Understanding the Sacrament of Confession

God is love. Our Triune God draws us into his heart by love, so much so that the second person of the Holy Trinity, our Lord Jesus Christ, humbled himself as a man and sacrificed himself on the cross to save us from the fires of hell. Jesus died for our sins and his living sacrifice continues today in Holy Masses around the world, where he continues to give us his Body and Blood in atonement for our sins. By making an effort to stop sinning and cleansing our souls through regular and contrite Confession, we are able to receive Jesus’ Precious Body and Blood worthily in Holy Mass, so he can truly abide in us and give us new life, in his image, as we were created to be. Jesus clarifies this truth:

“Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.” (John 6:54−55)

St Pauls warns us of receiving the Body of Christ in Holy Communion unworthily, a sin that is overlooked by many in these end times:

“Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 11:27−29).

Receiving the Body of Christ worthily is achieved by labouring for holiness in Christ through regular and contrite Confession [1], as Jesus instructs:

“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto life everlasting, which the Son of man will give you. For him hath God, the Father, sealed.” (John 6:27)

Jesus has revealed to many of his saints and visionaries that his Sacred Heart is pierced with a crown of thorns because of our sins [2]. His pains are worse than ever before because of the immensity of sins in the world today. His Father will not permit these pains for much longer unless we change our ways and repent [3]. To show Jesus that we love him, we can alleviate his suffering, and ours, by making an effort to understand what hurts him and by repenting of our sins through the Sacrament of Confession. This act of love allows the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit to shine through us, to be filled with God’s love and purity.

The Catholic Church, instituted by Jesus Christ [4], practised Confession (since its inception on Pentecost Sunday) many years before the New Testament was written and finalised by the Church. In St Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he instructs us to hold onto our traditions [5], and additional Scriptural verses further confirm God’s call to the Ministry (Sacrament) of Reconciliation (Confession or Penance):

“But all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Christ; and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18)

Jesus’ instruction to St Peter (Cephas [6]) the Rock to build his Catholic Church gave the Church full spiritual authority to confirm his teachings [7]:

“And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)

Jesus also gave his disciples [8], i.e., his first apostles, his bishops and priests, the authority to forgive sins:

“Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” (John 20:23)

He also made it very clear that the Sacrament of Penance is for the remission of sins:

“And he said to them: Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, the third day: And that penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, unto all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46−47)

We see St Paul confirming his priestly authority to forgive (pardon) any sins as Christ’s representative on earth:

“And to whom you have pardoned any thing, I also. For, what I have pardoned, if I have pardoned any thing, for your sakes have I done it in the person of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 2:10)

St James further confirmed the role of priests in forgiving sins in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick:

“Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.” (James 5:14−16)

We see here that it is the priests’ prayer of faith that results in forgiveness of sins, as was the case in the Old Testament with the Levite priests, where God said:

“And the priest shall pray for him and for his sin before the Lord, and he shall have mercy on him, and the sin shall be forgiven.” (Leviticus 19:22).

St James was explicitly referring to the priests of the first Church, the Catholic Church, whose prayers “of faith will save the sick man”, who “if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him”. His subsequent instruction to “confess therefore your sins one to another” was an instruction to all to confess to priests, who, as outlined above, have authority from Christ to absolve us of our sins. He was also encouraging us to confess our sins to others, either to make reparation to someone we had offended or to humble ourselves in testimony so as to offer counsel others and bring them to conversions.

St John and St Peter also make it clear that we must confess our sins in the Sacrament of Penance and be baptised:

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8−10)

“But Peter said to them: Do penance, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38).

St Peter was addressing new converts, urging them to do Penance and then be baptised. It is for this reason that Confession must not be denied to anyone, as Mother Mary clarifies through Fernanda de Sequeira [9]:

“The Holy Spirit asked you to speak out about Confession. Know, my child, the Holy Spirit was saying, so was my Son Jesus Christ, that Confession is not only for the ones who received their sacraments. My Son Jesus died on the cross without exception for each one of his children. My Son did not choose specific people to save. His aim was only one: to save all of his children. Confession is for each one of his children. His aim is for them to repent, to come to eternity with all of their sins forgiven. Sometimes there is no time to wait for their last breath because my children do not know the day and hour to come to encounter their Creator. My Son Jesus’ desire is for my children to confess, to be absolved from all of their sins. My children never know when they will be called to eternal life. They must be ready at all times. My Son Jesus did not die on the cross for one kind of his creation: it was for all colours. My children, know the true Church where my Son Jesus said to St Peter, ‘Peter, on this rock I will build my Church,’ but through a Confession and absolution, my children can be seated one day at the banquet of heaven. That is my Son Jesus Christ’s desire − not to see anyone in Gehenna. Pray, pray for my children to come to Confession with a contrite heart and for them to be absolved of all of their horrendous sins. Through Confession sometimes my astray children from other denominations will convert and they will be able to receive, in time to come, my Son Jesus’ Precious Body and Blood worthy of him.”

St Paul also made clear in Hebrews 6:6 that, unless we renew ourselves through the Sacrament of Penance, we are recrucifying Jesus Christ and making a mockery of his loving sacrifice for us:

“And are fallen away: to be renewed again to penance, crucifying again to themselves the Son of God, and making him a mockery.” (Hebrews 6:6)

God’s call to Confession has continued through his messengers and visionaries throughout the ages.
In Father God’s words to Fernanda de Sequeira [10]:

“My people, my children, I, your Father, say to you that Confession is a beautiful Sacrament, entrusted from my Son Jesus, not from man. Confession is the key for your salvation. It is the salvation of your soul when you come to eternal life. My children, Confession is the most beautiful Sacrament to cleanse your soul, your spirit, and to bring new life to your soul. It is the most consecutive Sacrament that my children should obey and respect. It is the saviour of your soul. It purifies, cleanses and brings you closer to my Son’s heart, to his kingdom. Confession is a purifying Sacrament so that after you have been to confess all of your sins with a contrite heart, you can receive my Son’s Precious Body and Blood worthy of him... Come my people, come to Confession. Do not fear anything. Do not let the enemy win this warfare to gain souls because my Son’s aim is to see you all sitting next to him in his kingdom... Oh, my Son’s pains: it is unbearable to see him enter my people’s hearts who are unworthy of him [11]. It’s like piercing my Jesus again with a crown of thorns because my Son Jesus knows each one of you who approach to receive him. He already knows how your heart is. He knows you are going to pierce him with pain... Come my precious children, I, your Father and my Son, we are not judging you when you come to Confession, nor are my son priests. We want you to be saved, to join us one day in the glory of heaven. Oh my Son’s kingdom is beautiful – do not let go of this beautiful, unique paradise.”

Jesus is a loving and merciful Saviour, who is ready to forgive if we are genuinely sorry for what we have done, make reparation and do our best, with his help, to not sin again. Every time we make a humble and contrite Confession, Jesus gives us more graces and the strength to not repeat these sins.

Satan hates the Sacrament of Confession the most because it is here that he and his demons lose their authority over us and their ability to influence us further into sin. Demons are fallen angels or humans in hell who are obedient to Satan, who wander the world seeking the ruin of souls. We give these demons authority to be in our surrounds whenever we sin. The more we persist in the sin, the more they come into our surrounds to oppress, obsess and finally possess us [12]. As the weight of sin accumulates on our shoulders, so evil chisels away at the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit that we have all been promised. Unless we make regular use the Sacrament of Confession to remove the stains of sin, together with the other Sacraments [13], we will slowly slip into darkness and will be unable to fulfil our true purpose on this earth.

The confessional is the heart of the war room of spiritual warfare [14]: it is where demons that specialise in particular sins have no choice but to leave when all of the sins linked to their presence are contritely confessed and, in turn, more of God’s love, peace and joy enters us.

Confession should be a regular part of our lives, no matter how small the sin, because we are in an ongoing process of purification on earth. The more we go to Confession, the more of God’s graces we receive and the stronger our armour against evil becomes. We must remember that in Confession Jesus is not judging us, he is forgiving us. The priest is not judging either – he has authority from God to forgive us our sins. It is only at our death that we are judged, as Jesus reveals to us through his End of Times messenger, Fernanda de Sequeira [15]:

“Here in heaven, my child, we write everything in the Book of Heaven. All the good deeds are written in a special book in letters of gold. My daughter, I, your Jesus, say to you, tell my children about it. But what is hurtful to my Father, my Holy Spirit and my Mother is a totally different book, contiguous to the Book of Heaven: we call it the Black Book of bad deeds, which remain unless my children repent and confess to my son priests with a contrite heart. I gave a special blessing to my son priests to represent me in Confession. I repeat again, I, their Jesus of Nazareth, I am in the Confession box to absolve my children. My children don’t believe in Confession. I clean their Black Book when they come to me repenting of their sins.”

Our unconfessed sins, which are recorded in our Black Books, block our spiritual healing on earth and stop us from reaching our full potential and becoming the saints we were created to be. It is through Confession that our Black Books are cleared − the book that brings Jesus pain, the book that makes Satan smile and gives him more authority on us now, at our death, and, if sufficiently dark, for all eternity. If we take these sins with us to eternity, and by God’s mercy are saved, we will have to endure a purification in purgatory that is much more severe than on earth, as Mother Mary explained to Fernanda de Sequeira [16]:

“It is very painful when my children come to eternal life with all of these sins in their dark hearts. Oh, the purification in eternal life is very painful to watch my children suffer. Oh, that is why I ask to pray for the souls in purgatory, the souls in waiting of their salvation. Oh, my Son and I suffer to see our children going through this kind of suffering. Oh, if only my children would listen and pay attention to all of my Son’s commandments and teachings.”

Jesus lightens our crosses on earth through his heavy cross [17]. To avoid further suffering to ourselves and our loving Lord Jesus Christ, we should, while we still have time, make use of Jesus’ salvific sacrifice through his Sacrament of Confession. Confession removes the pain of our sins from us and strengthens our spirits, so that we can more profoundly love God and neighbour.

Spiritual laws to help in examining your conscience

Before understanding the nature of sin, it is essential to understand the spiritual laws governing our purification.

Sin chisels away at the gifts of the Holy Spirit, bringing evil spirits and confusion

Satan and his demons have various strategies to tempt and lead people astray. As we go against the Holy Spirit in our hearts and give into these temptations, so these oppressing demons get closer to us, the voice of evil becomes louder in our minds, our hearts start to harden, and confusion starts to set in. When we repent through contrite Confession, these oppressing demons lose their authority on us and are expelled from our surrounds. Each time we go to Confession, our resistance to evil also increases, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit come to the fore in us:

“And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of godliness. And he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:2−3)

Sin and the resulting evil spirits that we invite into our surrounds bring the opposite of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which includes confusion, ignorance, bad judgement, laziness, spiritual blindness, godlessness and blasphemy.

If you do not have all the fruits of the Holy Spirit, you are captive to your own sins

Jesus didn’t say that we wouldn’t have a cross to carry, but he did promise his Holy Spirit to anyone, without exception, who loves and obeys him. He promised that not only would we would be able to do his work and even greater works than him, but that he would also answer all our prayers and would reveal himself to us:

“Believe you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? Otherwise believe for the very works’ sake. Amen, amen I say to you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do, he also shall do; and greater than these shall he do. Because I go to the Father: and whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do: that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask me any thing in my name, that I will do. If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you for ever. The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, nor knoweth him: but you shall know him; because he shall abide with you, and shall be in you… He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them; he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father: and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith to him, not the Iscariot: Lord, how is it, that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not to the world? Jesus answered, and said to him: If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him.” (John 14:11–18, 21−23)

St Paul outlined how the sins of the flesh go against the fruits of the Holy Spirit, fruits that each one of us, without exception, have been promised:

“I say then, walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit: and the spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary one to another: so that you do not the things that you would. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects, envies, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. Of the which I foretell you, as I have foretold to you, that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity. Against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's, have crucified their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be made desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying on another.” (Galatians 5:16−25)

In the table below, we contrast the fruits of the Holy Spirit with those of demonic spirits that manifest through our sins:

Fruits of the Holy Spirit	Opposing evil manifestations
Charity (love)	Hatred, unforgiveness, bitterness, vengefulness, selfishness, envy, jealousy
Joy	Unhappiness, depression, gloominess, suicidal thoughts
Peace	Anxiety, restlessness, despair, insomnia, quarrelsomeness, competitiveness
Patience	Impatience, quick-temperedness, intolerance, irritability, hastiness
Benignity (kindness)	Nastiness, callousness, maliciousness, spitefulness, hard-heartedness, greediness, indifference
Goodness	Wickedness, dishonesty, corruption, immorality, disrespectfulness
Longanimity (long-suffering)	Always complaining, self-pity, laziness, negativity
Mildness (gentleness)	Anger, aggression, violence, rage
Faith	Distrust, doubt, fear, insecurity
Modesty	Immodesty, vanity, arrogance, pride, pretentiousness, egoism, stubborness
Continency (self-restraint)	Addictions to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, cigarettes, gambling, pornography, food (guttony) etc.
Chastity	Licentiousness, fornication, adultery, masturbation, homosexuality, sodomy, fantasy lust, incest, molestation, bestiality etc.

These opposing manifestations of evil are as a result of unconfessed sins, sins that blind us and cause spiritual blockages. Regular and contrite Confession allows the Holy Spirit to work within us and reveal any unconfessed sins in our journey of purification, cleansing us little by little, and allowing God’s love and peace to strengthen in our hearts. The gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit are further strengthened in us through prayer, in particular the Rosary [18], reading the Bible, loving like Jesus, fasting and receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ worthily in Holy Mass (daily if possible) [19].

Some may argue that they do all of the above, yet still don’t have all of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Often, in this case, people have been blinded by their own sin and must go deeper into prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what is in the dark, to bring it to the light. Recommended prayers include the Seven Sorrows Rosary [20], ideally as a novena, together with the Holy Spirit Prayer for Guidance in Times of Need and a Prayer Request to St Padre Pio [21] asking for help in better understanding sins [22]. Also, curses from others or being a victim of witchcraft compound a spiritual attack on a person [23], which is why daily protection prayers are essential in families. As Jesus explains to Fernanda de Sequeira [24]:

“If only my children would pray every day and night, and in the morning, the Armour of God (Ephesians 6), the St Michael the Archangel Prayer, the Memorare, one Our Father, three Hail Marys and one Glory Be, asking Mother Mary for her protection, concluding with the Hail Holy Queen − also reciting the Apostles Creed and praying seven Hail Mary’s to their guardian angels. My Mother’s desire is to pray the Rosary every day, but at least these prayers that I mention above. This is to protect them from evil attacks.”

Generational curses can be broken by praying for all the dead in your family: for this act of love, they in turn will pray for you until you enter heaven [25]. The Our Lady Undoer of Knots Healing Prayer [26] is a good example of a healing prayer to break generational curses.

Fasting and deliverance prayers are also of great benefit. Exorcists, priests or holy people in the Catholic Church who have all of the fruits of the Holy Spirit with experience the deliverance ministry can be of great help in speeding up the healing process. Self-deliverance prayer is also an effective means of freeing yourself from demonic suppression [27].

We must not underestimate the power of persisting in and using all of the spiritual weapons [28] that Jesus Christ has left behind for us, and it all starts with making an effort to obey God’s Commandments and to rectify our errors in the healing Sacrament of Confession.

Are you sorry?

Being truly sorry for your sins is a prerequisite for a contrite Confession. An insincere Confession brings evil spirits of insincerity into our surrounds, thus taking us further into darkness. Jesus said that if we love him, we must obey his commandments, and his commandments are very clearly defined in his New Testament.
If we love him, we will therefore make an effort to read his Bible to understand what hurts him, and will be truly sorry for having hurt him.

Forgive your enemies and those who hurt you

Forgiveness is the most fundamental spiritual law of all. Jesus was very clear when he said:

“For if you will forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you also your offences. But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences.” (Matthew 6:14−15. See also Mark 11:25−26)

This verse is reconfirmed in the Our Father prayer, in which we ask God to forgive us ‘as we forgive those who trespass against us’, where in fact, we are asking God to not forgive us if we don’t forgive. So, even if we take our other sins to Confession, while we harbour unforgiveness, our sins are not forgiven, the demonic bondage on these sins remain, and we slip into darkness more quickly as we fall further into the enemy’s traps.

True forgiveness means completely letting go in our hearts, blessing and praying for those who hurt us. Jesus demonstrated this truth to us on the cross, when, despite the horrendous pains and evil that his persecutors inflicted on him, he cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” [29] We need to see those who hurt us through Jesus’ eyes, understanding that our offenders are blinded and trapped by their own sin because of their bondage to evil. In Ephesians 6, we are told that it is not flesh and blood that we are fighting, but evil spirits in high places, principalities and powers. By understanding this truth, it is easy to feel sorry for and forgive our offenders.  It is our prayers and sacrificial love for our offenders that allow God to water their dry fields, soften their hearts and, in time, bring them to repentance, too [30]. It is this sacrificial love that drives a sword into the evil one’s heart and brings more souls to salvation.

True forgiveness means not bringing up that sin again with our offender. Anyone who says they have forgiven someone, yet feel some resentment or bitterness when they are in that person’s company, or when the person is being spoken about, has not truly let go and forgiven that person, and will not have all the fruits of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus forgives us, he embraces us in his love and will not bring up that sin at our judgement and our Father will embrace us with open arms, as he does to the prodigal son in Luke 15.

If you refuse to repent of all of your sins, you will not enter heaven

A person may be in good standing with the Lord on most things but stubborn refusal of repenting of a particular sin, however “justified”, will not result in entry into heaven:

“There shall not enter into it any thing defiled, or that worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they that are written in the book of life of the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:27)

Jesus tells us that his Word in his Bible will not change:

“Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass.” (Matthew 24:35)

And neither will his nature change:

“Jesus Christ, yesterday, and today; and the same for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

If the nature of God doesn’t change, then neither will the nature of sin, which is in opposition to God’s nature. Some try to argue that Jesus’ teachings no longer apply to these “times”, in particular in relation to fornication and same-sex lustful encounters. Some even try to suggest and promote the deception that lustful desires for another is a physical affliction, when in fact, it is spiritual one as a result of demonic bondage. To make matters worse, many Bible versions today have been defiled, which further adds to the confusion [31]. Take for example the word “chastity”, which is no longer listed as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22−23 in many Bibles today [32]. This defiling of Holy Scriptures, the living Word of God, is a grave sin that has led to much confusion and division in Christianity today.

It took only one sin by Adam and Eve, who were in paradise, for the entire human race to fall and be cast out of the Garden of Eden. Similarly, some angels in heaven, who thought they knew better, were cast out of heaven onto earth [33] and into hell for final judgement [34]. God has left his Bible and his Church on this earth to show us his way, and to assume a different Gospel, even if it vindicates only one sin, is a dangerous endeavour. Many forget that there is a battle for souls, and that the enemy can convince or terrorise us in our last moments to go against the Holy Spirit and not repent when exposed to the full truth. These demons, which we allow into our surrounds through our unconfessed sins, will be there to torment, trap and block us from not repenting in our last moments, too. For this reason, Jesus asks us to pray Divine Mercy Chaplets for the dying souls as often as possible to save many souls from eternal damnation.

An extract from St Faustina’s diary explains this:

“My daughter, help me to save a certain dying sinner. Say the Chaplet that I have taught you for him. When I began to say the Chaplet, I saw the man dying in the midst of terrible torment and struggle. His guardian angel was defending him, but he was, as it were, powerless against the enormity of the soul's misery. A multitude of devils was waiting for the soul. But while I was saying the chaplet, I saw Jesus just as he is depicted in the image. The rays which issued from Jesus' Heart enveloped the sick man, and the powers of darkness fled in panic. The sick man peacefully breathed his last. When I came to myself, I understood how very important the chaplet was for the dying. It appeases the anger of God.” (Jesus to St Faustina, Diary 1565)

“Pray as much as you can for the dying. By your entreaties obtain for them trust in my mercy, because they have most need of trust, and have it the least. Be assured that the grace of eternal salvation for certain souls in their final moment depends on your prayer. You know the whole abyss of my mercy, so draw upon it for yourself and especially for poor sinners. Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would my mercy not embrace a trusting soul.” (Jesus to St Faustina, Diary 1777)

Mother Mary explains this to Fernanda de Sequeira [35], too:

“My dear children, you can pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for any intention: you can add the souls of purgatory and the most abandoned ones or any other intentions. Include this prayer as my humble servant prays for the dying of this hour, the moribunds: ‘Father, when your Son Jesus brings these, your children, in front of your throne, my Father, have mercy and compassion on these souls. Save them.’ This is a powerful prayer to save many souls from perishing.”

Persistence in disobedience results in demonic obsession and possession

Satan has a myriad of specialist demons [36] that focus on harming people, from those that try to control minds, torment, inflict pain, implement curses, wreak havoc and bind people to particular sins. He plays on people’s weaknesses by doing all he can to throw temptation into their paths and to get them to sin. As someone persists in a particular sin without repenting, the oppressing demon eventually enters that person, which results in demonic obsession or possession.

Demons tend to enter people in pairs. Consider the following three examples:

• If a person keeps getting drunk and is spiritually weak in the area of self-control, in time, a demon of alcoholism enters the person and typically another – perhaps a spirit of rebellion, anxiety, foul language, blasphemy, pride, lies, lust or anger.
• If a person habitually watches pornography and masturbates without repenting, eventually demons of fantasy, lust and masturbation will enter this person, often filtering into dreams, too.
• Someone who goes against God’s first Commandment and engages with strange gods will become possessed by that specific demon and typically another − perhaps a spirit of pride, mind control or confusion.

In time, as people persist in these sins, so their armour weakens. They move farther from Christ and his Holy Spirit and they start entertaining other temptations. This opens the door for other demon pairs to enter. As a person becomes more evil, so higher-ranking demons enter, with the final stage of possession being Satan himself – as the Bible shows us was the case with Judas Iscariot [37]. A demonically enslaved person may be obedient to the Holy Spirit in other areas of his or her life, but if he or she persists in particular sins, even when confronted with the full truth, he or she may still be convinced by Satan, who comes disguised as angel of light [38], to not repent and instead, to go his diabolical way.

Jesus died for us to set us free from our captivity [39] – and to be freed of this slavery, we must humble ourselves and obey all of his teachings, not just those that suit us.

Do not sweep a sin under the carpet – free yourself of that bondage by confessing it

In Proverbs 28:13, we are told that:

“He that hideth his sins, shall not prosper: but he that shall confess, and forsake them, shall obtain mercy.”

While Father God tells us today [40]:

“Oh, do not fear death, fear your sins, unconfessed sins.”

Any unconfessed sin gives the oppressing demon the authority to stay, which means our burdens will not be fully lifted and not all of the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit will manifest through us. As you purify and make an effort to untangle the knots of your unconfessed sins, so the Holy Spirit will start to reveal other past sins that may have been omitted. Taking these sins contritely to Confession will cleanse you from all of your chains, shackles and bondages, and gently bring God’s love, peace and joy into your heart instead.

Some fall into the trap thinking that Baptism or receiving an indulgence vindicates them from confessing a specific sin of the past. Baptism cleanses us from original sin, while indulgences are for the remission of temporal punishment of confessed sins, not unconfessed ones.

Recall St Peter’s instruction:

“Do penance, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:28)

It is clear that, unless baptised as an innocent child, as our Lord is calling us to do for our children [41], new converts must do Confession (Penance) and be baptised, not be baptised and then confess their sins from that day forward [42].

With regards to confessing sins of the past, Jesus Christ clarifies this truth to Fernanda de Sequeira [43]:

“My child, thank you for coming to Confession and confessing something from the past that happened many years ago. The Holy Spirit showed you with clarity to confess, even though you were not much part of that, but you also sinned that time. I thank you for your humble Confession. Know my child, every time you heard my son priest saying to you, ‘Thank you for your humble Confession,’ it was me, your Jesus Christ, saying those words to you through my son priest and absolving you from your sins. My heart rejoices when my children come regularly to Confession and they repent of their sins with a contrite heart. Oh, it pleases me very much.”

If the Holy Spirit reminds us of a past sins, we must obediently take them to Confession, otherwise he would not have brought them to the light.

Do not curse yourself or others – the consequences are severe

Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us:

“But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” (Matthew 5:22)

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is placed among our members, which defileth the whole body, and inflameth the wheel of our nativity, being set on fire by hell. For every nature of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of the rest, is tamed, and hath been tamed, by the nature of man: But the tongue no man can tame, an unquiet evil, full of deadly poison. By it we bless God and the Father: and by it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”  (James 3:6−10)

Cursing someone is particularly damaging because it gives Satan and his demons authority to implement that specific curse on a person. For example, if someone tells you a lie or falsely accuses you, the right way to respond is to say, “This is not true.” The wrong way to respond is to say, “You are a liar.” The former is a statement of truth that is not attacking the person but discussing the topic, while the latter is a general accusatory curse. Another example: if a person is not understanding you, saying, “You are a fool,” is a curse that will send demons to a person to torment and do everything they can to make the person start to think that he or she is a fool. If the person does not have a strong spiritual armour, this can, over time, result in spirits of insecurity and mind control entering the victim. This is the reason why Jesus said that whoever curses another will be in danger of hell fire. The other, more obvious curses, are deliberate evil wishing on person.

Someone can also curse him or herself without knowing it and then wonder why he or she is cursed. For example, someone might say something like, “I will never stop drinking until I die,” or “I will never get married.” By doing this, a person has given Satan authority to ensure this curse is implemented − unless it is rescinded in Confession with a contrite heart. When confessing a curse, it is important to be specific about what was said, otherwise those evil spirits retain their authority to continue implementing the particular curse.

A curse continues forever until a person takes it back and repents of it. It can also be cut with the sword of the Spirit in the name of Jesus through deliverance prayer. Instead of cursing, we should be blessing and praying for people, including our enemies. This sends God’s graces and his angels and saints to them, making them better people. When we curse people, we send Satan and his demons to them, which leads them farther into darkness and brings more evil to this world.

A sin of the mind is still a sin

An evil thought is as bad as saying it or implementing it, be it a curse, accusatory, enviousness, lustful or any other evil thought. Satan slyly makes people think that if something does not physically hurt another person, it is not a sin, when in fact it is spiritually hurting and binding a person. Jesus Christ clarified this truth in the case of lust on the Sermon on the Mount when he said:

“You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27−28)

Be specific in Confession

To undo the knots of the past and the bondages to the oppressing evil spirits that came as a result of these sins, be specific on the nature of your sins, the number of times your sins were committed and the people they affected. For example, if you have cursed someone, then the specific curse must be rescinded and the victim must be stated, otherwise Satan still has your authority to implement that curse on your victim. If confessing sins of lust, be specific as there are many types of lust demons that can hold you in bondage. The same applies for addictive behaviour and all sorts of other sins that are highlighted in this booklet.

One must also remember that Jesus is merciful and loving, so don’t feel overwhelmed if you have too many sins on your shoulders, especially after not having gone to Confession for a long time: focus first on the sins that are weighing you down the most, then allow the Holy Spirit to guide and remind you over time as you purify through regular Confession and ask for guidance in prayer. Also, once a sin is confessed contritely, it is gone, Jesus has forgiven you. That is why he died for you, so don’t allow the evil to torment you into thinking this is not that case. Keep your peace and remember that Jesus loves you, has patiently being waiting for you and is joyful to meet you in Confession − just as a loving father is when his child comes to apologise for being disobedient or doing something to hurt him.

Think about the knock-on effect of a sin

Ask yourself if your sinful actions have led others astray and/or caused them also to sin. So, if, for example, you went to a place of sin and participated in evil there, that is one sin, but if you convinced others to do the same, then the sin of leading others astray must also be confessed.

Never meet evil with evil

St Paul and St Peter teach us:

“Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good” ... “Not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing: for unto this are you called, that you may inherit a blessing.” (Romans 12:21; 1 Peter 3:9)

By meeting evil with evil, Satan binds you further into sin. This also hardens the heart of the person who has done evil to you. Evil must be met with love, forgiveness and prayer: carrying the cross as Christ showed us in his passion, instead of giving a cross to your offender. In this way, God’s graces flow, hearts soften and the evildoers see the error in their ways and repent more easily. At the same time, more graces and blessings come to the victim, who is now being sanctified for a greater reward in heaven.

Never justify a sin

Satan’s way is to try and get someone to justify a sin so that the person no longer believes it to be evil. Here are some of his devious strategies:

• He deceives people into thinking that the nature of sin changes with the times. However, the nature of sin is timeless, just as is God’s nature.
• He makes people think that they acted under the “control” of demons and therefore had no choice. The freedom to choose, no matter what the circumstances, is our God-given right because if this weren’t the case, we would be robots. Yes, if in bondage to evil, the temptation to sin is higher, which is why we must never judge a person, irrespective of what they have done − only God has this right as he knows the full truth [44].
• He gets people to follow the advice of ignorant or sinful men instead of the Word of God to appease themselves that a particular offence was not a sin. This just causes a person to slip farther into darkness. One excuse that some people use to justify a sin is that a priest told them something was not a sin. Either the priest may not have been given the full picture, which is usually the case, or he may also be under spiritual attack. Priests are also human and need our support and prayers – we can’t extricate ourselves from seeking the truth in the Bible and put it all on their shoulders.
• He gets people to misquote the Bible (usually from a defiled version) or to take something out of context. He may make people say that a sin is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, when in fact it is, and has been clarified in the Church and writings of its saints [45]. 

Jesus warns us to not follow the folly of sinful mankind, but to follow his teachings instead:

“Let them alone: they are blind, and leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.” (Matthew 15:14)

Don’t blame a sin on others: come to Jesus humbly in Confession

When coming to Confession, what appeases Jesus’ Sacred Heart is our contrition in humility and simplicity, stating our sin, or our role in a sin, without complication or explanation as to why we sinned. If we come to Confession to justify a sin, or to try and save face in front of a priest by making an excuse for our sin or trying to tone it down, it is not a contrite Confession. We must be humble at all times, remembering that it is Jesus we are ultimately confessing to in Confession − he knows everything, including why we sinned, and all he seeks is our contrition in front of his priest.

In Jesus’ words to Fernanda de Sequeira [46]:

“My heart rejoices when my children come regularly to Confession and they repent of their sins with a contrite heart. Oh, it pleases me very much. My child, as you come to Confession, you become like a little child, confessing your sins in humility of your heart, talking to my son priest in Confession. But the manner you present yourself − confessing your sins, but talking to me like a little child − I thank you for that special way of confessing your sins. Teach my children this manner for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.”

Ignorant participation in a sin must still be taken to Confession

No doubt God is merciful and forgiving if you have innocently being trapped in a sinful encounter, so will not hold you accountable for this sin. However, Satan knows if anyone is exposed to sin, he has authority to torment both the perpetrator and the victim thereof. Innocent children fall prey to their parent’s sins, up to four generations back, as we did to our first parents, Adam and Eve. For example, parents ignorantly taking you “trick or treating” to a Halloween party as a child will give evil authority to terrorise and torment you as a result of your participation in this sin of giving glory to evil. This tormenting may not take place immediately, but Satan will terrorise or lure you into a trap later on in life: if not when alive, at your death in your final moments in an attempt to get you to despair and not repent. You may find that you are being terrorised in dreams and don’t have full control in rebuking this evil. If however, you take the fact that you attended a Halloween party (or more) to Confession as a child, that will neutralise any authority Satan has on you and he will stop tormenting you on this account. The same applies, for example, if you were ignorantly consecrated to evil through some “traditional” ritual of your parents. In this instance, your parents cursed you and brought demonic bondage upon you, but you can break the curse by praying for them and taking the details of your exposure to this sin to Confession (deliverance prayer will also help). Maybe as a child you also witnessed friends doing occult related rituals at school, or innocently attended a concert that you discovered afterwards had satanic innuendos?

Tacit participation in a sin without immediately rebuking it still gives evil authority to come and torment you: take the participation of this sin to Confession, stating what you witnessed, and the stain of this sin will be removed by our Lord Jesus Christ through his sacrifice in atonement for our sins!

Do not give up if you keep repeating the same sin

One of Satan’s strategies is to convince a person that it is no use going to Confession because that particular sin is just too difficult to give up. This is the case if the person does not go to Confession with a contrite heart and does not really have the will to stop. If we go to Confession with the true intention of stopping, however weak we are, the more we go to this powerful Sacrament, the more graces we will receive to rebuke evil. The saints went to Confession regularly, which is something that we should do too, to stay in a state of grace and receive the Body of Christ worthily in Holy Mass.

If, despite taking the same sin to Confession, it continues, don’t give up (this is what evil wants you to do): it is more than likely that there are other related sins that you may be unaware of that you have not confessed − often from the distant past [47]. At all times, pray to the Holy Spirit to guide you and reveal where your error is. Listen attentively to the Holy Spirit and stay focused on Jesus: the answers will come. Also, pray the Seven Sorrows Rosary [48] as a novena − Mother Mary promised that over time this Rosary would develop within us a deep understanding of why we sin.

Healing and building a relationship with God requires persistence and patience. By God’s grace, if our hearts truly open to him, he quickly delivers us from evil if we are truly sorry. If we genuinely want to do God’s will and persist in regular Confession, together with the other “weapons” detailed here, the number of times we sin will diminish and our revulsion to sin will grow. Do not be embarrassed about confessing a particular sin: those oppressing demons will go in flight if you persist.

Make reparation for your sins

Being forgiven through contrite Confession is only one part of a person’s healing. The second part of the healing process is to make reparation for one’s sins. This could, for example, be an apology or specific action to rectify your error, atoning for one’s sins through prayer, fasting or other acts of love and mercy, as the Holy Spirit leads. If physical reparation is not possible, then praying for a person against whom you sinned will help in your healing and bringing God’s graces to him or her, whether on earth or purifying in eternity [49].

In the event of performing witchcraft of any form, in particular, having placed potions, bones or any other occult-related artefacts on a property or given to someone, these need to be removed, blessed with holy water (with an exorcism-specific blessing from a priest) in the name of Jesus and burnt. If they are not burnt, the bondage to this evil persists, and the evil spirits introduced on this property will remain. A person’s sins may be forgiven but the physical act of reparation is required. If this is physically impossible, special prayers need to be said for both the victim and deliverance of evil spirits from the property, in particular asking St Michael and his troops of angels to assist in removing these demonics.

The Lord emphasised the importance of making reparation for one’s sins to Moses:

“Say to the children of Israel: When a man or woman shall have committed any of all the sins that men are wont to commit, and by negligence shall have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and offended, they shall confess their sin, and restore the principal itself, and the fifth part over and above, to him against whom they have sinned. But if there be no one to receive it, they shall give it to the Lord, and it shall be the priest's, besides the ram that is offered for expiation, to be an atoning sacrifice.” (Numbers 5:6−8)

Under the new covenant, Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for the expiation of our sins. We need to make reparation and do penance as the priest asks of us after we have made confession, carrying our lightened crosses with love and patience in atonement for our sins too.

Having your sins forgiven doesn’t guarantee deliverance of evil − Confession is the key

Some make the mistake of assuming that if they have repented to God then that is all that is required, but our Lord Jesus Christ confirms that he still wants us to come to the Sacrament of Confession, as confirmed in conversation to Fernanda de Sequeira [50]:

“Thank you for the beautiful Confession. Always try to stay in simplicity. Come to Confession at least once a week, it’s very essential. Oh, my children say that they confess directly to me, their Jesus, to God. There is one difference when my children come to Confession with my son priest: I am there to absolve my children. You do know all about this when my children say that they confess directly to God: yes, I do hear, but absolution comes only through my son priests because they have a special gift given to them on the day of their Ordination for all the Sacraments. My children must know and be taught all this. I repeat: absolution comes only through my son priests, my predilected sons who have been entrusted with the special gifts for all the Sacraments.”

“Absolve” comes from the Latin word “absolvo” (release, unbind, acquit, remit, set free), which in this context means to acquit you of the sin and to set you free of the bondage to evil that came from committing the sin. So, when Jesus Christ speaks of the word “absolution”, he is referring to the remittance, releasing or cleansing of evil bondages that remain on a person because of a sin. If forgiven of a sin by going directly to God, but not absolved, the evil bondage stays, which means that evil can more easily ensnare a person into the same sin, even if repentant thereof. This affirms Jesus Christ’s teaching in Luke 24:47, “that penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, unto all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Stop smoking and other addictions by taking them to Confession

Any addictive behaviour means that the Holy Spirit’s gift of continency (self-restraint) has been chiselled away from you, which is not of God. Taking all the sins surrounding this addiction: the root cause thereof, the primary sin and surrounding sins to Confession will release you of this bondage.

Smoking, for example, is a sin because nicotine is a poison which defiles your body, a temple of the Holy Spirit. To rebuke the evil spirit of nicotine addiction take this sin to Confession, also focus on confessing which sin(s) led you to smoking, any self-curses in this respect, and the fact that you may have lured others into smoking and smoked in their surrounds too. Self-curses could for example be: “I will never stop smoking until I die” or “I need to smoke to calm down” or “I can’t survive without a cigarette”. These are all lies from the enemy and give evil spirits authority to implement on them. Take these specific self-curses to Confession and instead, replace them with statements of truth: “I will stop smoking with Jesus’ help because I am a temple of the Holy Spirit who brings continency”, “I need the Holy Spirit’s peace and calm in my heart” and “Cigarettes are poison to my body. I need the Body and Blood of Christ to have life within me”.

Focus on tackling the root of your spiritual afflictions to be set free

Sometimes people find themselves exasperated in feelings of despair, anxiety or depression or any opposing fruits of the Holy Spirit, and can’t seem to shake them. It is often because the root of the problem is not being tackled in the confessional, nor is reparation being made thereof. For example, say you were rejected or neglected emotionally as a child. Over time you may have harboured feelings of jealously or envy towards others, either onto a sibling or friends who had what you didn’t have, which then started manifesting as rebellion and anger towards authority, your parents or guardians − who then came down harder on you, which in turn played more into your self-pity, negative thoughts, self-hatred and anger towards them, yourself and even God. Then pride began to set in as you further justified your rebellious behaviour and lacked the humility to apologise for your part of the sin − pride that now starts to blind you of your sins, bringing lies and contradictions to justify your behaviour, together with feelings of despair, anxiety, depression and bouts of anger and even rage. In exasperation you begin to seek healing in the wrong places, thinking a pill will take it away, blaming others for your state of mind, not being able to see your part in it and often taking it out on those closest to you (a spouse or family members), expecting others to fill the void in your heart who can in fact never fill it and continually being disappointed by them (who by now you expect everything of and nothing they do will bring you peace), not realising that it is only Jesus Christ, your Saviour, your brother, your only true friend who can heal you. And the first step of the healing is to meet Jesus humbly and contritely in the confessional and to make reparation with him and all those you have hurt and sinned against throughout the years, starting with those closest to you: not expecting an apology from them, but doing it out of love and humility, to bring joy to Jesus’ heart and to alleviate the pains that you have caused him throughout all these years.

The list of sins linked to behaviour that opposes the fruits of the Holy Spirit go on and on, and each person’s scenario is unique. However, if these sins are tackled one by one, bit by bit with prayer, in humility and love of God, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you in the process of purification, unpacking the details thereof in ongoing Confession (daily if need be for a period of time), you will eventually find your peace, a peace that surpasses all human understanding. Be patient and allow Jesus to do a full cleansing of your environment so that all the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit can be restored in you and shine through you, as God intended.

Sins in dreams also need to be taken to Confession

In the book of Sirach, we are warned about giving into the deceits of the devil in dreams that have led many astray, and unless a message comes directly from God, we must not engage with the unclean in lying visions:

“The hopes of a man that is void of understanding are vain and deceitful: and dreams lift up fools. The man that giveth heed to lying visions, is like to him that catcheth at a shadow, and followeth after the wind. The vision of dreams is the resemblance of one thing to another: as when a man's likeness is before the face of a man. What can be made clean by the unclean? and what truth can come from that which is false? Deceitful divinations and lying omens and the dreams of evildoers, are vanity: And the heart fancieth as that of a woman in travail: except it be a vision sent forth from the most High, set no thy heart upon them. For dreams have deceived many, and they have failed that put their trust in them.” (Ecclesiasticus/ Sirach 34:1−7)

“His watchmen are all blind, they are all ignorant: dumb dogs not able to bark, seeing vain things, sleeping and loving dreams.” (Isaiah 56:10)

Whether we are awake or asleep, our spirits are still active. As a result of this, Satan can also tempt, confuse and trap us into sinning in our dreams. Our Lord Jesus explained this truth to his visionary, Alan Ames [51]:

“We lay down to sleep and Matthew came and laid next to Me. ‘Master, when we sleep and sometimes have bad dreams, or dreams of doing wrong, it is a sin?’ he asked. ‘Matthew, you can expect when you are most vulnerable, the evil one will try to confuse you. Sometimes for those who are close to God the only time he can play his tricks is when you are asleep. If you reject in your sleep what you reject when you are awake, then it is not a sin. It is when you welcome these dreams of evil, of lust, of greed, that you sin,’ I replied. ‘But Lord, they seem to be there often and when I wake I feel so disappointed in myself for allowing them to happen,’ whispered Matthew. I responded, ‘My friend, the fact you feel this way shows that you do not welcome them and that you do reject them. It is not your fault if he puts these thoughts in your mind but it is your love of God that helps you to reject them. Do not be so worried. As long as you reject these thoughts you do not sin.’ Matthew was a lot happier now, for he had serious concerns that he was at fault. He understood now that evil placed in front of you does not make you a sinner; it is the acceptance of it that does. He closed his eyes and slept soundly.” (13/3/1996)

Spiritual laws are the same whether in an awake state or in a dream state, the only difference between the two states is that evil can more carefully “stage” an attack in a dream because there is no additional outside influence. Satan and his demons can come disguised as anybody they desire and can stage any scene, so don’t be fooled into thinking you are engaging with a particular person in your dreams. If you are sinning with someone, you can rest assured it is a demon that you are engaging with − if it is of Godly origin, it will be a pure, chaste and loving encounter [52].

Sins in dreams need to be taken to Confession. If, despite taking your sins in dreams to Confession, you find that you are still without choice, being trapped into a particular sin in your dreams, it will be because Satan is holding you to some unconfessed sin or sins in that area (often from your awake state). When waking, immediately rebuke the sin and pray to the Holy Spirit to reveal the unconfessed sins that the demon is holding to you. Then when he reveals this to you, take the sin in the dream and the unconfessed sin to Confession to be released of this bondage.

Many, for example, get caught in the sin of lust in dreams [53]. Evil has deceived many into thinking that having wet dreams is a natural, physical condition, when in fact it is not. Continence (self-restraint) and chastity are fruits of the Holy Spirit, while having no control of our lustful desires (while awake or in dreams) is from his enemy. To be fully released of demonic bondage in dreams, as is the case in the awake state, is a process of purification, so persist and don’t be embarrassed to take these sins to Confession. These evil bondages will eventually go. Another area that may take time to purify is exposure to the sins of witchcraft and idolatory over a period of time because it requires details of the various encounters need to be confessed: even if as a child you were innocently exposed to witchcraft, take the details of these rituals to Confession and the evil will lose its authority therein − always forgiving and praying for those who did it to you. The same applies for cursing or false accusing people: the actual words need to be confessed to be released of these bondages.

As you get closer to God through regular Confession and start living the way Christ is calling you to, so the Holy Spirit will strengthen in you and you will receive the gift of discernment in your dreams. Not only will you be able to more easily rebuke these attacks in dreams, but you will also gain understanding, will more clearly see through the evil one’s deceptions and will discover just how powerless he really is when you call Jesus for assistance [54].

Evil should not be able to control your mind: if it is, be as wise as a serpent

Recall St Paul’s teachings:

“Know you not, that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)

“Or know you not, that your members are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God; and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Being a temple of God, in God’s image, with the Holy Spirit residing in you, your ability to freely choose goodness over evil should never be compromised, unless you have some sort of bondage to evil. If, for example, you are receiving overtly strong temptations or distractions in your mind that are difficult to control, perhaps while trying to pray, or getting trapped in sinful encounters in dreams without desiring them, rest assured that this will be from unconfessed sin that evil is capitalising on to try and lead you astray. When this happens, take note of the nature of the diabolical imagery or temptation presented in your mind and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your unconfessed sin: you will be surprised at the result. For example:

• You get filthy sexual images in your mind while praying. Perhaps you have not been specific enough of past lustful encounters in Confession, as outlined in the Ten Commandments “thou shalt not commit adultery” section of this booklet?
• You find yourself thinking of other things while praying. Perhaps you haven’t confessed your personal vanities or placing of other worldly things above God?
• Someone that has hurt you is being thrown in your mind or dreams and is breaking your peace. Ask yourself if you have really forgiven that person, or is there a related sin linked to this person or scene that needs to be confessed?
• You get trapped sinning in dreams, waking up to the sin when it is too late. Ask yourself how did you get lured into that sin and what was the resulting unconfessed sin that created this opening?

Remember our Lord Jesus’ instruction:

“Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves.”  (Matthew 10:16)

With God’s Spirit residing in you, you can outsmart evil when you understand that all he can trap you on is where you have given him authority to do so, i.e., the sins in your black book that he accuses you of day and night before God (Revelation 12:10). As you wise up to his tactics and start to expunge your sins off this dark list, Satan is left with two choices: leave you alone or try and tempt you again. Because he is so blinded by his own pride and rage, he will do the latter to try and make you fall again, to which you respond to through prayer to the Holy Trinity and, if applicable, humble contrition in Confession. Now, instead of giving up to the temptation, as evil wants you to, you are using evil to strengthen and purify your own soul, fortifying yourself to withstand these attacks and becoming the person you were created to be.

Deliver your home from evil spirits

Homes can be infested with demons as a result of prior occult-related activities having taken place in them (sometimes unknown to families) or the housing graven statues, images, books, movies, music or any artefacts that oppose Christ’s teachings. These rituals or evil items that have been brought into a home bring evil spirits with them to torment and lead occupants into darkness and sin. Homes can be cleansed by removing these evil artefacts, sprinkling holy water on them and rebuking the evil spirits around them in the name of Jesus, burning them and taking these sins to Confession. When St Paul was establishing the early Church in Ephesus, this truth was clearly demonstrated:

“And many of them that believed, came confessing and declaring their deeds. And many of them who had followed curious arts, brought together their books, and burnt them before all; and counting the price of them, they found the money to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.” (Acts 18−19)

If these items cannot be burnt, they must be destroyed. Once this is done, the home needs to be delivered of evil spirits in the name of Jesus using holy water, blessed salt and a crucifix [55].

A final sword into the heart of Satan is to Enthrone your home to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [56]. This will bring countless blessings to a family as Jesus promised to St Margaret Mary and clarified to Fernanda de Sequeira [57]:

“Thank you for today, for the lovely Holy Mass that has been celebrated here, at our home, by my son priest Father Colin Bowes, and the beautiful Enthronement of my Sacred Heart of Jesus. This is a very powerful protection on all families, homes and all of their possessions upon them. This is a promise from me, your Jesus Christ. Oh, St Margaret Mary, she was present there amongst you all. So was the Holy Trinity and Blessed Mother Mary: she is always accompanying her Son Jesus Christ. I, your Jesus, I was very pleased with this beautiful celebration. Oh, the heavens also rejoice on occasions like this. Yes, the angels and saints of heaven, they were all present at the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I thank my son Charles Pritchard for this beautiful, amazing act of love in serving me, and for this beautiful Holy Mass, the Enthroning of his home. I desire that many more families would consecrate their homes, souls, bodies and minds, in unison of voices, to progress this devotion to many of my lost sheep.” 

Some common sins that many are blinded by and bound to

Our Lord Jesus Christ gives much detail on the nature of sins in his holy Bible, which is why reading and implementing the Word of God must become a regular part of a Christian’s life [58]. The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides additional clarification on the nature of sin. Below are some examples of sins to which many are bonded to, thinking they are not sins, and then wonder why they don’t have the peace of Christ in them:

• Not attending Holy Mass on the Lord’s Day (Sunday or, if not possible, Saturday evening)
• Getting drunk or high and leading others to the same
• Participating in crude humour, foul language and blasphemy
• Gossiping or mocking people
• Falsely accusing someone or dragging someone’s name through the mud
• Making jokes at someone else’s expense
• Cursing someone or oneself: any ill wish, thought or defaming word on any person, even if not in his or her presence, is a curse. This includes cursing our enemies, politicians or anyone who has gone astray, no matter how evil they are
• Harbouring unforgiveness, hatred or resentment towards someone, irrespective of what he or she has done to you
• Undressing someone in your mind, which is the same as committing the lustful act [59]
• Fornicating, masturbating or encouraging this sort of behaviour amongst others
• Using contraception: this goes against natural law and is an abomination to the Lord [60]
• Taking a “24−hour” pill after sexual contact. Despite false marketing a contraceptive, this is an abortion pill as a child is conceived at the moment of conception. Making use of contraceptive pills and Intrauterine devices (IUDs) will more than likely also make you complicit to the sin of abortion, as they make use of abortive chemicals too [61]
• Artificial insemination, which often comes with masturbation and spontaneous abortions
• Trying to combat sexually transmitted diseases by promoting the use of condoms instead of promoting the teachings of Christ, including chastity and the sanctity of marriage
• Supporting someone in having an abortion or voting for a political party that supports abortion
• Supporting same-sex marriage, which includes voting for a political party that supports it [62]
• Divorcing and then committing adultery with a new partner [63], not realising that what we bind on earth at Jesus’ altar is bound in heaven for all eternity [64]
• Refusing someone his or her rightful inheritance
• Being envious and jealous of someone, wanting what he or she has, no matter how small
• Not forgiving someone by holding onto a grudge or bringing up someone’s past mistakes
• Idolatrous behaviour, which includes focusing on money and worldly desires more than God
• Watching films, shows, reading books, listening to music and housing artwork that promotes sexual misconduct, foul language, blasphemy, strange gods, Antichrist cults, idolatry, vanity, drug use, drunkenness, homosexuality, divorce, violence, false philosophies or ideologies and other evils that go against the teachings of Christ. This includes keeping films, books, pictures, electronic media and related items at home, not to mention graven images such as devils, witches, wizards and so on, however innocent they may seem [65]
• Parents allowing children to watch films and television programmes, read books or play games that entertain witches, wizards, magic, idolatry, ghosts, dragons, devils, demons, strange gods, violence or any other Antichrist religions or ideologies, however innocent they may seem. The world today is plagued by these evils, which is all part of Satan’s strategy to make evil seem acceptable in society
• Celebrating Halloween and Mardi Gras, both of which are celebrations of evil
• Going to “alternative” “spiritual” healers and other occult deceptions as opposed to relying on Jesus Christ who is our healer, thus directly disobeying God’s first Commandment
• Meditating on things or words other than our Triune God or the Word of God. The devil has a myriad of deceptions in this false, feel-good arena. Transcendental Meditation, for example, is built on a lie of meaningless mantras, when in fact the mantras are calling false gods
• Entertaining statues or images of all sorts of false gods or idols in one’s home, which in fact give honour to demons [66]
• Practising yoga (the postures give honour to false gods, and so do the “gratitude” utterances)
• Wearing tattoos are not acceptable to the Lord as he wants our bodies to remain pure, which includes “Christian” branded tattoos [67]
• At the workplace:
  • Not keeping one’s word, especially when things go wrong
  • Participating in corrupt supply chains, such as buying stolen goods or paying bribes
  • Not serving all stakeholders to the best of your ability with fairness, love and integrity, be it colleagues, employers, employees, customers, suppliers or the surrounding community
  • Exploiting unskilled workers
  • Not paying a liveable wage even though it can be afforded [68]
  • Stealing from the taxman or the workplace, however small the amount may seem
• Parents not setting a good example to children or practising what they preach. Losing one’s temper in front of children, sowing fear, confusion and anxiety
• Being filled with vanity or self-importance, spending more time on oneself than on God and helping others
• Wives being disobedient or not submissive to husbands, and husbands not loving their wives as their own bodies: which is the basis of a loving Christian family, the way Christ intended [69]
• Dressing immodestly, provocatively or in a sexually explicit manner [70], which not only draws attention to oneself but also leads others astray because it causes them to have impure thoughts
• Twisting or compromising the truth to suit oneself, however small the deception may seem
• Taking Christ’s Precious Body and Blood in an unconfessed and unworthy state, thus eating and drinking further condemnation upon themselves [71].

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai are applicable today as they were ever before, and are a good starting point in understanding the nature of sin. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, walked this earth to clarify these Commandments and to provide more guidance by the way he lived his life and through his teachings. Anyone who wishes to truly understand what God is asking us, the true nature of good versus evil, and how to respond in difficult situations, must read the Gospels, meditate on them and gain strength in the way, the truth and the life of Christ.

The Ten Commandments are:

1. I am the Lord your God: thou shalt have no strange gods before me, thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor adore them, nor serve them

Satan has a myriad of philosophies to lead people astray, continuously reinventing himself under different guises. Dishonouring the first Commandment includes any “spiritual”, “cosmic” or “energy-driven” engagement that involves (to name a few only):

• Mediums, divination, spiritism, witchcraft, wizardry, sorcery, sangomas, psychics, interpretation of omens and lots, clairvoyants, tarot cards, crystal balls, channelling, numerology, reincarnation, black magic, white magic, magic, spells, tarot cards, pendulums, horoscopes, extrasensory perception (ESP), seeking ghosts, dowsing, spirit guides, séances, astrology, palm reading, simony, atheism, agnosticism, and secrets and rituals that give gratitude to or call upon nature, strange forces, energies, deities or ancestors
• Potions, mutis, bones, alternative or New Age “medicines”
• Eating meat that has been subject to ritual killings and prayers in honour of the ancestors, false gods or strange gods [72]
• Drinking satanically branded drinks, such as those housing 666 or dragon branding. Some manufacturers even going to the extreme of lacing them with witchcraft to make them more addictive in an attempt to make more sales
• Reiki, energy (chi’i) healing, acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology and similar healing techniques that have no scientific foundation but, if one digs deeper, are based on paganism
• Games such as Ouija boards, glassy glassy, Charlie Charlie (and calling various other evil spirits by name), as well as electronic games inspired by or promoting evil
• Sports that invoke or give honour to the strange gods or forces, such as yoga and some martial arts where fighting spirits are called.
• Consulting fortune tellers, psychics or false prophets, of which there are many today
• Meditating on anything but the Triune God and his Word in the Bible
• Wearing lucky charms, evil eyes, amulets or other superstitious items
• Wearing jewellery or body items that have been “blessed” without exclusively invoking the Triune God [73] 
• Making ungodly vows
• Listening to satanically inspired music or music that promotes idolatry of any form.

Any physical items relating to the above bring a demonic presence with them. If you are in possession of any of these, they must be sprinkled with holy water and burnt (if burning is not possible, destroyed): they must not be given to someone else because this just passes on the curse.

This Commandment also covers any religion, spiritual practice, cult, group, philosophy, ideology or practice that deviates from Christ’s teachings in the Bible and his Catholic Church. This list is long because Satan has confused mankind into inventing a myriad of false religions and cults. Included here are errant groups [74] that market themselves as Catholic, but go against one or more aspects of the formal Catholic doctrine. Jesus Christ, through Alan Ames [75], confirms the obvious mark of the evil one in these heresies:

“The denial of my death. The denial of my resurrection. The denial of my ascension. The denial of my divinity. The denial of my purity. The denial of my truth and the sowing of seeds of suspicion and of doubt. The denial of holiness in a saint.” (29/03/2005)

Many forget that Satan comes disguised as an angel of light, and unless we are striving to be obedient to God’s teachings, it is easy to fall into his traps set by his false Christs and prophets [76]. There are too many deceptions to list, but they can easily be discerned if the Holy Spirit is strong in a person. As in the case of Adam and Eve, Satan makes his deceptions sound so palatable and so plausible, and cleverly draws people into his traps. Even innocently attending one of these practices opens the door to evil and demonic oppression, obsession or possession.

It is important to note that Satan has false healing powers and can make someone under his control feel temporarily [77] good and then, when the problem rears its ugly head again, the person blindly goes back to the same “healer” − and so the cycle continues. In the case of fortune tellers, the devil can also give the false impression of knowing the future [78]. He knows the past and then uses these facts to lure his prey, to wow them into following his instructions through those whom he, and/or his demons, possess.

This Commandment also disallows having graven statues or images of false prophets and false gods or idols in a home [79], as well as putting the love of money and other worldly pleasures and deceptions ahead of God.

Another deception of evil that openly goes against the first Commandment is the celebration of evil in Halloween. Christians must have no part in it. Our Lord, through various visionaries, has warned us against Halloween and how dangerous it is to his people’s lives. This open celebration of evil is more far-reaching than what meets the eye, filtering off into all walks of life and that people blindly accept, not realising it is offensive to God and takes them deeper into darkness [80].

Dishonouring God also includes being angry with God, hating God, doubting or despairing of God’s mercy. It involves stealing the Body of Christ from his Church, blaspheming his Mother, denying the holiness of his saints and renouncing any of the sacraments of the Catholic Church.

2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain

Using the name of Jesus, Christ and God in matters other than in pious prayer, humble worship or teaching others about God is highly offensive to our Triune God. Satan knows the true God and makes those who are enslaved by him use the words “God”, “Jesus Christ” and “Lord” in vain without thinking about it − he certainly does not get people to blaspheme the names of strange gods in other religions because these are under his control.

This sin also includes blaspheming the Body of Christ, which is his Catholic Church, any of the seven Sacraments, his (our) Blessed Mother Mary and the heavenly saints. We are also part of the Body of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit, so those who speak, think or wish evil on others are being blasphemous too.

3. Remember that thou keep holy the Lord’s Day

In a Christian context, the Old Testament reference to the Sabbath day is replaced with the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10), which is a Sunday. Not making an effort to go to Holy Mass on this day is one of the most common sins that requires Confession before receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. Not keeping holy the Lord’s Day includes coming late for Mass, leaving early, not concentrating on Jesus’ living sacrifice, having Jesus’ Body and Blood in Communion unworthily, being distracted in Mass and dressing immodestly or disrespectfully for Mass. This commandment incorporates working unnecessarily or making others do the same on Sunday [81].

4. Honour thy father and thy mother

Even if we believe our parents are wrong, we must forgive them, bless them and pray for them. If we are obedient to our parents, we will learn humility and respect, and will be obedient to God. Even those children who live through abusive situations with forgiveness in their hearts are given the grace to let go, to see the error in their parents’ ways, to pray for them and to gain strength to handle the situation with gentleness.

If a parent instructs a child to do something that goes directly against God’s Commandments, then the child must respond gently in truth stating that this contradicts God’s teachings, refrain from it and take solace in Christ’s protection. At the same time, the child must not be disrespectful or hold onto resentment, anger, hatred or bitterness towards a parent. This hardens hearts and allows evil to take control.

Parents must strive to not only teach their children in the ways of the Lord, but to also practise what they preach. Many children are put off the Church because of parents who claim to be Catholic but do not live by its teachings.

5. Thou shall not kill

There is no justification for killing, be it an enemy, criminal, innocent unborn baby (from the moment of conception), or a sick person in the form of euthanasia or assisted suicide. Those who are complicit in any murder, by turning a blind eye, participating indirectly in it, inciting violence or following an instruction to kill, are disobeying this Commandment. God never said that we can kill in certain circumstances or that we can decide when to kill. It is God who creates, gives the first breath of life, and it is God who takes the last breath, not man.

Killing someone in the spirit is also included in this Commandment because it gives evil authority to implement on these. This includes any form of abuse of another person, including self, by word or action. Examples include cursing, mocking or using foul language on someone, physical abuse, violence, hatred, self-mutilation, self-hatred, suicidal thoughts, getting drunk, using drugs and eating gluttonously.

Killing your own spirit by cursing yourself is also included in this Commandment. This includes wallowing in self-pity, wishing yourself dead, considering suicide, saying (or thinking) you are worthless, stupid, fat, ugly, etc. These are all self-destructive as they give evil authority to implement on these.

Killing one’s body also applies here. Examples include getting drunk, smoking, taking mind-altering drugs, eating gluttonously, mutilating yourself and marking yourself with tattoos.

6. Thou shalt not commit adultery

Apart from the physical act of fornication or adultery, the straying of one’s mind into impure thoughts is the same as committing the sin. Even within marriage, purity of sexual contact and love is required, and pure love is possible only with God truly in one’s heart, otherwise purity is replaced with lust. Impure sexual conduct includes oral sex, anal sex, use of sex toys or stimulants, contraception, pornography, fantasy lust, masturbation, orgies, polygamy, bestiality and all sorts of other sexual defilements and idolatries. In taking these sins to Confession, one needs to confess both receiving and giving of these, in action, thought or dreams, and any obscure variants thereof, otherwise Satan will be able to use these unconfessed details (bondages) to lure and trap you again.

God is calling for conjugal chastity between married couples, which means the practice of natural intercourse that does not interfere with procreation. Spilling one’s seed on the ground (i.e., pulling out or masturbating) is a detestable thing to our Lord (Genesis 38:9−10) as it disintermediates God and his choice of creation in a marriage.

Divorcing and remarrying or having other sexual relations outside of marriage goes against Christ’s teachings on divorce and adultery. Father God confirmed to Fernanda de Sequeira that marriage at Jesus’ altar is bound for all eternity [82]. The breaking of marriage vows (or any other vows), made in front of God, should not to be taken lightly [83]. God honours his word, his promises − so should we.

Any form of entertainment that promotes these sins, with actors sinning in the process too, however subtle, must not be viewed, otherwise the viewer is complicit in supporting this evil.

7. Thou shalt not steal

No matter how small, or how justified, theft is theft and against God’s Commandment. Stealing from a corrupt government and avoiding tax commitments is wrong, and so is stealing something small from a wealthy person or company. Cheating someone out of his or her inheritance is also theft and is a serious sin against heaven [84]. Included in this Commandment is not paying back debts, buying stolen goods, cheating or defrauding someone, not returning borrowed goods, not doing an honest day of work and still receiving payment for it, and cheating employees of wages or overcharging clients.

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour

No matter what a person has done, if a small lie or assumptive statement is made as a truth to convict a person, this is a sin. The absolute truth must be told at all times, not the assumed truth or the twisted truth to suit oneself, irrespective of the consequences. Calumnies, false accusations, gossips, slanders and mocking of others are serious sins. Instead of judging or putting down people, we should be merciful, pray for their salvation and let God be their judge [85].

9. Thou shall not covet thy neighbour’s wife

Have you desired, lusted after [86] or imagined yourself with another spouse, or compared your partner with another instead of counting your blessings?

10. Thou shalt not covet anything that is thou neighbour’s

Desiring, being envious or jealous of someone else’s possessions is sinful. Instead of focusing on worldly desires, we should be focused on God, trusting that he will provide and thanking him for our blessings. Mistreating, damaging, neglecting or not caring for someone’s goods, property or money also falls under this Commandment. Has this sin lead to the sins of vanity, greed, seeking power, status or trying to put yourself above others?

Don't be selfish: love God first and then love your neighbour as yourself

Jesus taught us that the most important commandment of all is to love God first and foremost, and then to love your neighbour as yourself. Putting self before others is not from God, but from his enemy, and brings confusion and decay to our souls and this world.

Loving God

We need to love all three persons in the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each person in the Trinity is calling for a special relationship of contemplation and prayer from his children.

In loving God, do we try to obey God and do his will? Do we listen to God’s call in our hearts, the first voice, or do we ignore him and listen to the second voice, the voice of evil? Do we trust God? Do we make an effort to know what Christ taught us by reading his living Word and following all of his commandments? Do we humble ourselves for Jesus Christ, as he humbled himself for us? Have we brought people to Jesus Christ and his Church or taken them away from him? Jesus suffers in silence for us, do we do the same for him, or do we complain about our crosses? Do we share in Christ’s suffering by carrying our cross or do we respond with sin and inflict a bigger cross on him? Do we love God or something or someone else more? Do we trust God? Are we humble and honest with Jesus in Confession? Do we put down the Catholic Church, the Body of Christ, when priests or followers badly implement its teachings or do we become involved and try to build it up?

Loving our neighbour

Do we pray for and bless others, including our enemies, the living and the dead? Do we forgive them? Has our conduct been righteous, with integrity, honesty, diligence, love, purity, gentleness and care? Do we serve or do we expect to be served? Do we count our blessings or want what others have? Do we accept our suffering and tribulation in love of Christ and mankind? Do we help people to not sin or do we trigger sin in them? Do we practise what we preach or are we hypocritical? Do we lead our neighbour to Christ or away from him? Do we look at people with pure or impure thoughts? Do we love sacrificially or with conditional, selfish love?

Without love, we are nothing

St Paul confirms that without love (charity), we are nothing, because in the end it is our love, our good deeds, that gain us entry into heaven:

“If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity is patient, is kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely; is not puffed up; Is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never falleth away: whether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be destroyed. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child. We see now through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known. And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.” (1 Corinthians 13:1−13)

Jesus Christ shows us that love is kind, gentle, unselfish, pure, forgiving, generous, patient, faithful, compassionate, merciful, trusting, enduring, calm, peace-seeking, slow to anger, joyful, truthful, charitable, empowering, sacrificial and humble. If we love God he will give us the grace to love everybody, without exception, as he does. If we err in our love of God and neighbour, we must be quick to repent and reconcile with God in the Sacrament of Confession. This gives us more graces to be more loving and strengthens our souls for the spiritual battle ahead.