Spiritual Combat: How to Win Your Spiritual Battles and Attain Peace [Paperback]

Lorenzo Scupoli (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2002

St. Francis de Sales carried a copy of this book in his pocket for 18 years! Its wisdom formed his soul; it inspired him to a life of the deepest devotion, and ultimately it helped him become one of the Church s greatest saints. Now this book can do the same thing for you. It s no longer fashionable to speak of the Christian life as a battle, but there s actually no better way to describe the tug-of-war for your soul that s raging right now between the forces of light and darkness. Here, Dom Lorenzo Scupoli helps you take your proper part in this spiritual battle so that you can win decisively the war for your soul. This book has been loved by saints and sinners alike ever since it was written four hundred years ago. Why? Because it offers sensible advice to help you overcome spiritual obstacles and achieve spiritual perfection. Not only what, but how! Best of all, Spiritual Combat doesn t just tell you what you ought to be doing in order to live a truly Christian life it also shows you how to do it.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Sophia Institute Press (August 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1928832504
• ISBN-13: 978-1928832508
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #219,376 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Music

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Detailed Battleplan to Fight Your Life's Demons, April 19, 2006

By 

Seminarian Ray (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spiritual Combat: How to Win Your Spiritual Battles and Attain Peace (Paperback)

This book is an extremely valuable resource in growing in the spiritual life. Everyone has their own obstacles that prevent them from growing closer to God. Dom Scupoli aids the reader in a step-by-step fashion on how to destroy those obstacles and temptations that come in life. He has us better know ourselves, while keeping the focus on God, that we may fight the good fight. Written in an easy-to-read format, anyone can win their spiritual battles with the help of this book. St. Francis de Sales read this book, and even carried it in his pocket for 18 years! A definite recommend!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a no-holds-barred manual of spiritual warfare, August 2, 2009

By 

Donner C. S. Tan (Singapore) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Spiritual Combat: How to Win Your Spiritual Battles and Attain Peace (Paperback)

Like most spiritual classics, this book is best read slowly and in small portions at a time and then repeatedly over a substantial period of time. I tried reading it at first in one sitting and nearly got bowled over with spiritual indigestion! It is aptly described as a manual which methodically lays out strategic steps and guidelines for battling temptations and casting out one's inner demons. There are three main ideas:

1. Distrust yourself
2. Trust God
3. Various methods of overcoming temptations and winning spiritual battles.

This book confronts the deceitfulness of our fallen human nature and the endless justifications we are capable of generating to cover up our faults. Like a powerful microscope, it searches out our hidden faults and calls us to cultivate humility and trust God to change us. He organizes his materials under several spiritual exercises such as prayer, celebrating the Eucharist, governing our hearts, persevering through trials, yielding to God and cultivating inner peace.

Some counsels are so radical I think they are suited for 'spiritual commandos'. I nibble at the hem of this book's wisdom and hope to master the basics. The effects have been immensely humbling. It is no wonder that St Francis de Sales kept it with him for so many years. It is the sort of book that is so deep in wisdom and practical in scope one needs a lifetime to ruminate over it and let it turn us right side up.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be in every Christian's arsenal, February 23, 2009

By 

R. Pichlik "EWTN fan" (Battle Creek, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spiritual Combat: How to Win Your Spiritual Battles and Attain Peace (Paperback)

It should be sufficient to say that St. Francis De Sales carried this work with him for 18 years. With that said I will only add that I found the insights in this book to be tremendously helpful in my daily battles/struggles with temptation and sin. There are great treasures of advice and guidance in this book that I think anyone, (Catholic or not), who is trying to walk the Christian path will find helpful.