Many of my friends have noticed the unusual number of problems I normally have to endure through no fault of my own. The latest was the sudden de-tooling of this blog, before that there was (and still is) being targeted with a malicious lawsuit; the problems with the foundations of the building where I reside and so on. The article below by Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti may explain the usual non-stop barrage of attacks —now numbering in the hundreds— that yours truly underwent since about the time I became Catholic.

Seven Ways Demons Harass Us

Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti

The lowest level of demonic involvement in our lives is “temptation”. Demons tempt everyone. God allows this for our sanctification. The next level up in their evil involvement is “harassment.” Many people are subject to demonic harassment. Most of the time it is so disguised that people do not realize it is demons who are the cause.

After years of ministering to people who are victims of demonic harassment, we can identify some common types. It is important not to see a demonic cause for every negative event in life. Bad things happen to us all. But it is just as important to recognize when the Evil One is harassing us and to respond properly.

Here are seven common types of demonic harassment. No doubt, there are many more.

Impeding holy ministry/works. Satan will target particularly holy works and ministries which directly interfere with his evil plans. For example, a woman in the pro-life movement shared with us a long series of inexplicable impediments to her holy work. The demons hate the pro-life movement and target it for special harassment. Another woman spoke to us of her holy work with minorities and oppressed peoples. Whenever she tried to work, she was inexplicably overcome with an intense lethargy. Deliverance prayers lifted this lethargy and thus revealed its demonic source.

Blocking important human connections. In all of our lives, there are important human connections. The demons will try to manipulate, impair or block these connections. For example, a young possessed woman’s relationship with her loving father was a key to her liberation. The demons regularly sent false emails, imitating either the daughter or the father, to deceive and destroy this relationship. They were unsuccessful! Similarly, a priest exorcist tried to contact me about a difficult case for which he wanted some assistance. Both of our phones were working fine but our connection was inexplicably cut ten times in a row. It lifted after deliverance prayers were said.

Destroying families. In these days, the family is one of Satan’s primary targets. The demons do all sorts of deceptions to break apart the family. One of their harassments is to sow distrusting or exaggerated negative thoughts in the minds of family members. A good antidote to this is a regular family rosary. Praying together and also maintaining good communication are important in defeating Satan’s sowing seeds of discord.

Financial distress. The demons will target certain families, especially those who are the subject of financial curses, for ongoing financial harassment. Unexpected expenses continually crop up and/or income mysteriously disappears. Despite a solid income the family is always teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Such situations are not the result of bad financial management but rather a continuing bizarre series of negative financial events. Some families are able to trace these difficulties to a parent or relative who intentionally cursed their finances and said, “You will never have anything.”

Impeding Mass attendance and other sacred sacraments and prayers. One possessed woman can never seem to get to Mass on Sunday. As she prepares to leave the house, something unexpected comes up or she suddenly starts to feel ill, and then stays home. Other people complain that they try to go to confession but a myriad of strange events hinders them from doing so. It is obvious why Satan would focus his harassment on people receiving these most efficacious holy sacraments.

Harassing our technology. Demons have a special focus on obstructing technology, particularly when it is used for sacred purposes. At SMC, we regularly experience this. For example, our monthly deliverance sessions, attended by thousands, are ALWAYS harassed in different ways each month. However, we always manage to get it done. Our computers are sometimes blocked from connecting to our website and APP, or APPs to record our social media videos are inexplicably not functioning. I regularly receive notes from people who cannot register for our sessions or pray with our videos, even though thousands of others can do so. Some of these are normal technical glitches, but others have a preternatural cause.

Overt Harassment. Sometimes the demons drop the disguise and overtly harass people. In exorcism sessions, they will throw crucifixes across the room. They will send harassing texts or make bogus phone calls to the afflicted, team members, family members and exorcists. They will break religious objects such as rosary beads or statues. Loud bangs and other noises are sometimes heard. People are invisibly pushed down stairs or touched or scratched or bruised. Warning notes are etched on mirrors. Satanic symbols suddenly appear on the afflicted person’s body. These occur and many more. With overt harassment, the demons are trying to incite fear and/or dominance. They want to distract or dissuade an exorcist or the afflicted person from continuing the exorcism or other holy actions.

With hidden or overt harassment, there is always a goal. Satan and his minions do not do “random.” But it is obvious that the Evil One is chained. If he was not, he could easily control and destroy any human being or thwart any project. As Scripture tells us: Jesus is the one who overcomes the “strong man” and “takes away the armor on which he relied” (Luke 11:22). Thus, with Satan chained, we always manage to get the job done, although it takes a bit of persistence and faith. God uses this harassment to strengthen our trust and faith in Him.

In response to demonic harassment, we (1) trust in God; (2) exercise patience; (3) offer deliverance prayers. Our app and website have a number of specific prayers in response to different types of demonic harassment. More general protection and deliverance prayers are also available and very effective, although persistence and trust is needed. At times, the Evil One might seem to have the upper hand, but it is not so. Jesus is Lord and He ALWAYS wins!