Facing Spiritual Warfare: The Power of St. Patrick’s Breastplate

Facing Spiritual Warfare: My Journey and the Power of St. Patrick’s Breastplate

Lately, I’ve been facing some intense spiritual warfare. As a Protestant, I make it a priority to stay connected with God through daily communion—a practice that’s essential to my faith. One of the reasons I created this website was because I felt I wasn’t receiving the spiritual support I needed from the church. Here, you’ll find a wealth of resources I’ve gathered to help live a vibrant spiritual life as a Christian within the Anglican tradition. Through my experience preaching and providing pastoral care, I’ve witnessed firsthand that clergy and church workers often face far greater spiritual battles than most laypeople, whether they realize it or not.

The devil is not a mere symbol or literary device. He is a fallen angel who leads an army of fallen angels seeking our ruin. The devil is a rational supernatural being with intellect far beyond our own. Anglicans, and indeed all believers, need to abandon any impersonal view of the devil and understand that he is real—and we are in a battle against him at all times.

The principal target of the devil is the priesthood, precisely because priests bring forth the Holy Eucharist through the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the priesthood, there would be no Sacraments. St. Therese, who was a spiritual mother to priests in the Catholic faith, said: “Behind each priest, there is a demon fighting for his fall.” This reality is evident in the diabolical nature of sins and crimes committed by some priests and bishops who chose to fall into temptation rather than keep their eyes fixed on Christ. I wanted to share the quote below because it truly reflects how I feel about the battle between darkness and light, especially when a new convert joins the church and God calls them into His work.

“Give me great sinners to make great saints; they are glorious raw material for grace to work upon; and when you do get them saved, they will shake the very gates of hell. The ringleaders in Satan’s camp make noble sergeants in the camp of Christ. These bravest of the brave are they.”
— Charles Spurgeon

May the Lord strengthen our priests, pastors, laypeople, church workers, everyone called to do good, and the entire body of Christ. I was taught the prayer below in seminary and want to share it with you as well—may it bring you strength in times of challenge.

St. Patrick’s Breastplate: A Prayer of Divine Protection

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

How to Use St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer

• Set aside a quiet moment—morning or evening works well.
• Read the prayer slowly and intentionally, letting each line sink into your heart.
• Visualize yourself clothed in divine armor, protected by Christ’s presence all around you.
• Repeat the prayer as often as you need, especially when facing spiritual challenges or moments of doubt.
• Carry the spirit of the prayer with you throughout your day, trusting God’s strength to uphold and guide you.