Every time we commit a mortal sin, we merit damnation, but God offers mercy first. Every time we commit a mortal sin, the door is open to the demons possessing us, but God blocks them in most cases.

The spiritual advice that Fr. Ripperger gives is to not spend so much time thinking about and analyzing yourself and your sin but, instead, to think about God as much as possible. As the exorcist Msgr. John Esseff states, “Sin is far worse than Satan.”[54] It is our disconnect from God that leads us to rely on ourselves, which necessarily leads to

When the father commits a mortal sin of a certain sort, like pornography, he is now vulnerable to diabolical influence. If a demon comes in at that moment, he can corrupt the whole family, since he entered through the head of the family.[378] The demon can also remain and be passed down through successive generations.

They seek, through every possible means, to divide: through manipulation of how we perceive others, through the lie stating that others may have bad motives toward us, and through temptation to sinful behaviors that result in our isolation from other people. In the end, the demons seek to create wounds.

Curiosity can be a sinful act of the mind, and lead to an opening up to the diabolical when we, by this curiosity, stray from virtue, enter near occasions of sin, or dabble with things that are condemned by God and the Church.

Demons possess people for one reason: to cause suffering.

The reaction of St. Bernadette to the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary will serve us well to remember: she sprinkled holy water at the apparition and commanded it to depart if it was not from God.

We must remember – the demons want us to fall into sin, and to die in a state of sin, and then to be subjected to them in Hell. We must know and accept this and do the work to avoid letting them win.

diabolical infestation. This is the term used to refer to external manifestations of demonic activity in the world. This can involve things like animals, as is depicted in Sacred Scripture in the story of the Legion of demons being sent into the pigs, who then ran madly off the cliff and plunged into the sea.[67]