Spiritual Discernment and the Reality of Evil

A Catholic Christian Perspective

I do not write about this lightly.

There was a time in my life when I believed I was helping people spiritually. I was sincere. I loved God in the way I understood Him at the time. I loved people deeply.

It was heartbreaking for me to discover that what I believed was sensitivity and light had opened doors that did not come from God.

This page is not written from theory.
It is written from repentance, study, prayer, and surrender.

And it is written with one purpose: clarity.

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What the Church Teaches About Demons

The Church teaches that demons are fallen angels — spiritual beings created good by God who freely chose to reject Him (Catechism of the Catholic Church 391–395).

They are not equal to God.
They are not all-powerful.
They are creatures — limited and ultimately subject to Christ.

But they are real.

Scripture is clear about their nature.

Jesus calls the devil:

“a liar and the father of lies.”
— John 8:44

And St. Paul warns:

“Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14

This is essential to understand.

Evil does not usually appear frightening at first.
It often appears comforting, persuasive, insightful, or spiritually impressive.

Deception rarely announces itself.

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How Deception Often Begins

In Christian teaching, demonic influence most often works through temptation and suggestion — not spectacle.

The goal is not drama.
The goal is misdirection.

Over the years, I have personally witnessed something that deeply troubled me.

Many within New Age spirituality are taught — directly or subtly — that:

• The Bible has been altered and cannot be trusted.

• Essential truths have been removed or hidden.

• The Church is suppressing secret knowledge.

• True spiritual power lies outside historic Christianity.

• Human beings are divine or “godlike” in themselves.

I have also seen something else: even among Christians, there is often reluctance to acknowledge that the devil is real.

It can feel uncomfortable. Old-fashioned. Embarrassing.

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Yet Scripture speaks plainly about the reality of temptation and deception. Jesus Himself speaks of the devil. The Apostles warn about spiritual warfare. The Church does not treat this as metaphor alone.

When belief in the reality of evil fades, discernment weakens.

When trust in Scripture weakens, authority shifts.

This pattern is not new.

In Genesis 3, the first temptation begins with a question:

“Did God really say…?”

Doubt is planted.
Trust is shaken.
Human autonomy is elevated.

The strategy is simple:

Shift reliance away from God — even slightly.

Over time, that shift becomes spiritual disorder.

If a person begins to believe:

• Scripture is unreliable

• The Church is deceptive

• Hidden truth must be discovered outside Christ

• Personal spiritual experience overrides revealed truth

Then the foundation slowly moves.

This is why humility matters so deeply in Christian life.

Catholic faith teaches that God has revealed Himself through Scripture and preserved truth through the Church. While historical study and scholarship exist, the essential truths of salvation have not been hidden or removed.

Temptation does not usually appear as open rebellion against God.

It appears as:

• “I will decide for myself.”

• “I know better.”

• “I have access to something deeper.”

The enemy seeks independence from God.

Christ invites communion.

One isolates.
The other anchors.

Discernment means asking:

Does this thought increase my trust in Scripture?
Does it draw me toward humility?
Does it deepen my obedience to Christ?

Or does it subtly elevate my own authority?

The Christian life is not built on secret knowledge.

It is built on surrender.

And surrender brings peace.

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Can Evil Imitate What Feels Personal?

The Church teaches that the souls of the departed are in God’s hands. They do not roam the earth delivering messages.

Fallen angels, however, are intelligent spiritual beings. They observe human attachment, grief, fear, and longing.

Because of this, deception can feel deeply personal.

It may imitate familiarity.
It may appear comforting.
It may sound compassionate.

But Catholic faith calls believers to test everything.

Scripture instructs us:

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”
— 1 John 4:1

This is not written to frighten.
It is written to protect.

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Why Discernment Matters

When I began to surrender my life fully to Jesus Christ, I realized something sobering:

Not everything that feels spiritual comes from God.

Not everything that feels warm is holy.

Not everything that feels accurate is divine.

Discernment is not paranoia.
Discernment is obedience.

The Catholic Church provides protection through:

• Sacred Scripture

• The Sacraments

• Confession

• The Eucharist

• Prayer

• Spiritual direction

• The historic teaching of the Church

We are not meant to navigate the unseen realm alone.

We are meant to remain rooted in Christ.

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Where to Turn for Truth

If you want to understand spiritual warfare and temptation more deeply, do not turn to sensational voices.

Turn to Scripture.

Read:

• Genesis 3

• Deuteronomy 18

• The temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4)

• John 8

• Ephesians 6

• 1 John

The Holy Bible speaks clearly about temptation, deception, and the authority of Christ.

The answer to evil is not obsession with evil.
The answer is deeper union with Jesus.

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Christ Is Greater

The Catholic faith does not teach fear of demons.

It teaches confidence in Christ.

When we remain in a state of grace, receive the Sacraments, pray, and submit our will to God, we are protected under His authority.

The goal of evil is to tempt us away from God.

The answer is simple:

Stay close to Him.

If something draws you toward curiosity about hidden knowledge, private revelation, or spiritual power — pause.

Ask:

Does this lead me to humility?
Does this align with Scripture?
Does this deepen my obedience to Christ?

If not, step back.

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A Word From My Journey

There was a time when I walked in spiritual realms I did not fully understand. I believed I was helping. I believed I was walking in light.

It was only through repentance, study, and surrender that I began to see how subtle deception can be.

When I returned fully to Jesus Christ, the journey did not begin with instant comfort.

It was rocky.

There was grief.
There was unlearning.
There were moments of spiritual dryness and rebuilding.

But something else began to happen.

The closer I drew to Jesus, the more peace I felt.
The more I rooted myself in Scripture, the more clarity replaced confusion.
The more I surrendered my need to interpret spiritual experiences, the more light I could see and feel — not emotional intensity, but steady, quiet light.

Life did not suddenly become perfect.

Jesus never promised perfection.

He promised peace.

A peace the world cannot give.
A peace no person, practice, sensation, doctrine, or spiritual experience could ever provide.

Not dramatic.
Not theatrical.
But steady.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.”
— John 14:27

That peace does not come from accessing hidden realms.

It comes from surrender.

It comes from truth.

It comes from Jesus Christ.

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This page is not written to condemn anyone.

It is written because I learned — sometimes painfully — that clarity brings freedom.

And  Jesus Christ is enough.