Demon assigned per person at birth?

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Stenb

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Hi,

I just have a simple question on whether or not it’s true as in doctrine or just a belief of some saints that each person is assigned a demon at birth or not? I know a guardian angel is. It means a lot. Thank you!

Joshua
 
Never heard of it and highly doubt it. It is more likely that entire cities and regions have no devils around while small communities of faithful attract many.
‘For Satan does not tempt unbelievers and sinners whom he already holds securely, but in many ways he does tempt and trouble the faithful servant.’ - The Imitation of Christ
 
Apart from one line in queens bohemian rhapsody I don’t think so haha
 
I believe that too often people treat demons like “free agents”. It’s safe to assume that there’s a structure and strategy behind the enemies actions. There’s a concerted and organized effort to undermine humanity at every level.
 
Highly recommend two books for you to read:

The Screwtape Letters linked in a post above is fantastic, it lets you see how the devil is trying to tempt us. The devil shows us small tokens of truth but his answers to these are all lies and that is his trick.

Another great book is An Exorcist Explains the Demonic. I bought it a couple years ago at a shrine to Our Lady of Fatima. This book gives a great inside into how the devil thinks up his tricks and how we can identify when we are being tempted and what the right choice is instead of what the devil is hoping we do. Here is the book:

https://www.amazon.com/Exorcist-Exp...ocphy=9004739&hvtargid=pla-305005052578&psc=1
 
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Stenb said:
[…] whether or not it’s true as in doctrine or just a belief of some saints that each person is assigned a demon at birth or not?
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Loosely speaking, it’s true. Most of us enter the world with some demons (usually more than one) already “attached” to us. But actually the moment these demons are “assigned” isn’t the moment of birth; it happens prior to birth. Anyway, the point remains the same: there are demons with us from the very beginning of our lives.

And no, this isn’t official doctrine, but as you mentioned some saints believed it. It is also logically consistent with the teaching of “original sin”, which is doctrine. If we were born free of demons, we would have no innate tendency to sin, but we do have that tendency, so from that it follows that demons are with us right when we are born.
 
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There is no Catholic teaching in that regard. It is my understanding that there is a Muslim teaching that Satan touches each person at birth.
Of course, the two exceptions were Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, which is a distortion of the theological teaching of the Catholic Church when it comes to the teaching of Original Sin. I learned of this Muslim teaching regarding the devil touching a child at birth from the story of an individual who had converted from Islam to Christianity. It was the exceptions which had led to his questioning and ultimate acceptance of the Christian Faith.
We do each have guardian angels to help protect us on our walk through life. We are never unguarded from the attacks of demons who lead us away from God. It is God’s desire to lead all to Him. No, there are no demons assigned to any person at birth.
 
Roguish said:
Most of us enter the world with some demons (usually more than one) already “attached” to us. But actually the moment these demons are “assigned” isn’t the moment of birth; it happens prior to birth. Anyway, the point remains the same: there are demons with us from the very beginning of our lives.
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Magisterial source for this faeries in the garden type stuff please.
 
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Teachings on demons are a lot fuzzier compared to teachings on angels, since demons aren’t in our camp and we aren’t meant to build love & relationships with them the way we are with the angels. There’s no such official teaching in the Catechism about people being assigned a demon.

Logically, I think it might be true, since it seems to be the devil’s nature to counterfeit everything about God. Then again, demons are said to be extremely cowardly and hell is organized through fear and compulsion, so it might be more about hording and mobbing a target with suggestions when the window presents itself, and then moving on to another vulnerable target.

In either case, it isn’t something necessary for us to know.
 
I got a ton of salt Blessed. I did the perimeter of our home along with holy water. (The salt was blessed and exorcized with the Old Rite). The difference is unbelievable. Peace. Still temptations, sure, but I actually feel the strength to not fall. For years I’ve gone to confession, prayed and received communion. It has always been an uphill battle. We also enacted saying the Rosary daily as a family after and even that has been so much easier!! It’s crazy and also wonderful and believable. God is good. Now I want to do my whole town. Lol!
 
berniemcken said:
I did the perimeter of our home along with holy water. (The salt was blessed and exorcized with the Old Rite). The difference is unbelievable
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May I politely suggest this seems a tad heavy on the superstitious. According to Magisterial sacramental teaching (as opposed to some extreme, flavour of the month, free lance internet exorcist) the salt and blessed water has no inherent objective efficacy in such spiritual matters whatsoever.

The effect comes from the faith and devotion of the believer inspired by these symbols. In other words if your faith and devotion were strong enough neither salt nor holy water would be needed at all to produce the same outcome.

Perhaps one might even say that the more we mechanicly rely on these sacramentals as if they produce the effect by getting just the right blessing and just the right formula of prayer and just the right line of salt around our house (there must be no gaps to let in the demons, the circle must be completed) … perhaps the less true faith in God we actually have. That sort of thing does seem to have more in common with a combination of superstition (where we “control” the spiritual, including God, by mechanical formulae), OCD and scruples.
That is my personal view of observing such extreme human behaviour over 50 years anyways.
 
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Not “also” but rather “only”. Blessed salt and water are only symbols to stir our devotional prayer and trust in God. That produces effect not any property intrinsic to these sacramentals. If our faith/trust is already great they are not needed for our prayer alone powerfully reaches God who gives his children what they need.
 
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Roguish said:
Loosely speaking, it’s true. Most of us enter the world with some demons (usually more than one) already “attached” to us. But actually the moment these demons are “assigned” isn’t the moment of birth; it happens prior to birth. Anyway, the point remains the same: there are demons with us from the very beginning of our lives.
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What is your source for this? Who does the assigning?
 
It makes no sense from a Christian point of view. The demons are attracted by the sins we do and at birth we basically do nothing. But even if there was a demon chasing us at birth Baptism will have most likely solved it.
 
You can politely suggest it but I would suggest using it to all still, and wholeheartedly. I have seen a difference like night and day before and after. I have been Catholic my whole life. I have gone to confession monthly and most of the time weekly, for 8 years after my conversion. I prayed so much. Still, I struggled with almost feeling harassed by my particular issues. I read in a Catholic Moms Facebook group (142 replies) that it is not a “superstition” and many of the moms use it not only to bless their homes but also in their food. They bless their homes, their rooms. They ask God’s blessing on their children by blessing them with holy water at night. God doesn’t depend on us to do these things but I believe through the ministerial priesthood, he has given us great tools in sacramentals.

My grandma, who suffered from horrific horrific abuse as a child, has struggled so much spiritually. She has never been able to get past anything. She would have such bouts of irritation and anger. She started ingesting blessed salt and the difference is remarkable. My mom said she’s like a different person (and my granny didn’t know she was ingesting it). He next step is to do her home. It’s akin to having a home blessing.

My home has so. much. peace. since I did it.

I think we all know that it is God’s doing in all things—everything in life!!! We as Catholics (are you Catholic, because you don’t sound like it) know that many times, He uses physical things to effect His will, especially coupled with our strong faith and trust. He uses us!!

I don’t mean to be rude, but you’re overthinking this. This is an act of faith. The salt is a sacramental. Basically let’s just get rid of our crucifixes, our holy water, and all tools the Church gives us because we should not rely on anything but our own faith. I am humble enough to know where my power ends and where God’s great grace is given via so many gifts in the Church. Don’t be Protestant about this. Please. Unless you are… in which case, convert 😉

Also, I prayed the St Michael prayer while sprinkling and I didn’t worry about gaps, but simply lightly sprinkled it and also asked God’s protection via a traditional home blessing prayer.

By your reasoning, let’s just do away with home blessings all together. That sounds smart in today’s culture. 😉
 
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