Enemies of Salvation Archives

Torment of St. Anthony by Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo (1480-1548). 1515, oil on panel, Timken Museum of Art / Wikimedia Commons

Three Saints Who Battled Satan

Dr. Paul Thigpen

These three saints battled some of the worst spiritual attacks and prevailed through God’s graces. Read this excerpt from Saints Who Battled Satan! St. Benedict

The Torment of Saint Anthony by Michelangelo (1475-1564). 1487, tempera and oil on panel, Kimbell Art Museum / Wikimedia Commons

Does Hell Exist Because God Is Angry?

Rev. Msgr. Charles Pope

Hell Is For Real The drama of judgment, the need for repentance, and the reality of hell is a constant theme of Jesus’s preaching. Many

The Pilgrims of Emmaus on the Road by James Tissot (1836-1902). 1886, watercolor, Brooklyn Museum / Wikimedia Commons

The Easier Road: Why Salvation Brings Joy and Sin Brings Sorrow

Cardinal Armand Jean du Plessis Duke of Richelieu

In this excerpt from A Treatise on Perfection, Cardinal Duke Richelieu refutes the notion that salvation is too difficult to attain and that sin offers

I'm bored with you by Aleksandr Makovsky (1869-1924). 1897, oil on canvas, Odesa Fine Arts Museum / Wikimedia Commons

Overcoming the Devil’s Weapons of Sadness and Boredom

Thomas à Kempis

In this excerpt from Solitude and Silence by Thomas à Kempis, the faithful are warned how the devil exploits sadness and boredom to weaken the

Inspiration by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905). 1898, oil on canvas / Wikimedia Commons

Interior Mortification: Restraining Self-Love

St. Alphonsus Liguori

In this excerpt from School of Christian Perfection, St. Alphonsus Liguori explains that the greatest obstacle to holiness is not the world or the devil

Saint Jerome by Caravaggio (1571-1610). 1606, oil on canvas, Galleria Borghese / Wikimedia Commons

Labor of the Mind, Not the Senses

St. Albert the Great

Saint Albert the Great teaches that we must free our soul from earthly distractions to draw near to God in selfless love. By casting aside

The Fall of the Rebel Angels by Luca Giordano (-1705). Oil on canvas, Kunsthistorisches Museum / Wikimedia Commons

Spiritual Warfare Q&A

Dan Schneider, PhD

What can demons do? How do they affect me? How can I defend myself from the weapons of the enemy? Read this excerpt from The

Judas by Edward Okun (1872-1945). 1901, oil on cardboard, National Museum in Warsaw / Wikimedia Commons

Self-Will: The Devil’s Most Powerful Weapon

St. Alphonsus Liguori

In this stirring reflection, St. Alphonsus Liguori reveals self-will as the devil’s most dangerous weapon, especially against souls striving for holiness. Drawing on the wisdom

Interior of a Catholic Church by Bartholomeus van Bassen (1590-1652). 1626, oil on canvas, Mauritshuis / Wikimedia Commons

Irreverence in Church

St. Claude La Colombière

Do you have the proper posture and reverence in Mass? Read this challenging reflection and self examination by St. Claude La Colombiere. The Reverence Due

Gluttony vs. Moderation

Pope Saint Leo IX

Gluttony is an oft-forgotten sin that many souls struggle with. Read this excerpt from Pope Saint Leo IX on the vice of gluttony and the

The Virgin Mary and Spiritual Combat

Dan Schneider, PhD

In spiritual combat, true devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary stands as a powerful means to neutralize the enemy force. Learn from spiritual warfare expert,

The False 10 Commandments of Communism

Fr. Lawrence Carney

Communism is not misunderstood or good in theory. In theory and practice, it is a campaign against God Himself. Discover Marx’s “10 Commandments of Communism”

Adam and Eve, The Fruit, and the Serpent. Stained glass, Basilique Notre-Dame des Enfants / Wikimedia Commons.

Why Are Many on the Road to Destruction?

Rev. Msgr. Charles Pope

Why are so many on the road to destruction and so few on the road to salvation? In this excerpt taken from The Hell There

Death of Saint Joseph by Luca Giordano. 1696, Kunsthistorisches Museum / Wikimedia Commons.

The Happy Death of the Just

Venerable Louis of Granada

For those who pass from this world after living a life of virtue, death is deliverance. God grants those blessed souls a happy death, free

A Church Interior With Women at the Confessional by Ludwig Passini (1832-1903). 1863, watercolor, private collection / Wikimedia Commons.

The Role of Confession in Spiritual Warfare

Fr. Ken Geraci

Frequent and fruitful confession is necessary for the soul’s sanctification and salvation. Discover the unbelievable graces and mercy open to you in the confessional. The

Inferno, Canto XVIII by Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510), 1480s, ink on parchment. Gemäldegalerie / Wikimedia Commons.

Why We Choose Sin and Damnation

Rev. Msgr. Charles Pope

Why would anyone choose hell over eternal bliss? For the same reasons we choose sin here on earth. Discover these faults and renew your pursuit

The Agony in the Garden, Frans Schwartz (1850–1917), 1898, Brigham Young University. Wikimedia Commons.

Jesus’s Three Sufferings in the Garden

St. Alphonsus Liguori

As Jesus prayed in the Garden, He experienced three great spiritual sufferings. Read this stirring excerpt from St. Alphonsus Liguori. Jesus’s Three Sufferings in the

Saint Benedict, Francisco de Zurburán (1598–1664), c. 1640–45, oil on canvas. Metropolitan Museum of Art. File donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Monks Try to Poison Saint Benedict

Fr. Robert Nixon, OSB

Saint Benedict was the object of great envy and hostility in his lifetime, but he responded each time with remarkable holiness. Read two incredible stories