When I was still quite young in the Royal Navy and beginning to take my faith more seriously, I watched the film The Exorcism of Emily Rose – on my own! There was a part of the plot that stated 3:00 a.m. is when demons are particularly active, as it supposedly inverts the hour when Jesus died for the redemption of the world. I remember pausing the film at that moment and reflecting on my own experiences. During the time when I was an on-and-off Catholic and my faith was reigniting, I would often wake up at 3:00 a.m. I would tell myself, “I bet it’s 3 o’clock,” and sure enough, when I glanced at the clock, it was.
At first, I wasn’t too worried about these awakenings, but I decided it would be wise not to take anything for granted. I mentioned it in confession, and the priest advised me to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy before bed. I began doing this – praying as much as I could before drifting off to sleep. With that, the 3:00 a.m. awakenings ceased. However, after hearing the explanation in the film, I felt a bit anxious. The idea that demons exist was unnerving. I was living in a rented house with three other housemates, and as the only one sleeping downstairs, I felt somewhat vulnerable. I thought to myself, if I do wake up at 3:00 a.m., it’s going to freak me out.
To cope, I devised a tactic: if I woke up in the middle of the night, I wouldn’t look at the clock. In this way, if I didn’t know the time, it wouldn’t matter, and I could just go back to sleep. Unfortunately, this tactic didn’t work. I woke up that night, and all I could think was, “What if it is 3 o’clock?” If it were, I would be unaware and defenceless while demons surrounded me in the dark. Reluctantly, I rolled over and checked the clock, and sure enough, it read 3:00 a.m. Just as I had feared, I sat bolt upright, threw off my duvet, and sprinted up the stairs, sitting on the top step. I felt too embarrassed to wake anyone – what would I even say? At least I wasn’t alone, though.
There I remained, praying the Rosary and the Chaplet until dawn. To be honest, this experience revealed just how deeply terrified I was of the demonic threat. Eventually, I came across the biography of Saint Anthony the Great, written by Saint Athanasius, one of the most holy men in history. The book depicts a hermit living alone in the wilderness, relentlessly attacked by actual demons. They would physically manifest and assault him. The devil himself would appear, attempting to tempt Saint Anthony into negotiation. Did Saint Anthony fear them? Not at all; he was quite unimpressed and would often talk down to them, commanding them and exposing their pathetic rank in the order of creation.
I found this inspiring. Saint Anthony’s example stripped me of my fear of demons. For a time after reading that book, I half-expected to see little demons lurking in dark corners. Every night when I switched on the bathroom light, a tiny part of me wondered, “Is there one waiting to harass me while I sit on the toilet?” But every time I flicked on the light, nothing was there. If demons do exist – and I mention this because not everyone believes they do – it’s commonly held among Christian writers and thinkers that their inconspicuousness is a strategic advantage. C.S. Lewis, in his book The Screwtape Letters, illustrates how demons benefit when people don’t take them seriously. The effect of their inconspicuousness is that most of us conclude they don’t exist, as our experiences seem to support this notion. This leads to the belief that nothing supernatural exists; we are merely matter in motion, and when that motion stops, that’s it! If demons can convince us of this, it serves their purpose. They then work on us in more subtle ways, tempting us to wander down the comfortable yet dangerous road to hell.
This helps explain the paradox faced by someone like Saint Anthony, who experienced persistent demonic manifestations. You would think his holiness would repel these entities and lessen their presence in his life, but the opposite appears to be true. He is not alone in this. Saints like Jean Vianney, Theresa of Avila, Padre Pio, and Catherine of Siena all experienced direct encounters with demonic spirits, being harassed, tempted, or even physically assaulted. One would assume that such holy individuals would be spared these attacks, but it seems to be the contrary. The holier and closer someone is to God, the more likely they are to face such attacks from demons.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola famously proposed a formula for discerning spirits. He noted that when you live in sin and are distant from God, demons promote easiness and comfort, wanting to affirm your current state and encourage you to continue down that path. They want you to think you are doing everything right, which, in turn, rewards you with a false sense of tranquillity. Why? Because they are playing the long game to secure your soul. God, however, uses adversity to remind you that you need to leave the poor situation you are in. Once you listen to God and begin to move in the right direction – living in a state of grace and seeking His mercy – that is when demons will attempt to trip you up with adversities. They don’t want you to proceed down the righteous path, so they often attack subtly.
While you might not have to endure a demon physically attacking you, they employ more discreet tactics. They can initiate a campaign of temptation by persistently suggesting evil thoughts and preying upon your weaknesses. They can attack you psychologically, invoking feelings of depression, anxiety, and despair. They may also influence those around you, causing your teachers, bosses, spouses, or friends to become more hostile and belligerent. In simple terms, demons can orchestrate a very bad day for many people without ever revealing themselves. In fact, they prefer not to reveal themselves, as doing so might frighten people into seeking spiritual remedies like prayer and reconciliation with God.
So, what would it take for them to reveal themselves? In the case of holy saints like Anthony, it is usually a last resort when they have nothing left to lose. They know he is firmly aligned with God’s side, making other methods like temptation futile. They understand that causing him to have a bad day won’t matter because he is so accustomed to depriving himself of comforts that his patience will withstand these trivialities. With nothing left to lose, they manifest themselves and go on the attack, perhaps simply for their perverse enjoyment. So, in my opinion, if you are someone who never experiences spiritual attacks, it might be worth considering that they are leaving you alone because they have you exactly where they want you.
Tony Wood