Discernment of Spirits for Beginners: : Learning to Hear God and Defeat the Lies of the Enemy

Ignorance does not protect against evil. Maintaining a basic understanding of the spiritual life can, and it will help you attain greater overall well-being. In this practical battle plan for spiritual awareness and strength, experts Dan Burke and Mary Ruth Hackett guide you in recognizing, understanding, and responding to the spiritual forces working for and against you. 

You are engaged in a spiritual struggle whether you recognize it or not. The enemy seeks to distract, disorient, and isolate you. But have no fear: St. Ignatius of Loyola—the great soldier saint—is there at your side. Through his 14 Rules of Discernment, you will discover how to be ever on guard against spiritual attacks. He will assist you in understanding the role that your emotions play in the spiritual life so that you may put on the armor of God and not be undermined by them. He will also enlighten you on the concepts of spiritual consolation and desolation and sharpen your skills of discernment to better navigate life’s choppy waters. 

These empowering pages will help you revive your soul, flex your spiritual muscles, and stay on course to Heaven. As you become increasingly alert to the spiritual world, you will find:

• The keys to staying “awake” and on the right path
• How to recognize a spiritual attack when it happens
• Tools to respond confidently and effectively to spiritual attack
• How to respond to negative self-talk with the grace and power of God
• Ways to steer clear from things and behaviors that invite trouble
• Strategies for overcoming evil around you through the Precious Blood of Christ

Burke and Hackett present scenarios to help you see how evil spirits try to confuse, tempt, and discourage souls to give up. They also offer short, simple prayers of renunciation to help you to reject the enemy’s lies. 

Spiritual discernment is not just for the saints—it is foundational for all of us to see clearly, embrace the truth, and, by God’s grace, be victorious.

Dan Burke is the founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation (Avila-Institute.org), which offers formation in three seminaries, along with graduate and personal enrichment studies in spiritual theology to priests, deacons, religious, and laity in more than ninety countries and prepares men for seminary in more than a hundred dioceses. He also founded SpiritualDirection.com, the largest website (in English) in the world dedicated to re-proposing Catholic mystical tradition. He is a bestselling author and editor of numerous books on authentic Catholic spirituality and with his wife, Stephanie, hosts the Divine Intimacy podcast, which broadcasts weekly on EWTN Radio. In his deep commitment to the advancement of faithful Catholic spirituality, he is also the founder of Apostoli Viae (ApostoliViae.org), an over four-thousand-member worldwide private association of the faithful dedicated to living, lighting and leading the way to contemplation in the heart of the Church. Most importantly, Dan is a blessed husband, father of four, and grandfather of one—and is grateful to be Catholic.

Mary Ruth Hackett holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, with an emphasis in parenting and identity development. Her passion for helping others make informed and intentional choices in daily Catholic life led to the development of her podcast Parenting Smarts and an unexpected career in writing and speaking about the practical applications of developmental psychology. A regular contributor to Spiritualdirection.com, Blessed is She, and The Catholic Sun, Mary Ruth writes and teaches at the important intersection of faith and science, blending them both in the original harmony God intended. Born and raised in Arizona, Mary Ruth resides in the Phoenix area with her husband and four children — all of whom provide plenty of practical experience to complement the theory and research that informs her work. When she's not writing, speaking, or watching youth sports, you might find her enjoying a cup of coffee and a good book, or mapping out her next travel adventure. Discover more resources and reflections at MaryRuthHackett.com.