Discernment of Spirits for Beginners:: Learning to Hear God and Defeat the Lies of the Enemy

Ignorance does not protect against evil. Maintaining a basic understanding of the spiritual life can, and it will help you attain greater overall well-being. In this practical battle plan for spiritual awareness and strength, experts Dan Burke and Mary Ruth Hackett guide you in recognizing, understanding, and responding to the spiritual forces working for and against you.

You are engaged in a spiritual struggle whether you recognize it or not. The enemy seeks to distract, disorient, and isolate you. But have no fear: St. Ignatius of Loyola--the great soldier saint--is there at your side. Through his 14 Rules of Discernment, you will discover how to be ever on guard against spiritual attacks. He will assist you in understanding the role that your emotions play in the spiritual life so that you may put on the armor of God and not be undermined by them. He will also enlighten you on the concepts of spiritual consolation and desolation and sharpen your skills of discernment to better navigate life's choppy waters.

These empowering pages will help you revive your soul, flex your spiritual muscles, and stay on course to Heaven. As you become increasingly alert to the spiritual world, you will find:

• The keys to staying "awake" and on the right path
• How to recognize a spiritual attack when it happens
• Tools to respond confidently and effectively to spiritual attack
• How to respond to negative self-talk with the grace and power of God
• Ways to steer clear from things and behaviors that invite trouble
• Strategies for overcoming evil around you through the Precious Blood of Christ

Burke and Hackett present scenarios to help you see how evil spirits try to confuse, tempt, and discourage souls to give up. They also offer short, simple prayers of renunciation to help you to reject the enemy's lies.

Spiritual discernment is not just for the saints--it is foundational for all of us to see clearly, embrace the truth, and, by God's grace, be victorious.

Author: Dan Burke,Mary Ruth Hackett
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
Published: 11/18/2025
Pages: 112
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.33lbs
Size: 6.99h x 5.16w x 0.39d
ISBN: 9798889115502

About the Author
Dan Burke is the founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, which offers graduate and personal enrichment studies in spiritual theology to priests, deacons, religious, and laity in 90 countries and prepares men for seminary in over 30 dioceses. Dan is the author and editor of more than 17 books on authentic Catholic spirituality and hosts the Divine Intimacy Radio show with his wife, Stephanie, which is broadcast weekly on EWTN Radio. Past episodes can be found, along with thousands of articles on the interior life, at SpiritualDirection.com. In his deep commitment to the advancement of faithful Catholic spirituality, he is also the founder of Apostoli Viae, a world-wide, private association of the faithful dedicated to living and advancing the authentic spiritual patrimony of the Church. Most importantly, Dan is a blessed husband, father of four, grandfather of one -- and grateful to be Catholic.