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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
doubtful advice about spiritual warfare	Omar	Monday, November 22, 2004
Question: Hello Brother: It's good to hear that you are feeling better. As usual, excellent work with the site. In reading about cases of families under attack by demonic infestations, I often hear of their priest or other paranormal investigators advise the plagued family to "ignore the evil." The priest or other professional advisor claim that to give the evil recognition actually gives it more strength. This sounds somewhat far-fetched, because when I read some of these cases; I wonder, considering the severity of the demonic attacks, how possible it really is to just "ignore" this evil without trying to remedy it through prayer and other means of faith. Thank you as always for taking the time to answer this question. God Bless you and your ministry, and Happy Thanksgiving. Omar
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Omar: It depends on what we are talking about and what is meant by ignoring the evil. One should not argue with demons, ask them questions, or talk to them. In that sense we should ignore demons when they try to engage us verbally. If the context of this advice is to ignore the evil because evil will feed on our response, that is true if we allow ourselves to be baited by the demons into a response -- especially a response of fear or anger. If the context of this advice is to ignore the evil and it will go away for to do anything about it would give power to the demons, then that is NOT true. Demons can feed on fear and anger, but they do not gain power if we pray that God cast them out and do other things to protect ourselves in this spiritual warfare. It is true that to resist the demons can make them mad and they will increase their harassment, but they do that in hopes that one will get scared and stop resisting or give-up. We must persevere until the end and allow the demons to get scared or to give up. There is also a superstition especially common among Catholics that to even mention the name of Satan or to talk about him somehow gives Satan power. OH HOW WRONG THIS IS!!! The opposite is true. If we avoid mentioning Satan and never talk about him it is THEN we give him power -- the power of stealth. Cockroaches scatter when the lights are turned on. Satan and his demons are reduced in power when the lights are turned on. St. Paul tells us to be on guard for the devil's schemes, to resist the devil. This is not possible if we know nothing about him, ignore him, never talk about him. In addition, in the spiritual economy, to say the name of someone gives power over that person. This is one reason why traditional courtesy is not to call a person by their first name unless one is a close friend. In the Garden of Eden God gave Adam dominion over the animals, thus Adam had the authority to name the animals. Abram and Simon, for example, had their names changed to Abraham and Peter. God had the authority over them to do this. Plus the name changes mean something. In formal solemn exorcism the exorcist demands the demon to reveal his name. Once the name is known there is power over the demon. (We are not to ask the names of demons, by the way, outside of a Church-approved exorcism). The point is that mentioning the name of Satan in the context of revealing that he is an enemy of God and of man does NOT give Satan power, it takes it away. Satan would prefer to remain anonymous and low-key -- it is better to seduce people. We NEED to talk about Satan and his schemes to prepare ourselves to resist him. Do not be afraid to talk appropriately about this subject. With all this said, in terms of a haunting in a house, there are times in which I would advise the occupants of the house to ignore the haunting (in terms of responding to it directly). In other words, do not get baited by the demons into a confrontation. Prayer, however, is always appropriate, contacting a deliverance counselor like myself to help cleanse the house is appropriate, but resist getting baited by the demons into a response. This is about as best as I can comment without knowing the context of the "ignore the evil" advice that was given. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

doubtful advice about spiritual warfare

Omar

Monday, November 22, 2004

Question:

Hello Brother:

It's good to hear that you are feeling better. As usual, excellent work with the site.

In reading about cases of families under attack by demonic infestations, I often hear of their priest or other paranormal investigators advise the plagued family to "ignore the evil." The priest or other professional advisor claim that to give the evil recognition actually gives it more strength. This sounds somewhat far-fetched, because when I read some of these cases; I wonder, considering the severity of the demonic attacks, how possible it really is to just "ignore" this evil without trying to remedy it through prayer and other means of faith.

Thank you as always for taking the time to answer this question. God Bless you and your ministry, and Happy Thanksgiving.

Omar

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Omar:

It depends on what we are talking about and what is meant by ignoring the evil.

One should not argue with demons, ask them questions, or talk to them. In that sense we should ignore demons when they try to engage us verbally.

If the context of this advice is to ignore the evil because evil will feed on our response, that is true if we allow ourselves to be baited by the demons into a response -- especially a response of fear or anger.

If the context of this advice is to ignore the evil and it will go away for to do anything about it would give power to the demons, then that is NOT true. Demons can feed on fear and anger, but they do not gain power if we pray that God cast them out and do other things to protect ourselves in this spiritual warfare.

It is true that to resist the demons can make them mad and they will increase their harassment, but they do that in hopes that one will get scared and stop resisting or give-up. We must persevere until the end and allow the demons to get scared or to give up.

There is also a superstition especially common among Catholics that to even mention the name of Satan or to talk about him somehow gives Satan power. OH HOW WRONG THIS IS!!!

The opposite is true. If we avoid mentioning Satan and never talk about him it is THEN we give him power -- the power of stealth. Cockroaches scatter when the lights are turned on. Satan and his demons are reduced in power when the lights are turned on.

St. Paul tells us to be on guard for the devil's schemes, to resist the devil. This is not possible if we know nothing about him, ignore him, never talk about him.

In addition, in the spiritual economy, to say the name of someone gives power over that person. This is one reason why traditional courtesy is not to call a person by their first name unless one is a close friend.

In the Garden of Eden God gave Adam dominion over the animals, thus Adam had the authority to name the animals.

Abram and Simon, for example, had their names changed to Abraham and Peter. God had the authority over them to do this. Plus the name changes mean something.

In formal solemn exorcism the exorcist demands the demon to reveal his name. Once the name is known there is power over the demon. (We are not to ask the names of demons, by the way, outside of a Church-approved exorcism).

The point is that mentioning the name of Satan in the context of revealing that he is an enemy of God and of man does NOT give Satan power, it takes it away. Satan would prefer to remain anonymous and low-key -- it is better to seduce people.

We NEED to talk about Satan and his schemes to prepare ourselves to resist him. Do not be afraid to talk appropriately about this subject.

With all this said, in terms of a haunting in a house, there are times in which I would advise the occupants of the house to ignore the haunting (in terms of responding to it directly). In other words, do not get baited by the demons into a confrontation. Prayer, however, is always appropriate, contacting a deliverance counselor like myself to help cleanse the house is appropriate, but resist getting baited by the demons into a response.

This is about as best as I can comment without knowing the context of the "ignore the evil" advice that was given.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.