Is this spiritual attack?

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Contra_Mundum_1

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Something strange has been going on lately and I wonder if I’m under spiritual attack.
I would appreciate your thoughts and advice on what to do.

Lent has been pretty much a failure so far. I’m praying the penitential psalms and the Divine Mercy chaplet every day but the rest has not been going well. I’m extremely focused on myself and on superficial things. I’ve been spending money that I should not. I’m obsessing over some things that I thought were laid to rest. I’m feeling anxious almost every day. I feel very distant from God and feel like a fraud because of my failures during Lent.

Truth is, I have a lot going on in my life at the moment and these things could easily be a bit of neurosis plus stress. But I feel there is something more to all of this, because it has been more pronounced since Lent has started. The more I pray the worse I feel and have bad dreams. I doubt my abilities all the time. Things are just not working out in several areas of my life.

Is this spiritual attack?
What can I do? I’m praying already.

Many thanks!
 
First, lent is NOT about what you sarifice but it is an attempt to grow closer to God. Are you trying to grow closer to God?

It seems to me like you are. It also seems to me as if they’rs psycological problems…anxiety and even depression. You would be best off checking those first. When you’ve elimianated any psycological reason THEN look at the spiritual.
 
You think that you are failing but only God really know what is occurring…God may be teaching you humility and that grace comes from God, not from our efforts though we must continue to strive in cooperation with His grace.

Saint Therese of Lisieux encourages us in our attempts towards holiness in our vocation to love and serve. Of her own response to the call, she wrote*, “This desire could certainly appear daring if one were to consider how weak and imperfect I was, and how after seven years in the religious life, I am still weak and imperfect. I always feel, however, the same bold confidence of becoming a great saint because I do not count on my own merits since I have none, but I trust in God who is Virtue and Holiness. God alone, content with my weak efforts, will raise me to Himself and make me a saint, clothing me in His infinite merits. I didn’t think then that one had to suffer very much to reach sanctity, but God was not long in showing me this was so and in sending me the trials I have already mentioned.”* Therese remarked that such holiness may “not be evident to the eyes of mortals.”

Jesus says, “I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God** like a little child will never enter it.” [Luke18: 17]

Therese of Lisieux elucidates how to live as child before God. *“The only way to advance rapidly in the path of love is to always remain very little” “‘Remaining little’ means—to recognise ones nothingness, to await everything from the goodness of God, to avoid being much troubled at our faults; finally, not to be worried about amassing spiritual riches.” *

In response to a novice who was discouraged by her faults, Therese said*, “You make me think of a little child that is learning to stand but does not know how to walk. In his desire to reach to top of the stairs to find his mother, he lifts his little foot to climb the first step. It is all in vain, and at each renewed effort he falls.” “Well, be like that little child. Always keep lifting your foot to climb the ladder of holiness, and do not imagine that you can mount even the first step. All God asks of you is good will. From the top of the ladder, He looks lovingly upon you, and soon, touched by your fruitful efforts, He will Himself come down, and taking you in His arms, will carry you to His Kingdom never again to leave Him. But should you cease to raise your foot, you will be left for long on the earth.” *

To another, Therese said, “You want to climb the mountain, whereas God wishes you to descend it. He is awaiting you in the valley of humility.” “It seems to me that humility is truth (honesty).”

Celine Martin (Therese’s sister) “Counsels and reminiscences”
 
Therefore, Father,** “I am no longer trying for perfection by my own efforts…but I only want the perfection that comes through faith in Christ, and is from God and based on faith.”** [Philippians 3:9]
** “For Christ is the resurrection and if we believe in him who redeems us from our sinful nature, even though we die, we will live, and whoever lives and believes in Him will never die.” **[John 11:26]
 
Trishie said:
You think that you are failing but only God really know what is occurring…God may be teaching you humility and that grace comes from God, not from our efforts though we must continue to strive in cooperation with His grace.

Saint Therese of Lisieux encourages us in our attempts towards holiness in our vocation to love and serve. Of her own response to the call, she wrote*, “This desire could certainly appear daring if one were to consider how weak and imperfect I was, and how after seven years in the religious life, I am still weak and imperfect. I always feel, however, the same bold confidence of becoming a great saint because I do not count on my own merits since I have none, but I trust in God who is Virtue and Holiness. God alone, content with my weak efforts, will raise me to Himself and make me a saint, clothing me in His infinite merits. I didn’t think then that one had to suffer very much to reach sanctity, but God was not long in showing me this was so and in sending me the trials I have already mentioned.”* Therese remarked that such holiness may “not be evident to the eyes of mortals.”

Jesus says, “I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God** like a little child will never enter it.” [Luke18: 17]

Therese of Lisieux elucidates how to live as child before God. *“The only way to advance rapidly in the path of love is to always remain very little” “‘Remaining little’ means—to recognise ones nothingness, to await everything from the goodness of God, to avoid being much troubled at our faults; finally, not to be worried about amassing spiritual riches.” *

In response to a novice who was discouraged by her faults, Therese said*, “You make me think of a little child that is learning to stand but does not know how to walk. In his desire to reach to top of the stairs to find his mother, he lifts his little foot to climb the first step. It is all in vain, and at each renewed effort he falls.” “Well, be like that little child. Always keep lifting your foot to climb the ladder of holiness, and do not imagine that you can mount even the first step. All God asks of you is good will. From the top of the ladder, He looks lovingly upon you, and soon, touched by your fruitful efforts, He will Himself come down, and taking you in His arms, will carry you to His Kingdom never again to leave Him. But should you cease to raise your foot, you will be left for long on the earth.” *

To another, Therese said, “You want to climb the mountain, whereas God wishes you to descend it. He is awaiting you in the valley of humility.” “It seems to me that humility is truth (honesty).”

Celine Martin (Therese’s sister) “Counsels and reminiscences”
Click to expand...
really helpful post 👍
 
Contra_Mundum said:
Something strange has been going on lately and I wonder if I’m under spiritual attack.
I would appreciate your thoughts and advice on what to do.

Lent has been pretty much a failure so far. I’m praying the penitential psalms and the Divine Mercy chaplet every day but the rest has not been going well. I’m extremely focused on myself and on superficial things. I’ve been spending money that I should not. I’m obsessing over some things that I thought were laid to rest. I’m feeling anxious almost every day. I feel very distant from God and feel like a fraud because of my failures during Lent.

Truth is, I have a lot going on in my life at the moment and these things could easily be a bit of neurosis plus stress. But I feel there is something more to all of this, because it has been more pronounced since Lent has started. The more I pray the worse I feel and have bad dreams. I doubt my abilities all the time. Things are just not working out in several areas of my life.

Is this spiritual attack?
What can I do? I’m praying already.

Many thanks!
Click to expand...
Your life seems overly busy now to the point where you need to spend a lot of your time dwelling on yourself. I know it’s not easy to untangle yourself from some of these activities. Do eliminate whatever you can that is causing so much stress, but maybe you can add a quick prayer for sinners or the poor souls in purgatory each time you find yourself feeling sorry for yourself, or tempted to spend money on unnecessary luxuries during Lent. These little sacrifices take little time, but can have huge consequences. Good luck and God bless.
 
Contra_Mundum said:
Something strange has been going on lately and I wonder if I’m under spiritual attack.
I would appreciate your thoughts and advice on what to do.

Lent has been pretty much a failure so far. I’m praying the penitential psalms and the Divine Mercy chaplet every day but the rest has not been going well. I’m extremely focused on myself and on superficial things. I’ve been spending money that I should not. I’m obsessing over some things that I thought were laid to rest. I’m feeling anxious almost every day. I feel very distant from God and feel like a fraud because of my failures during Lent.

Truth is, I have a lot going on in my life at the moment and these things could easily be a bit of neurosis plus stress. But I feel there is something more to all of this, because it has been more pronounced since Lent has started. The more I pray the worse I feel and have bad dreams. I doubt my abilities all the time. Things are just not working out in several areas of my life.

Is this spiritual attack?
What can I do? I’m praying already.

Many thanks!
Click to expand...
Many people find that there is more spiritual attack during Lent… try to rely on God’s strength rather than your own, and receive the Sacraments as often as you can 🙂 both Confession and Communion.

God bless!
 
Lent has been pretty much a failure so far. I’m praying the penitential psalms and the Divine Mercy chaplet every day but the rest has not been going well. I’m extremely focused on myself and on superficial things. I’ve been spending money that I should not. I’m obsessing over some things that I thought were laid to rest. I’m feeling anxious almost every day. I feel very distant from God and feel like a fraud because of my failures during Lent.
Click to expand...
Slow down, spend some/more time in Eucharistic Adoration and meditations and practice constant recollection, so as to keep your conscience pure and unconflicted.

If you slow down and take things more recollectedly, than you can start working on recognizing the superficial before you become absorbed in it, then pray for the grace and opposing virtue to the vice/bad habit, and recognize what steps to take to correct the situation.

All this needs grace, and Eucharistic Adoration is the great source thereof.
 
Doesn’t sound like spiritual attack, but I’m not an expert.

What I can tell you is this: when in the midst of certian troubling thoughts, one may honestly no be able to discern demonic attack from actual mental illness. Besides, they go hand and hand so one can cover for the other… so it is good ideally if you have a psychiatrist if you think you might have a mental issue, or a spiritual director for guidance on your spiritual journey, or both. There are very few experts who know about both mind and spirit, so that’s why I’m saying it can be two different people.

Now, regardless of spirit or mental attack, there are many spiritual exercises you can go through that, as your spirit build up, your heart and mind are renewed – the process goes hand and hand – not like a chicken or egg, but as part of the same larger process.

One is to pray in ways that you are familiar with. I don’t have any more ideas to type at this moment, so I’ll post this FWIW.

Thanks for reading my post, and for starting this thread, :tiphat:
Alan
 
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