# An Invitation to Healing: Spiritual Warfare
*2020-04-07*

> Bill Young reflects on Dan Burke’s book *The Discerning of the Spirits*, exploring how anxiety can be an invitation from God to healing through Scripture, prayer, and spiritual warfare.

## Why Spiritual Warfare Matters Today

I’m excited to share a recent book that has shaped my own journey—Dan Burke’s *The Discerning of the Spirits*. Burke, who leads the news division at EWTN, wrote this in January 2020, and it feels especially timely. In one chapter, titled “An Invitation to Healing,” he reminds us of Jesus’ promise in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Burke argues that the events that stir our anxiety are actually God’s invitation to experience that peace.

## My Own Dashboard of Anxiety

When I first came to Christ as a young man, I was active in the parish, evangelizing, serving, reading the Bible, and praying daily. Yet my “spiritual health dashboard” was constantly flashing red. I kept asking, “Why don’t I feel the peace Jesus promised?” Looking back, I see that God was inviting me to be healed. I began memorizing Scripture—especially the first twenty passages that focus on the Gospel. Each time I committed a verse to memory, I tasted a small measure of peace that drew me back to the project.

## Finding the Pattern of Peace in Scripture

Studying New Testament passages on suffering, I noticed a recurring promise of peace. St. Paul’s letters were especially powerful. Romans 12:1‑2 urges us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice and to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. The Greek word for “transformed” evokes the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly—suggesting that our minds can be healed and made beautiful.

In 2 Corinthians 10:3‑5, Paul writes that our warfare is not worldly but divine, and that we must “destroy the strongholds” and “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” The Greek term for “strongholds” refers to fortified military positions—illustrating that the battle is fought in the mind against lies and proud obstacles to the knowledge of God.

## Taking Thoughts Captive: A Practical Method

I began a simple exercise: I listed the lies I believed on the left side of a page and wrote the corresponding truth of God on the right. For example:

- **Lie:** I am worthless.
- **Truth:** I am a child of God (John 1:12).

I then prayed, “Lord, help me reject the lie and embrace your truth.” This practice mirrors James 4:7‑8, which calls us to submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to the Lord. Over months, repeatedly confronting these lies with Scripture and prayer cultivated a growing peace in my heart.

## Prayer, Thanksgiving, and the Peace That Surpasses Understanding

Philippians 4:6‑7 taught me another vital weapon: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” While the promise seemed lofty at first—especially when facing persecution like the early martyrs—I learned that persistent, thankful prayer gradually steadies the soul.

Paul’s later exhortation in Philippians 4:8‑9 to focus on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable reinforced the importance of directing our thoughts toward God’s goodness.

## Living the Healing Journey

Applying these principles—rejecting lies, embracing truth, praying with thanksgiving, and fixing my mind on what is good—has transformed my inner life. I even made a decisive change by turning off television, removing a source of distraction that fed negative thoughts. The result has been a deeper experience of God’s peace, even amid trials.

I continue to draw on the Holy Spirit’s wisdom, especially as I explore the Catholic mystical tradition and the sacraments, which have brought me to the final stages of healing. My hope is that others will also discover that anxiety can be an invitation to encounter Christ’s peace.

*Anxiety is often God’s invitation to heal; by taking every thought captive with Scripture, prayer, and gratitude, we can experience the peace Jesus promised.*