Discernment of Spirits and the Inner Voice

We’re all familiar with the concept of the “inner voice,” some perhaps more than others. It goes by various names in our culture, of which “self-talk,” “that voice in your head,” and the ever psychologically trendy “inner monologue” are only a few. 

There is one other that used to be more frequently employed, however. One that has recently spent most of its time as a convenient visual gag in media. It is the image of the angel (or devil) on your shoulder. While this image, in its most common usage, depicts the person or character subjected to the torment of indecision as wearing the costumes of both the miniature angel and devil, suggesting two warring sides of the same personality, there is, I believe, a deeper truth at play.

Part of the worldview we accept when we profess our faith as Catholics is the existence of a spiritual dimension, a dimension which is not merely layered above our reality, as the ancients once believed the stars and planets to be, but intertwined and interwoven with our coarse material world, like silver threads through burlap. Being in such intimate association with the material, it would follow that, on occasion, the two would find themselves in communication with the other in some way. Each of us knows which of these communions was, and continues to be, the greatest; we celebrate it every Sunday. Returning to the aforementioned image though, what if we were to conceptualize this more mundane meeting of spiritual and material a little more literally? 

Far from being empty warehouses awaiting our arrival upon death, the two spheres of the spiritual world are bustling with activity. Earnest activity. We know these actors chiefly by two names: angels and demons. Though they are, in essence, the same class of beings (demons are, after all, but angels serving a false master), their intentions when interacting with us couldn’t be more opposed — you could say they are the ultimate expression of opposition to be found in the universe. The one seeks to be a loving, mediating force between us and our Creator, while the other pines for the opportunity to tear us away from Him in bitterness and anger. Though we may attest, out of our lived experience, that it may not seem as though these hosts of creatures show direct interest in us very often, we would be gravely mistaken.

I am far from suggesting that our conceptions of free will are in need of adjustment, and that we would be right to view every thought that comes into our head as merely residue of the passing of either God’s or Satan’s messengers. However, the wisdom of countless mystics and saints throughout Church history beg us to carefully trace the origins of our thoughts and desires. As unpleasant as the task may be, due to the high likelihood of our discovering one or many weaknesses in our spiritual selves, the skill known as “discernment of spirits” is critical if we are to successfully navigate the wasteland spread before us.

Think of two flames: one represents virtue, the other, vice. Both are burning constantly within us. One or the other may wax or wane in strength due to a myriad of inner “atmospheric” conditions, like the aiding of a stranger or the unnoticed growth of a bad habit. They may also each be fanned to greater intensity; the flame of virtue by angels, the flame of vice by demons. It is up to us to learn the feel of these winds. Will this act truly further my relationship with Christ? Did I sense a preternaturally strong desire to commit a particular sin, one that I knew to be wrong? How closely did that nagging voice resemble my own? How did I suddenly possess the strength, in that crucial moment, to choose the better path?

My intention is not to incite anxiety by touching on this subject, only to remind us all where we stand in the cosmic order, which is in the midst of a battlefield, where our souls are the contested ground. We must learn to parse friendly messages from enemy feints, and to pay close attention to our surroundings. Keep beneath the standard of the Cross, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against you.

Walker Price earned his degree in English from UT Arlington. He attended St. Andrew Catholic School and Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth.