Slaying Dragons: What Exorcists See & What We Should Know (Slaying Dragons Series Book 1)

As Fr. Ripperger further explains, God receives glory when we enjoy the things He has made. The demons envy what we have and want to steal away all the joys we can find in this world.

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.

Fr. Ripperger describes how rational creatures stand in one of the fivefold relationships with God’s mercy: Angels are not in need of God’s mercy; demons make no claim to God’s mercy, and have cut themselves off from it; the damned in Hell had it at one point but rejected it; saints in Heaven have it completely; and men on earth are at least partia

the devil’s power is not a natural power, but one that comes from guilt. St. Thomas says, “He is not the ruler of creatures, but of sinners and darkness.”[65]

every demon has a nemesis: to Lucifer, it is Christ; to Satan, it is the Father; to Beelzebub, it is the Immaculate Heart. Another example is Saint Catherine of Sienna. She is the nemesis to the “noonday devil,” who admitted this during an exorcism owing to the fact that she conquered him in her earthly life.[211]

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.

“Even if we do mean no harm, the Evil One means a great deal, and he will use those idle words as a sharp weapon against some neighbour’s heart.”[112]

Demons also tend to cling to families and move through the family line. This is called a generational spirit.

The best way to combat diabolical obsession is humility and mental prayer. Humility is the most powerful thing to protect yourself.