Conquer the Demons of Sadness

Do you occasionally experience a sense of sadness—a palpable sense of heaviness weighing you down? If you’re feeling beat down or unhappy, where’s that coming from, and what can you do about it?

Sadness—Not Mourning or Depression

On the one hand, Jesus tells us, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Mt 5:4) He’s not talking about the ordinary, garden-variety sadness, though.  Various commentators on this verse explain that it refers to such things as mourning over one’s sins, over the sins of mankind against God, or mourning over one’s suffering from some malady, for example.

On the other hand, the Modern Catholic Dictionary describes sadness as:

“The pain caused by the awareness of some personally experienced evil…sadness includes past, present, and especially future evils. It is nurtured by preoccupation with the dark side of one’s own life…” (Emphasis added.)

Sadness is not the mourning you’ll be blessed for. Nor is this sadness what the psychologists call depression. Sadness will come and go. We all experience it from time to time, for different reasons, in varying intensities.

Depression, according to the CDC, might involve feeling sad, empty, or hopeless often or all the time; no desire for activities you previously enjoyed; or lack of energy. It can include difficulties in concentration, memory and decision making; it might even include thinking about suicide. A case of depression needs specialized attention. We’re not referring to that here.

The Damaging Effects of Sadness

Sadness in your thoughts and emotions can come from, or be influenced by, the enemy of human nature. There’s some truth to the adage that “misery loves company.” The demons are always unhappy. They live in a continously miserable state. They want you to be miserable, too. By keeping you in a state of sadness, they’re taking you out of the sacrament of the present moment, where God’s grace is. John Cassian, in the ninth book of The Institutes, likens the harm done by sadness to one’s heart to the destructive effect of a moth on a piece of cloth.

Think about it. When you are stuck in sadness, you’re turning inward, instead of living out your calling for both vertical and horizontal charity. Our Lord tells us, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Mt 5:37) That’s a vertical charitable relationship.

What He describes in Mt 25:35-46 represents our horizontal relationship with each other, loving one another with, in, through and for God. If you’re stymied by sadness, all your relationships suffer, and so do you. Letting sadness get the better of you takes you out of action and makes you less effective in carrying out the unique mission God has planned for you and only you.

Sadness as Desolation

St. Ignatius of Loyola, in Rule 4 of his rules for discernment of spirits, speaks of desolation as,

,,, darkness of soul, disturbance in it, movement to things low and earthly, the unquiet of different agitations and temptations…want of confidence, without hope, without love, when one finds oneself all lazy, tepid, sad, and as if separated from his Creator and Lord…. (Emphasis added).

Of course, he’s speaking about spiritual desolation in his rules. However, non-spiritual desolation creates an open portal for spiritual desolation to enter in. So, when you’re feeling sad, discouraged, down in the dumps, recognize what’s going on and take action against it. Consider what the desert fathers have taught us in this regard.

Talking Back in Sadness

The ancient hermits and monastics experienced many diverse attacks of the enemy spirits, including sadness. Following the example of Christ during his temptations in the desert, they fought the lies of the devil with the Truth of Scripture. Evagrius of Pontus devotes the fourth book of his work, Talking Back, to conquering the demons of sadness. In it, he provides nearly 80 suggestions of Scripture passages to counter sadness.  For example:

Against the demons that gradually begin to imitate obscene images and to appear out of the air—we should answer with a phrase, as also the righteous blessed Antony answered and said: The Lord is my helper, and I shall look upon my enemies (Ps 117:7).

Against the demon that brings to me the sins of my youth: Everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new (2 Cor 5:17).

You can see, from these two examples, how you can imitate not only the desert fathers, but Christ Himself in reciting Scripture to counter the attacks of the demons during the times they’re trying to inflict their sadness upon you.

Take Action Against the Demons of Sadness

Taking action against the demons of sadness involves just a few steps First, in Jesus’ name, reject, rebuke and renounce all spirits of sadness. Next, in Jesus’ name, take authority and bind up all spirits of sadness, sending them to the foot of Jesus’ cross for Him to deal with as He wills. Then, reaffirm the Truth, that counters the lies of the enemy, using Scripture passages that fit your situation.

Lead with a Strong Offense

Consider developing a strong offense to reinforce your spiritual warfare tactics. Invoke the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary frequently. You can do this simply by saying their names. As well, praying brief aspirations or simple ad hoc prayers to them are great ways to stay close to them and keep the enemy further away. The demons can’t stand to hear their names.

Strengthen yourself spiritually against the demons of sadness by practicing the virtue of gratitude. Look for God in all things, events and circumstances. Practice the presence of God, continually giving thanks through the day for the blessings He’s giving you, in the moment. At the end of the day, begin your examen with a reflection on the wonders of the blessings He’s given you. Make a note of them.

The Holy Spirit’s gift of piety undergirds the virtue of gratitude. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the fullness of this gift, to stir it up in you, to help you grow in gratitude. You can predispose yourself to such growth by intentionally staying recollected in, and invoking, the Holy Spirit, and being faithful to His promptings.

Ask God (and really mean it), for the grace of abandonment to His will. Practice surrendering to His will in the small crosses He sends you every day. (cf. Luke 9:23) If you surrender to His will, then pretty much all that you experience can give you cause for gratitude instead of grumbling.

Jesus Brings Peace, Not Sadness

Jesus gives you His peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (Jn 14:27) He didn’t come to give you sadness–that’s something we humans and the demons initiate. Reject, rebuke and renounce, in Jesus’ name, all thoughts and spirits of sadness. Reaffirm the Truth in Scripture. God gives you His love, joy and peace–accept it with gratitude and share it with others.

“Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Rom 12:12)