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Episode 2 – Recognizing Temptation – St. Teresa, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul with Dan Burke
In this episode, Dan Burke and Kris McGregor discuss the need to recognize and confront evil, especially the devil, who seeks to derail our spiritual progress. In modern times, people are often uncomfortable discussing the devil due to a scientific or rationalist mindset, but through experiences like exorcisms, the reality of spiritual warfare becomes evident.
God’s grace, if accepted, purifies individuals by illuminating their sins and removing obstacles to a deeper union with Him. Dan draws on C.S. Lewis’s imagery to illustrate the process of spiritual purification, where God’s intervention brings freedom and transformation. This journey, though fraught with demonic opposition, is essential for reaching one’s true, glorified self in Christ.
The pervasive temptations in the world, especially through relationships that lead one away from God, and show how recognizing these temptations is key to spiritual growth. The devil’s influence is strongest at the beginning of one’s spiritual journey, where habitual sins are most prominent. Teresa’s teachings in Interior Castle offer practical tools to battle temptations and progress from “good to better” in the spiritual life.
In her works, St. Teresa offers encouragement that God does not withhold Himself from those who strive for Him. While temptations are inevitable, developing foundational spiritual disciplines like prayer and self-examination helps believers grow stronger and less susceptible to evil.
Discerning Hearts Discussion Questions
- Reflect on the meaning of baptismal grace: How does understanding the grace received at baptism change your perspective on your Christian journey?
- Acknowledge the reality of evil: How do you recognize the influence of evil in your life, and how do you confront it in light of your faith?
- Understand the purpose of temptation: In what ways have your personal struggles with temptation revealed areas in need of healing and growth?
- Embrace God’s desire to heal you: What obstacles are you facing that prevent you from allowing God to fully heal you?
- Recognize the tactics of the enemy: How do you stay vigilant in recognizing and combating the subtle ways the enemy tries to lead you away from God?
- Grow in perseverance through spiritual disciplines: What spiritual practices help you draw closer to God, and how do they make you more aware of yourself, the enemy, and God’s presence?
- Cultivate holy relationships: How can your choices and behaviors foster or hinder relationships with God and others in your spiritual journey?
- Guard against self-righteousness: How can you avoid the temptation to focus on the sins of others instead of working on your own spiritual growth?
- Strive for inner transformation: How can you respond to God’s call to a deeper interior conversion as modeled by St. Teresa of Ávila?
- Discover the beauty of God’s Kingdom:
In what ways can you focus on the beauty of God’s love and the joy of His Kingdom to inspire your faith and perseverance?
You can find the book here.
An excerpt from the book:
“Have you ever considered that the devil is active in your prayer life? In the parish church where you attend Mass? In the lives and actions of people of goodwill all around you? The saints remind us of a key aspect of living the spiritual life that we are wont to forget simply because we can’t see it and because we have been conditioned by the media and popular culture to think the devil works visibly only in “bad” people or in extraordinary ways, as in the movies. And although demons are certainly capable of extravagant or extraordinary manifestations, their ordinary work flies under our radar because it just isn’t that spectacular, though it is deadly.
In fact, subtlety, illusion, and deceit are their preferred methods of attack. An invisible battle for souls is being waged in and around us without reprieve, and we remain ignorant of it to our peril. St. Teresa of Avila, great mystic and Doctor of the Church, is best known for her writings on the way God leads souls along the path to union with Him through prayer. What many do not know about St. Teresa is that she also observed the actions of demons working with militant force to lead even good souls astray in ways that might surprise you. She shares these experiences freely in her autobiography, which she was commanded to write under obedience to her spiritual director.“
Burke, Dan; Burke, Dan. The Devil in the Castle: St. Teresa of Avila, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul (p. 12). Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.
For more episodes in this series visit Dan Burke’s Discerning Hearts page here:
Dan Burke is the founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, which offers graduate and personal enrichment studies in spiritual theology to priests, deacons, religious, and laity in 72 countries and prepares men for seminary in 14 dioceses.
Dan is the author and editor of more than 15 books on authentic Catholic spirituality and hosts the Divine Intimacy Radio show with his wife, Stephanie, which is broadcast weekly on EWTN Radio. Past episodes can be found, along with thousands of articles on the interior life, at SpiritualDirection.com.
In his deep commitment to the advancement of faithful Catholic spirituality, he is also the founder of Apostoli Viae, a world-wide, private association of the faithful dedicated to living and advancing the authentic spiritual patrimony of the Church.
Most importantly, Dan is a blessed husband, father of four, grandfather of one—and grateful to be Catholic.
