Running into resistance when you try to increase spirituality?

[Tis_Bearself]

I feel like when I am working hard and making some good effort to increase my spirituality, fo example by adding a new devotional practice to my routine, everything will go along fine for a short while and then I hit some roadblock, such as I get some minor but annoying illness or interruption.

I realize that this may be coincidence, or the ups and downs of daily life, or the normal bumpy ride of developing a new habit (like when you change your diet or exercise program).

But I still feel on some level like “something” is trying to resist me.
Anybody else have similar experiences?

 

[dshix]

I feel like when I am working hard and making some good effort to increase my spirituality, fo example by adding a new devotional practice to my routine, everything will go along fine for a short while and then I hit some roadblock, such as I get some minor but annoying illness or interruption.

I realize that this may be coincidence, or the ups and downs of daily life, or the normal bumpy ride of developing a new habit (like when you change your diet or exercise program).

But I still feel on some level like “something” is trying to resist me.
Anybody else have similar experiences?

Oh, definitely. This actually always has and always will happen, for two simple reasons:

1 - Satan does not want you to grow in your faith. Every time you try, he’ll increase his efforts to drag you back, to cause you to fail, to make you feel like it is impossible to succeed because every time you try, you can’t. It’s like clockwork; distractions will come, minor injury will come, arguments or disagreements with others will disturb you, etc. This is why it is so important to say prayers asking for protection from diabolical attack.

2 - God will withdraw consolations from you as you grow. At the beginning of every person’s spiritual life, God grants them a certain sense of joy or pleasure when doing good spiritual things, to help them grow to love doing those things and to grow in faith. However, God doesn’t want you to do good just for those consolations; God wants you to love Him. So, as you grow in the spiritual life, becoming stronger and having more resolve, God withdraws those “happy” feelings (called “consolations”) and will allow you to struggle a little bit. This is not a sign of falling out of God’s favor, therefore, but rather, a sign that you are growing. I encourage you to look into St. Ignatius’ teaching on this topic, as he lays it out very well.

 

[IrishAm]

Definitely. As Paul said in Romans 7 -

So, then, I discover the principle
that when I want to do right, evil is at hand.

 

[steve_b]

I feel like when I am working hard and making some good effort to increase my spirituality, fo example by adding a new devotional practice to my routine, everything will go along fine for a short while and then I hit some roadblock, such as I get some minor but annoying illness or interruption.

I realize that this may be coincidence, or the ups and downs of daily life, or the normal bumpy ride of developing a new habit (like when you change your diet or exercise program).

But I still feel on some level like “something” is trying to resist me.
Anybody else have similar experiences?

Why would Paul need to do the following? 1 Corinthians 9:27 ]

He knows Satan’s tricks and where he attacks

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Thanks all. I am not the superstitious type who sees demons under every bush, but in recent months I’ve been making efforts to step up my prayer life, forgive my enemies, read more Scripture, attend more Masses, and drop some bad and sinful habits. And at about the same time, I have had a bunch of mild to moderate headaches start occurring in a row…appliances and utilities breaking at my house, and minor illnesses, some of which seem to occur right when I was going to visit a shrine or engaging in some other type of spiritual practice.

Today there was property damage at my house while I was away, so I just said some extra prayers against the Devil while my husband is going to check it out after the police called. This is making me quite determined to resist whatever mischief is trying to “get” me.

 

[dshix]

Thanks all. I am not the superstitious type who sees demons under every bush, but in recent months I’ve been making efforts to step up my prayer life, forgive my enemies, read more Scripture, attend more Masses, and drop some bad and sinful habits. And at about the same time, I have had a bunch of mild to moderate headaches start occurring in a row…appliances and utilities breaking at my house, and minor illnesses, some of which seem to occur right when I was going to visit a shrine or engaging in some other type of spiritual practice.

Today there was property damage at my house while I was away, so I just said some extra prayers against the Devil while my husband is going to check it out after the police called. This is making me quite determined to resist whatever mischief is trying to “get” me.

It’s possible there might be some diabolical oppression going on, though you are correct to not allow yourself to be frightened into looking under every bush - just look under every other bush.

I’d advise checking out the Auxilium Christianorum prayers.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It’s possible there might be some diabolical oppression going on, though you are correct to not allow yourself to be frightened into looking under every bush - just look under every other bush.

I’d advise checking out the Auxilium Christianorum prayers.

Belated thanks for the link to the prayers. I’m adding the link to my prayer bookmarks along with another prayer against demonic activity that someone else recommended to me.
I say the St. Michael prayer one to several times a day but it’s good to have some additional firepower as well.