How to Tell if a Thought is from God or the Devil w/ Fr. Gregory Pine, OP 

St. Catherine of Sienna in the "Dialogue" asks God the question, "How do we know when an inspiration is from God or if it's from the devil", God gave her the answer, "When inspiration is given to you and your first reaction is joy followed by confusion then it is from the devil as the devil cannot grant Peace. When inspiration comes and you react with fear followed by a greater desire to love and serve me then it comes from heaven". I find this a perfect measuring stick.

God will provide, all we have to do is have faith. Me and my children are facing eviction this month. I’m suffering I lost my job because I declined the vaccine. I declined due to my pre existing health condition (Lupus) and heart disease. I’m on a bunch of medications already including blood thinners. I’m a single mom, my husband passed away three years ago around this time it’s so hard I feel alone. But it’s my faith in God that will carry me through this hard time.

I feel so sinful and weak like I have no virtues. Please pray for me that the lord will deliver me from my inclination to want to sin.

Thank you. It's interesting to see a good Thomist look at the methods St. Ignatius is known for. Pray for good men to answer God's call to enter the Society of Jesus.

This question is what brought me back to the Church. I realized that the thoughts that arise in my mind are not my own conscious decision, and that realization compelled me to seek to align my will with God's will and open myself to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit because of the horror of the possibility of being an instrument of the will and inspiration of any other source.

I find that God prompts me in really obvious ways. He doesn’t say specific words to me, but He will plant an idea in my mind. Sometimes it’s the idea to ask a friend to go to mass with me. Sometimes it’s to share my feelings and telling people about important moments that I have had in prayer life that I think could help them. An idea comes to me to pray for certain people- people I haven’t thought about in a long time. When I feel unworthy and unloved and feeling incredibly lowly, Satan tells me to not tell anyone. To keep going. It’s selfish to share my feelings. WRONG. In those moments I know it’s not God making me feel unworthy or lowly. It’s Satan creating doubt in me. He plants this doubt because he knows I already struggle with OCD and anxiety and hopes to thrive there, to pull me away from God. The great thing is that whenever I feel I shouldn’t tell someone how I feel, I know I actually MUST. God wants togetherness. He supports our efforts in Building His Kingdom but he knows our weak humanness and asks us to seek support in Him directly and through those virtuous relationships around us.

I was at Mass some months ago and after the Priest had consecrated the host I saw with my mind's eye 👁️ a man in the front row with a pillar of spiritual "fire" above his head 🔥 This color of this pillar was a color no mortal eye has ever seen but the nearest colors I can compare it to are red gold purple very striking and beautiful. That man whom I witnessed was in the midst of the Holy Spirit. God bless him I experience bouts of clear seeing or clairvoyance but I can never will it to happen. It's the occasional gift of the Lord. Oh, and I've had some profound spiritual experiences during Mass especially when the Priest is consecrating the Host or Invoking the presence of the Holy Spirit. Usually a profound inner peace ✝️ 👁️🔥👁️ 💖 🌹🌹🌹 🌹🌹🌹🌹

I was arguing about this very topic this morning in my own mind. I finally realized it was my will, not the Lord's, that was fighting for dominance. Once this became apparent, I was able to recognize all the rationalizations my mind was trying to trick me with. I'm not always this successful but I do find a big red flag is when I'm arguing with myself.

This little talk sounds like you heard my confession yesterday. I need wisdom and discernment along with humility - thank you for the message to aid me along the way

There were a few times in my life when I needed to make an important decision. I prayed to the Holy Spirit, and woke up with an answer in my heart. And a knowledge/conviction that it came from him. It was amazing.

This is a true blessing my priest told me to look up discernment of spirits and now this video pops up

Bless you, Father, & your persistence in Christ. Someone else didn't want this posted!

A Pints With Aquinas episode on discernment of spirits from a million years ago was how I found this channel!!

Okay Father Pine, this is a listen to at least 2 more times ( for me, it is)! And I do pray for you🙏🙏

Please say a quick prayer for me. I am struggling with sudden vulgar or frightening thoughts whilst I try to pray or meditate. It's very random, ruins my focus and scares me.

Excellente catéchèse ! Merci beaucoup Fr Gregory! Pax et Bonum 🙏🙏🙏

Thank you so much, Fr. Gregory!

You have a very good way of explaining things Fr. Pine.

Amazing, I need this kind of extreme discernment, if even the good (from among two goods) is from God or God forbids, the evil one. God bless.

Thanks so much Fr. Pine!

Just wonderful. And I can’t believe Fr. Pine had to re-start his video 8 times, when he’s so unbelievably articulate when he talks about any topic.

Thank you Father Pine.

God bless fr pine... you always make complex things simple. Thank you. Happy advent (second week) Everyone in pints and aquinas...cheers! -' from the philippines

This young man has a lot of ready answers and has a good deal of book classifications well rehearsed.

Niceeee, I really need this to understand Ignatian spirituality. I haven't even scratched its surface yet.

Oh my goodness. Thank you. This means allot🙏

Thank you for this video. Inspiring and helping

Thank you. Thanks be to God🙏

I'm really glad I can find videos on RU-vid about someone from the Catholic Church who speaks on these issues, but it saddens me that in our churches it's very hard to impossible to find anyone who will talk about it or listen to someone affected by these issues. I stopped going because I couldn't find help, other than videos like this. My faith wasn't strong enough to fight alone.

This is a VERY GOOD one. Listened to it several times

Nicely explained Father in a brief manner This Video will inspire many to seek Divine assistance in every decisions they make. As in Isiah God says very clearly “ God’s planning is always a success “ through his gift of Wisdom that we receive.

This was something to think about. Thanks, Fr. Gregory.

God bless you Father! Just what I needed

This was incredibly useful. Thank you.

Thank you sir, ive been wondering about this, very helpful

I need these constant reminders in my walk. Thanks, Fr. Gregory.

Thank you, Father Pine. Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us. St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

I would add that God's voice is humble in the sense that it is not angry or vengeful. The idea would have to be conformed to God's surrender on the cross. He abandoned his own defense for love of his enemies. There are many words and actions that would have been just for him to take but he chose to only say forgive them Lord for they do not know what they do. That kinda gives you a similar vibe of how ideas from God have to be in the same humble state.

Happy Sunday

Great topic Thank you! Best rule of decrement for me, still is this one from St. Albert the Great: “Let this be the test for you of whether any thought, word or action of yours is of God, whether you are made more humble because of it, more inward and more recollected and established in God. If you find it is otherwise in yourself, you should be suspicious about it, whether it be not according to God, unacceptable to you and not to your benefit.” Experiencing the subtlety and pervasiveness of my pride I am having a hard time denying the my total depravity. Its so painfully clear that Ido not have any Life in myself.

Trying successfully saying two rosaries, novena to sacred heart, sabatine privlege, memorare, divine intimacy, daily mass readings and usually a couple chapters of new testament. I say this because I need much forgiveness.

Dear father Gregory pls pray for my 3 sons Daniel , Samuel and Jason to be holy like yourself. Thank you and God bless you and keep you!

Thank you so much for that talk Fr. Gregory. Your eighth time recording this bears fruit, as it really shows!!! So much of what you said really spoke to me. It has been hard for me to translate my difficulties across to other concerned people, pastors, coworkers, friends, and family. Especially so since I have maybe been diagnosed with schizophrenia once or twice too. Though that does not mean I do not have genuine religious experiences! I have as much of a right to be here as any other! Of course. Also, I do not fully agree with this diagnosis, as I think it could be used for nefarious ends by people who want to de-legitimize others, even if they are family and could sometimes mean well. Though that’s not what I’m saying exactly. Before I am anything, I am a person. I don't mean any particular family. There are some, like my close friend who is a spiritual ritualist of Filipina origin, who believes me and provides great counsel as well; but the way you put it into words, as a person of the cloth here, really spoke to me too. From a place of logic, as well as the soul. Thank you so much for these Pints with Aquinas, Brother Pines. We actually know him in the Philippines as Santo Tomas. Our oldest university there is named after him too. Salamat po, that means Thank You, and God bless.

super love this! thank you, thank you soooo much! 😇

A difficult subject to get across but Father Gregory you did your best. This was my first time listening to you. I am a Catholic but I confess to having listened to Derek Prince, a late English evangelist with a deep love for God. Somewhere amongst his RU-vid Ministry he explains Discernment brilliantly. My son is called Gregory Peter Andrew Flanagan. Please pray he returns to the Catholic faith after a difficult time. Thank you and God bless you for teaching us.

Thanks Father

Excellent Father! One of the newcomers of the year in my digital church in Berlin / Germany! (We have a 24-hour-real-presence-adoration-church as well, though :-))

What a good looker 🇮🇪🇮🇪.. Thank you Father 🙏

thank you soo much for the 8. atempt

It's like I have a question and Fr. pine just makes a video on it!

Thank you Father!! Merry Christmas!!! Michael

P.S. I have watched Father Gallagher on EWTN about the discernment of spirits and prayer more generally with great interest! Fathers Pacwa and Spitzer are also among my favourite theologians to watch! I love Mother Angelica!

Well done.

Indeed very enlightening thank you. Eight times!!! I had a good laugh

It may have taken you 8 tries, but it sounded beautiful. I saved it to my “Mind Aesthetic” playlist.

KEEP IT UP!!!!!

Gracias padre Gregorio.

Does the act bring you closer to god? Does the act bring goodness or lead to the potential for future goodness? Such as forgiveness! I find these questions extremely helpful.

Reminds me of how I read that theology, or the study of God, was considered more so in St. Thomas Aquinas’ time, a science (correct me if I’m wrong 😅).

Dear Father Pine, to be sensitized to the Divine voice, we must cultivate a habit of mental prayer, such as through lectio divina, yes? In these times, darkened intellect is a result it seems, of lack of knowing that this is a paramount tool of Godly spiritual warfare.

Pretty convoluted for me, there has to be an easier test-Sexual immorality and adultery are everywhere and I have to be constantly aware of the weakness of flesh just as St. Paul warns us.

I could identify with his expression comparing the discernment to an electrical function in saying: "You short-circuited the whole process!"

Funny thing-- for this video about “discernment of spirits,” RU-vid’s algorithm served me up an ad for an alcoholic spirit!

By the fruits we can also judge, because as it's written: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit." (Matthew 7: 15-18) We can also apply this rule to ourselves.

Slowing this down would help. It’s moving really quickly through complex and novel (for most of us) ideas. :)

Q: What do the Dominicans and the Jesuits have in common? A: The Dominicans we’re founded to fight the Albigensians. The Jesuits were founded to fight the Protestants. Q: What’s the difference between the Dominicans and the Jesuits? A: Have you met any Albigensians lately? Lol. 🤣🤣🤣

How can we discern if evil thoughts come from us or the devil? And when exactly is that line crossed from tottering on the brink of consent and finally given consent to the thought?

Thank you, Father Pine! What about when Teresa of Jesus was receiving spiritual insights early in her spiritual life as a Carmelite nun and her confessor told her that she was probably receiving these from the Evil One and so out of obedience she ignored them. It was not until she spoke to another priest, a Jesuit, I believe, and a Franciscan, St. Peter of Alcantara, that she was told they were from the Holy Spirit! Curiously, she admits to being a worldly nun at first, then applied herself to mental prayer and says this was decisive! Also, it is ironic that you mention St. Ignatius, who was looked upon with suspicion at first by some Dominicans, the watchdogs of the purity of the Faith! The Holy Spirit does move in mysterious ways!

Come Holy Spirit please Come and consume my soul 🙏 Viva Cristo Rey 🙏

God bless

Fr Pine, can God allow anxiety during examination of conscience as a part of convicting us that we have sinned a particular sin? I’m not sure what i feel is from scrupulosity or if it is a sign of a sin i’m shameful of admitting if it is true.

Does it also apply for dreams, Fr. Pine? 🙂

please add closed captioning to this video if possible. thank you

Funny, I also had many interruptions (at least 5) even while watching the video (spam calls, door bell ringing etc) - had to keep rewinding parts I missed. Clearly someone doesn’t want this truth heard!!!

Durning praying rosary i asked about recieving vacine i got a strong NO so i didnt and then while at mass i looked at the Holy Eucarist and then i knew in my heart the Holy Eucarist is my vacine .WOW .i got covid and no symptoms Thank you SO MUCH HOLIEST SPIRIT..

I would very much appreciate if someone can put subtitles to this video🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Discernment!

Jesus Christ is the Lord, He died and rose again from the dead, His Kingdom has no end. Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I cannot make a decision for the Lord, I pray people do not look to any man as a total replacement for the Lord. Lord humble my heart, I will walk with you always and forever.

So in a nutshell, we can only correctly discern good from evil if we grow in greater virtue? I've been searching for an answer to this question for a long time, thank you Fr. Gregory.

This is a video I would have to watch many times to understand. I'm not familiar with some of the language used. I do want to understand though.

Amen.

Please Father are you saying doing something that causes me loneliness is not from God? My experience doesn’t necessarily bear this out. I experience loneliness while I pursue understanding metaphysics but I think this is simply the price I pay for these pursuits. Perhaps desert fathers, for instance, endured a little loneliness yet they persisted and found success, in many cases. In other words, it ain’t about being a happy week adjusted human as much as it is seeking right praise of God. Am I wrong please!

Can you talk about how sin wounded our nature and darkened our intellect and weaken our will? How can you say sin is just human left to his own natural self and not deprived of his natural good as well as the supernatural good that is the sanctifying grace?

7:09 Father, I've never been able to find such a person who was willing to talk to me.

Any negative feeling is a red flag for me. It's like pain - a signal that something is wrong. If i am thinking about doing something, and I think it will be good, but there is an accompanying anxiety, then i know that something isn't right.

I just asked my Guardian Angel if he was the one putting secular Christmas tunes in my mind, and this came up.

Thank you for the video! However, I'm pretty sure you can say all this in a simpler way Father.

It’s confusing, if I am about to discern if thoughts before making an important decision are from heaven or hell I can not wait for the fruit of that decision, the whole point is to discern before the decision is made!

Thanks! The only part I dont agree with is, bear with me: We live in a godless world. If we proclaim God or denounce evil, the world is going to shun us. We are likely to end up lonely and ignored, maybe even miserable. Many of the prophets wrote about this. Some even said it would be better to not be born instead of going through so much suffering for proclaiming the word of God. So I dont think we can judge whether something is from God based on how it improves our lives. It may be from God AND have (apparently) bitter fruits. The fruits of godly things arent immediate, and we may not even live to see them, as Moses didnt live to enter the promised land...

Orthodox Talks has several hour long videos talking about this

When you think Fr Gregory you discerned over time to become a Catholic priest. What I find so difficult is IS God saying WAIT or NO? God bless.

Alas!

If it takes you nearer to God, is from God.

By their fruits you shall know them. You forgot that the sheep know their masters voice. The more you know God's character the more you can tell what is in that character and if thought is consistent with that. Also you can compare thought with scripture is thought something approved or forbidden in the bible or similarly church teaching. You can ask holy spirit to help you and enlighten you.

Saint Ambrose pray for us

A locution is a tidal wave... a tsunami... The words will overwhelm and grab your attention (interiorly) in a way that you have never been spoken to before. Your own thoughts are just that... random mostly... some leaning positive, some leaning negative. Anything of a demonic nature will be opposed to reason and morality. So... mostly you're going to be dealing with your own thoughts... and often with demonic temptation. Anything which inspires you toward the good and charitable is fine but the genuinely inspired is rare... We have a free will, which is important... and why locutions aren't common.

The word salad is strong in this one

God: Peace, Virtue, Orthodoxy Lk 10:5, Col 3:15, CCC 1832. Devil: Disturbance, Vice, Heterodoxy.

"Pines with Aquinas."

Father, “…Our sin merits a redeemer…”? What did man do to MERIT Christ’s redemption? God’s love gave us Christ.