the remission of their sins. Talking to
the dead doesn't help. It is forbidden in the Bible and by the
Church. It generally leads to problems.

V.

There is no "magic wand" to deal with demonic problems.

People often want a quick fix without doing any work or
changing their lives. This doesn't happen because the legal
rights the demons have usually involve the life and choices of
the person being afflicted.

VI.

Demonic infestations should be addressed by trained clergy

as they often involve house exorcisms.

VII.

The Roman Ritual identifies these signs of possession, which

we tentatively call partial: 1) preternatural knowledge of a
spoken language 2) preternatural knowledge of hidden things
and events 3) preternatural physical strength 4) any one of
these aforementioned traits coupled with strong aversion vs
Divine Personages, Holy Saints or sacred / blessed objects/
sacramentals may give certainty in re demonic possession.

Demonic oppression is the experience of unjust or cruel

exercise of demonic authority or power over a persons
affairs: relationships, finances, businesses, jobs and day-today activities. It is best addressed through correcting the
spiritual life and fully participating in the Sacraments.
Deliverance pray-over sessions by the Lay Liberation Ministry
Team, guided and approved by the parish priest, may be
needed after the spiritual life is corrected.

VIII.

Demonic obsession is oppression taken a notch higher.

Demonic obsession includes compulsions that affect the
imagination and the mind which are blasphemous and
suicidal in nature. Also included here is the compulsive
nature of habitual sin. (Syquia) Aside from the external
demonic influences in the oppression stage, a person under
demonic obsession is also gravely affected mentally. If this
goes untreated, this may lead to possession.
Renouncements are needed to be done by the victim, unlearning un-spiritual habits needs to be done as well, the
learning or re-learning good spiritual life habits and the need
to participate in the Sacraments are the process remedies.
Minor exorcism prayers may be done over the victim only by
a priest.

IX.

Demonic possession is when the demon has gained the right

to take over the mind and free will, but never the soul of the
person. The demon may be in the body but unable to take it
over. In my observation, there seems to be two stages of
demonic possessions.
Stage 1 demonic possession may be called imperfect of
partial possession.

Stage 2 demonic possession on the other hand may be

called perfect of full possession. I am taking on the
observation of Fr Malachi Martin. The victim of perfect
Possession is absolutely controlled by evil and gives no
outward indication, no hint whatsoever, of the demonic
residing within. He or she will not cringe, as others who are
Possessed will, at the sight of such religious symbols as a
crucifix or a Rosary. The perfectly Possessed will not bridle at
the touch of Holy Water, nor hesitate to discuss religious
topics with equanimity. If convicted of crimes against the law,
such a victim will frequently acknowledge "guilt," and even
the moral "badness" of the acts committed. More often than
not, such a person will petition that his physical life be
forfeited; that he be executed for his crimes. Thus, in his own
way, he voices the insistent Satanist preference for death
over life, and the fixated desire to join the Prince in his
kingdom. Because there is no will left to call the victim's own and because some part of the victim's will is necessary for
any hope of successful Exorcism - remedy is unlikely to
succeed even in the event the Possession should somehow
be uncovered and verified as the problem.
X.

Demonic possession is treated with solemn exorcism, which

can only be done by a priest with the permission of their
Bishop.