To pick up where I left off in the previous post, I’ll start by explaining what demonic oppression is. First, we need to recognize that the Blessed Mother is the devil’s greatest adversary. St. Louis De Montfort writes extensively about this in True Devotion to Mary, and the battle between Our Lady’s children and the children of the devil is a never-ending display on earth and beyond of the dark side fighting against the light. The devil harasses those who are closest to Our Lady because they give him more trouble than do those who are not particularly devoted to her. He and his minions continually set traps and place obstacles in the path of Mary’s children, trying their best to distract and disrupt them and disassemble their good works. You can read about it here, and there will be future posts that cover this topic.
You may remember the former Chief Exorcist of the Vatican, Father Gabriele Amorth, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 91. He was the leading source for anything related to demonic affliction of all forms, and throughout his years as a priest he performed tens of thousands of exorcisms. According to Father Amorth, there are a few different types of demonic affliction that the devil uses to attack mankind. The type that is most familiar to people, Christians and non-Christians alike, is demonic possession, and that is what many of us associate with the practice of exorcism. There is also something called demonic oppression, sometimes referred to as diabolic oppression, which is different than possession because it involves symptoms that vary from serious to mild illness, but it is considered less severe and perhaps less dangerous than possession.
When a person is suffering from demonic oppression, he/she does not lose consciousness, and there is no involuntary word or action; there is no possession at all. While possessions are relatively rare today, still a great number of people are struck by the devil in their jobs, health, or relationships. According to Father Amorth, exorcists find it no easier to diagnose and heal an oppression-related affliction than to diagnose and heal a person who is fully possessed. Though the degree of intensity may be different, the difficulty of the diagnosis and the amount of time it takes throughout the healing process are exactly the same.
Demonic Oppression in the Bible and Beyond
According to Father Amorth, the Bible is full of many examples of demonic oppression, and one of them is in the Book of Job. Job was not possessed, but he lost his children, his health, and his goods. Another example is the bent woman and the deaf and dumb man whom Jesus cured. They were not totally possessed, but they each had a demonic presence around them which caused physical discomfort. St. Paul, though not possessed by a demon, had a demonic oppression which caused an evil affliction. In 2 Corinthians 12:7 it is written: “And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated.”
Until February 2009, which is when I started experiencing strange paranormal occurrences in and around my home, I hadn’t realized that the Bible held such obvious answers to a puzzle that had plagued me for years. I wish I had known earlier on in my life to research the matter and seek the answers instead of just assuming that it was a normal part of life. It took hardships, depression, anxiety and what I once thought was plain old bad luck in order for me to finally see the clear picture of what was really going on. Can I prove that I was under some sort of demonic oppression? Of course not. But a priest whom I met with at that time did believe that I was, and I can say with certainty that as a child and into my teen and then adult years, there was always a sort of malaise that hung over me. I don’t want to go into too much detail about that now, but what I will say is that it was the Blessed Mother’s intercession that caused the malaise to lift and eventually disappear for good.
We always need to remember that our life on earth is a spiritual struggle. We know how the war is eventually won, but in the meantime there will be many challenges and many battles that will test our endurance and at times upset our balance. It’s so important, especially in these spiritually turbulent times, to stay very close to our Blessed Mother. Centuries ago, St. Louis De Montfort saw what was coming in the future, and he devoted his entire life to leading souls to Mary and sharing his prophetic perspective with the world in order to move people onto the right path and reveal to them the treasures of having the Blessed Mother as their advocate and Mediatrix. Mary has requested that we pray her prayer of predilection every day, which is the Rosary. We should keep in mind that when we are praying the Rosary, we are praying the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How could we possibly fail in the eyes of God if we are doing as Our Lady pleases—diligently praying the Word of God every day and doing our best to live in a state of grace!
Demonic oppression will happen to many of us at various times in our lives, but it needn’t control us. If we regularly receive the sacraments, avoid occasions of sin, and stay far away from anything even remotely connected to the occult, we have nothing to fear. The devil attacks through anxiety and fear, but the Blessed Mother is always there to aid us in our struggles and lead us toward salvation. It’s too bad that more priests and church leaders don’t speak about the topic of spiritual warfare and demonic afflictions. I can say from firsthand experience that the priests who are knowledgeable about that ministry and willing to talk about it, whether in their Sunday homilies or otherwise, are few and far between. I’ve often wondered if some of these priests assume that the topic of spiritual warfare is too uncomfortable for people, which is why they shy away from discussing it. Hopefully that will change at some point when it becomes obvious that it needs to be addressed. Things are really getting crazy in the world, and from what I’ve observed, demonic oppression seems to be on the rise. Here is an excellent prayer to help combat the forces of evil and usher in a state of peace in your heart, home, and life in general.
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the Heavenly Host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
2 thoughts on “Demonic Oppression”
I must say I am newly being recently receiveing the Catholic religion and this type of study. I have never been so happy to read these types of Bible study before. I am finding myself in a much better state of mind and confident in my heart and soul. I would love to be on your prayer list and devotional plans for my Bible study.
Cheri Fuller Troop
Hi Cheri, and welcome! I’m so happy to hear that you are going to become a Catholic! I will certainly keep you on my prayer list, and if you ever have any questions or would like to offer your insights or share an experience, please feel free to leave a comment or send me a private message. I’m excited for you as you set forth on this incredible journey!