How Demons Operate

How Demons Operate

Know the tactics, so you can recognize them and turn to Christ.

Scripture calls the devil “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). His first tool is not spectacle but suggestion. Fr. Ripperger explains how ordinary temptation works:

“The primary way that they tempt us is by putting stuff in our imaginations. So they’ll put not just the image but they can also put the perspective on the image.”Fr. Chad Ripperger, Shawn Ryan Show #285 at 0:45:38

Msgr. Rossetti describes how this feels from the inside, using the example of a marriage under strain:

“You start thinking things which are actually not true.”Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, Lila Rose Show E243 at 0:20:11

The remedy he gives is very practical: an honest conversation often reveals that the hurtful thought “was just in your head.” (Lila Rose Show E243 at 0:20:30)

Demons are pure spirits. St. Thomas Aquinas, whom Fr. Ripperger follows closely, teaches that their wills are fixed in their choice against God. In an exorcism, he says, the priest presses the truths of the faith on the demon until its will gives way. (Shawn Ryan Show #285 at 1:48:21) Because they cannot repent, the demons’ strategy is to draw us into the same refusal, one small choice at a time.

Fr. Reehil explains that the demons have no dominion over us unless we freely open a door, so they are patient:

“They’re patient legalistic spirits and they just wait and they wait, so they throw out a little mild temptation to open a little bit of crack, and then once they get in there they throw another temptation to open it wider.”Fr. Dan Reehil, Shawn Ryan Show #141 at 2:50:53

Even so, Christ sets the limits. Fr. Ripperger says that in our own lives “Christ is the one who determines what the temptation can be.” (Shawn Ryan Show #285 at 1:30:42) As St. Paul writes, God “will not let you be tempted beyond your strength” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Fear is one of the enemy’s favorite openings, especially fear for the people we love. Msgr. Rossetti names it directly: thoughts are sometimes placed or “ramped up” by the devil, and he mentions “fears about your kids.” (Lila Rose Show E243 at 0:21:20) Fr. Reehil describes a faithful woman who, “rather than her trust in God,” gave in to fear, and he believes that became the door. (Shawn Ryan Show #141 at 1:30:16)

The answer to fear is trust: bringing the fear to God in prayer instead of letting it run our thoughts.

Unhealed wounds, especially unforgiveness, are another door. Fr. Reehil says that where there is never forgiveness or healing, “that’s where they really nestle in.” (Shawn Ryan Show #141 at 1:25:21) Msgr. Rossetti adds that serious sin itself creates an inner wound, and that this can be reversed:

“Now the good news is you can reverse those.”Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, A Reason For Hope Podcast at 0:07:49

Forgiveness, confession and healing prayer close these doors. The next step covers how.

Step 2 of 8

← Previous: Start Here

• Shawn Ryan Show #285, Fr. Chad Ripperger
• Lila Rose Show E243, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti
• Shawn Ryan Show #141, Fr. Dan Reehil
• A Reason For Hope Podcast, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti
• Catechism of the Catholic Church 391 to 395; John 8:44; 1 Corinthians 10:13
• Lila Rose Show E331, Fr. Carlos Martins
• Matt Fradd Ep. 387, Fr. Vincent Lampert
• Fr. Jason Charron, Adam Blai
• St. Michael Center, Conversations with an Exorcist

Quotes come from the interviews’ captions, lightly punctuated, with links to the exact moment so you can hear them in full context. Video descriptions summarize each conversation; they are not quotations.