The Devil is Afraid of Me

by Gabriele Amorth

“We can do nothing against you because you are too protected!”

So declared a frustrated host of devils to Father Gabriele Amorth, the priest exorcist in Rome who spent thirty years battling the Devil and his minions by performing more than sixty thousand exorcisms. All the while, he deftly used modern media to awaken our disbelieving modern culture — and even the Church — to the reality of the Devil and his nefarious actions at all times and everywhere.

In these eye-opening pages, angelologist Father Marcello Stanzione tells the fascinating story of Father Amorth and his life as an exorcist. You’ll learn of his daily schedule and how he managed to perform dozens of exorcisms each week. You’ll find out what his exorcism room looked like, and how various devils responded to his bold practice. Best of all, you’ll read Father Amorth’s own startling explanations of many truths about the Devil that our culture has forgotten — and about the canny methods the Deceiver has adopted in recent years to corrupt believers and unbelievers alike. Among the many questions Father Amorth answers here are:

•How can we recognize the action of the Evil One?
•Can a person in the afterlife enter spiritually into a living person?
•Which prayers of liberation are the most successful?
•What are the four methods a demon uses to enter souls?
•Can demons hide from an exorcist?
•What are the six characteristics of evil spells?
•Are all instances of clairvoyance managed by demons?
•Is an exorcist infallible in his judgment and his ministry?
•Why is there no longer any possibility of salvation for the fallen angels?
•What are the arms of combat that each of us must use to do battle with evil?
•And many more surprising facts about the Evil One and how to resist him.

“We can do nothing against you because you are too protected!” cried the devils that Father Amorth battled. Let Father Amorth teach you in these pages how you, too, can be protected!

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Catholic, Spirituality, Audiobook, Christian, Faith

146 pages, Paperback

Published January 19, 2020

About the author

Italian Roman Catholic priest and the senior exorcist of the Diocese of Rome.

Amorth authored two books specifically on exorcism. The publications marked a defining moment in literary history, being the first public documents to treat this subject.
The two books An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories are not official Roman Catholic documents, rather personal accounts of his office as Exorcist. The books use witness accounts and personal experience as evidence.

-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had not read anything before by Fr. Amorth. This book was published after his death and is compiled of questions and answers taken from prior books and interviews. It does give a basic understanding of the enemy and his ways of afflicting people and contains some good prayers of liberation that anyone can use.

I recall the superior of the Jesuits, Fr. Arturo Sosa, saying in August of 2019 that Satan is a symbol, not a reality. Fr. Amorth states that if we deny that the devil exists we would be denying the sacrifice of Christ and misunderstanding the plan of creation and the plan of redemption. It is noted that Fr. Sosa changed his mind in December of 2019, then stating Satan was real. His first statement kind of fits the Jesuits of today though.

[Candace]

DNF@ 30% on audio 9/19/23. I was excited to read his books after watching The Pope's Exorcist. Lots on the devil, which was piquing my interest...but now he is affirming that the breakdown of the nuclear family (having two working parents and blended families, for two culprits) and "the disturbing popularity of the Harry Potter series" are our real problems. Byeee.

[Ron Willoughby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should be worthy of 4 or 5 stars. I gave it 3 stars, not so much because of content but because of structure and the missed opportunities of both editor and publisher to invest the effort to make this a significant work.

I am impressed w the wisdom, faithfulness, and legacy of Fr. Amorth.

[Kerry]

I recently watched the film “The Pope’s Exorcist” and found it was based on the life of a real person. This book, The Devil is Afraid of Me, is a series of interviews by that real life inspiration, Father Gabriele Amorth, a Roman Catholic exorcist who performed more than 60,000 exorcisms during his lifetime. In it, theology is discussed. No surprise there. However, he stated many within the church didn’t believe in the devil or demonic possession. He explained to not believe in these diabolical influences played into Satan’s plan. He goes into the purpose of Jesus’ crucifixion and the reason the devil hates the Virgin Mary. He points to societal factors that weaken a person’s resistance to the diabolical (including the breakdown of the nuclear family and the popularity of the Harry Potter books.). The narrative outlines the preparations to become an exorcist, man’s relationship with angels and demons, identifying demonic attacks, and such. He concludes with prayers, some historical, others of his own devising, to rid an afflicted person of occupation.

[Natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really more of a series of religious sermons with the notable points of how he thought the nuclear family was causing more people to leave religion, and how he felt Harry Potter would lead to satanism with only a very short biographical portion. He also contradicted his own teachings a lot which also didn’t lend any credence to his position as a religious scholar. Probably the only redeeming quality was that he did make the point to say some people just need medical and psychiatric treatment rather than an exorcism.

[Susannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spiritual health is a lot like bodily health - it all comes down to basic 1, 2 punch. Just like if we all minded diet and exercise all else in fine, if we kept close to Our Lady and the Sacraments then no worries about getting into trouble. The book is a vivid reminder of that. Great to hear from lifelong exorcists who sleep fine at night cuddling up in grace and trust!

[Josh Hornback · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

The amazing and inspriational story of Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican's Exorcist is told with reverance, respect, and depth. One comes to know the man who devoted himself to battling the devil for the souls of those afflicted spiritually. This is a moving and eye-opening tale about a man called to lead the fight that many deny. Father Amorth's life as an exorcist is sometimes unbelieavable but always plausible for those who know that the devil does exist. The prince of deceivers is the 'Evil One' of old whose ways have not changed nor has his target - man. In addiiton to learning about the preparation of an exorcist, the reader will learn of the four levels of demonic attacks, the demonic attack plan, curses, spells, and the nature of demons. There is also background on angels and man's relationship with them.

Like all Catholic priests, Fr. Amorth speaks at length about the Virgin Mary whom Satan and demons cower in front of due to her faith, her role as the earthly mother of Jesus, her role in prophecy, and her being favored by the Lord. There is great detail about her in prophecy that will surprise many who scoff at her. Fr. Amorth also cites examples of how the mere mention of her has helped him in exorcising demons from people.

Also included here are several interviews of Fr. Amorth and a lengthy excerpt from his other book, "An Exorcist Tells His Story." It is quite revealing for those who have never read the book. There also dozens of "Prayer sof Liberation" inclcuded in the book.

One will undertsand that this battle is real and must be fought. I recommend this book for those who have studied angels an demons. You will inspired.

[Michael Pudney · Rating 3 out of 5]

We have a big horror fan over here at The Witty Verse, and after recently watching The Pope’s Exorcist, starring Australian Gladiator Russell Crowe, I seriously needed to find out more about the real Gabriele Amorth. Firstly, if you have seen the film, it is pretty astonishing that this guy is actually based on a real person. Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not convinced the movie was real, but the film taught me (and a brief read-up of this guy) that Amorth is considered a bit of a maverick in the demon-slaying world.


He has published a bunch of books, so I picked the book with the best general reviews, and here we are. The Devil is Afraid of Me is a collated collection of interviews conducted with Amorth, asking all sorts of questions, from 'Is there a school that can prepare people to become an exorcist?' to 'Can demons manifest themselves in dreams?' I do believe that depending on your religious beliefs, you would be reading this book from completely different perspectives. If you were a deep believer, this book might work as a genuine guidebook for recognising and using prayer against the Devil, but for non-believers, maybe something more akin to mere curiosity while at the same time trying to get in the head of someone who believes the devil, exorcists, and exorcisms to be true.


I happen to be in the latter camp, but it still makes for some compelling reading. If you are a non-believer, you need to suspend belief. There is one point where stooges and witches and wizards are brought up as being fake exorcists, but if you don’t believe in a God, then it’s all fake, so you need to get into the mindset that Amorth and his posse are the real deal.


Amorth is a cool dude. He’s a deeply religious man of God, that much is obvious, but his approach to discussing his work is almost…amusing? I say this cautiously because to some people the work of the devil is not amusing, but he is so matter-of-fact about his 'job' that it’s almost as though he’s talking about the daily schedule of being a nurse, or a shop assistant, or a bus driver. It’s all so nonchalant.


The way Amorth gave examples of his experiences, and his day-to-day schedule or was asked questions about the bigger picture when it comes to religion or the concept of the devil, it was clear that he was trying to make it far less dramatic than the movies I have seen. Thanks, Hollywood. There was one instance when he referred to a possessed woman spitting up nails. That was pretty wild, and my mind jumped to all manner of movie gore, but as I read it, I almost felt Amorth shrugging while saying it, as though it was just another day in the office. So, yeah.


One thing I liked about the book was his insistence on the exhaustion of medical options before an exorcism might be carried out. How true this is, I have no idea, but at least Amorth seems to be in cahoots with medical practices. As a non-believer, I am glad to hear that someone who is such a pillar of society and a powerful voice in the church also relies on the expertise of medical professionals. Which leads me onto my next point.


I was impressed with Amorth's humility. Due to the narcissistic nature of social media, and the recently strong division caused, in part, by identity politics, I believe that humility is one of the dying virtues of our time. Amorth never claims victory over the demons he exorcises; he gives all credit to God. Also, he doesn’t make his work feel exceptional (even though it clearly is). He states that anyone’s prayer can have the power to expel a demon from someone’s life. He does not sit on an ivory throne claiming to be the voice of God and that only he can save the day, when I feel like he could easily be tempted to slip into this train of thought. I do feel that religion has great teachings in the art of humility, and Amorth displays it well in this book.


So, there’s my rambling. If you want to read something a little different and a little unexpected, this is a good book to pick up. Depending on how you read it, there are some nice little life lessons in here about the above-mentioned humility, resisting temptation, and the importance of self-reflection. Rest in peace, Gabriele Amorth.

[Chris Pratt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is the second book about Father Gabriele Amorth I’ve read. This one contained more of his teachings and I found it more intriguing than the other, which was more strictly biographical.

Genesis 3:15 says “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (KJV). Amorth uses this as proof of Mary’s divine calling, as if “the woman” used in verse 15 is suddenly and inexplicably different than “the woman” in verse 13 (“And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat”) and verse 16 (“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children”). It’s no wonder there are so many denominations of Christians using the same Bible to prove their own correctness, you can truly find whatever you want in it.

Amorth mentions a few examples of righteous Catholic priests who are (or have been) buffeted physically by a demon. My initial reaction to this was “there’s no scriptural support for this - of this is happening in a church it’s because its adherents are inviting the influence of the adversary into their lives.” However, he immediately backs this up with Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” as scriptural support, and I was quickly humbled. It reads pretty clearly in support of what he said: “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”

Of Mary, mother of Jesus, Amorth said “her role is not secondary. Mary is not only the mother of the Redeemer, she is also the collaborator in His redemptive work.” Bishop Christopher Butler said that “devotion to our Lady” during the “intellectual backwater” of the preconciliar Catholic Church “was taking shape in such phenomena as the Fatima cult and was reaching forward for further ‘luxury’ definitions of doctrine. If I may borrow again from Evelyn Waugh, it began to seem that the Catholicism of the future would approximate more and more to the condition of an Italian tribal cult.” I’m assuming he (Butler) was writing projecting the perspective of those outside the Catholic Church (such as myself), and I think he hit the nail on the head. “Mariology” has a different feel to me (a more “Italian tribal cult” feel) than the rest of Christianity (including most of the Catholic Church’s beliefs) at large.

Parousia, perfidy, ascetic, reiki, ipso facto, mediatrix, vestibule

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My bookclub chose "The Devil Is Afraid of Me." For October, but we didn't have time to meet and discuss it until mid-November. We had a great discussion and had all made a lot of notes throughout the book, but we also felt like this book was pretty random - like a scrapbook of (undated) interviews. In several instances I felt like the interviewer neglected to ask good follow-up questions or to clarify his answers.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on his Marian devotion, the Maria Rita Viaggio Interview in Appendix A, and the Prayers of Liberation in Appendix B. I also noted Father Amorth's assertion of the the devil's infiltration of the Vatican (p18), his thoughts on Harry Potter (p51) and on Fatima (p58).

"Each time we look at the crucifix, let us say thank you. It is through these sentiments: adhesion to the will of the Father, understanding the value of suffering, and faith in the victory of Christ through the cross that each one of us has the power to defeat Satan and to liberate ourselves if we fall into his possession." (p.96).

Also recommended: "An Exorcist Tells His Story" by Father Gabriel Amorth, published 20 years prior to this book.

[Smooballs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting a series of stories from Father Gabrielle Amorth’s personal experiences with exorcism. The title makes it seem more exciting.

While some experiences are expressed, most of the book has to do with Catholic dogma surrounding exorcisms.

I am a Protestant, not a Catholic, and I do appreciate learning about apologetics of other denominations (including Catholicism), but a lot of the dogma has heavy emphasis on mother Mary and doesn’t resonate with me.

There were some good take aways but, although I’m a person who does believe in a level of spiritual mysticism, a lot of the reasonings and verbiage used didn’t resonate.

Ultimately this is a book explaining catholic beliefs and hierarchy of the church surrounding exorcisms and evil. It was a little anticlimactic and more of a religious explanation and an interview of the priests life.

It’s not a long book, but I did have to push myself through the last half to be able to say I fully read it.

Might be good for a Catholic who’s into apologetics. Very little in terms of stories of exorcism.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good synopsis on the powers of the devil in our material world and the ploys he utilizes to separate man from God.

I have always believed that the devil's greatest trick was convincing man that he did not exist. The book speaks to that exact point. Many people, even some priests within the church do not accord the devil with his just due and many others do not even accept the existence of evil in our world. If we cannot accept that evil exist how can we combat it? The first step in any problem solving is recognizing and identifying the problem.

The structure of the book is where I found it somewhat lacking. It is not a continuous treatise but rather is broken up in parts made up of different interviews and chapters. To me this interrupts the flow and overall cohesion.

However the content is very good and it puts some difficult concepts in very workable terms.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a fan of horror so I was hesitant what this book might be like. But, it really was more a very brief biography and series of questions and interviews. I learned some things I didn't know (It frequently takes dozens of times to be successful!), but it was largely just anecdotal reading. He made it sound like it was all quite routine and all in a days work (for him it is). So it was interesting to hear from a Catholic talk about what his religion really can do. I found it fascinating that the work is presented in a very good vs evil manner. Like, you never know who is going to win out (though Christ will always be the ultimate victor). I liked one thought, he said that personal prayers that praise the Lord are the most efficacious. I found that interesting.

[Aman Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

An odd collection of shorts regarding Fr. Gabriele Amorth. The question is for whom is this book for? On one hand, there is a lot of very basic information about demons and exorcism that is presented in this book; on the other, it includes one of the best explorations of the development of the idea of Satan I have ever read (The Devil Goes by Many Names). Furthermore, there is a lot of information that is repeated.

It reads easily and well, but its composition is odd. I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone, but certain sections I would.

[Marc K]

We saw The Pope's Exorcist 2023 movie and were inspired to check out the book.
Since it was post his death it wasn't an autobiography, nor even a biography, but they had commentary from people who knew or interviewed him.
It was not a coherent story so it lacked drama and characters.

As a Roman Catholic I was intrigued by official exorcists existing and how they performed their rites.

I found it interesting historically, but not a compelling story.

[Soraya Gonzalez · Rating 2 out of 5]

chaotic book

I found the structure of the book chaotic and amorphous. One minute it talks about an anecdote then it delves into an interview.
I understand it tells the story of father amorth primarily from interviews but it jumps backwards and forwards and becomes confusing and extremely dense, dry.
Not an enjoyable read unless you’re studying theology and are interested specifically in this topic.

[Jenalee Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting and unexpected read. I came across it after watching the movie and wanted to know more about Fr Amorth. I found the spiritual warfare interesting from his perspective with the Catholic Church. So many connections with other beliefs that it was inspiring for me to hear it coming from him. I’d read more of his work after this!

[Carmen Scuderi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light in the darkness!

The life of Father Amorth brings to light the reality of personal evil. More importantly it witnesses to the indescribable love of God and His Christ through whose passion the Victory is already won. A must read for any who proclaim the Gospel in the World today. There is Hope the Light prevails.

[Daphne Vogel]

Curiosity read. It’s difficult to navigate the worries about wizards, the worries about Harry Potter and Marilyn Manson, and that general pop culture hyper-paranoia. Some interesting factoids re: exorcism, though I’m under the impression that most families brought their Harry Potter-afflicted children to be exorcised of demons wearing Slytherin scarves.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed glimpse of the Roman Catholic's head exorcist. Good read if your curious about the inner details of exorcism. What written has little if any to do with what you've seen in the movies. Short at 144 pages - a quick read.

[Bryan Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read a couple of Fr. Amorth's books. I am always left wanting more about the actual exorcisms and what transpires. This book touches briefly upon this but it was somewhat lacking. It really was more of a 30,000 foot view of an exorcist rather than getting into the details.

[Deborah Slaughter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, given the title and description of this book, I guess I expected something different. Also, while my personal views differ from his I still enjoyed learning about his perspective and found it interesting.

[Leanne Tempest · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book completely lost me when it said that reading Harry Potter was a way to invite the occult into your life. I think the Catholic Church needs to lighten up and move more with the times. A very disappointing read.

[Dorota Winch · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is another infuriating book, where we learn that Harry Potter books are evil and Reiki healers are to be condemned. If you’re not it with the church, you’re against it. I’m giving up. This dude is so narrow minded, I felt like screaming through the entire listening of the audiobook.

[Steve Dustcircle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mental illness is not a devil's personification. Satan is not real. This complete book is about make believe and an attempt to practice medicine without a license.

[Blanche Française · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Very well written. Great explanations about good v evil.

[Frank Kreps]

It's OK

[Blonde · Rating 3 out of 5]

The topic is important and this book is a worthy read. While I respect the presentation in that the author didn't want to sensationalize the topic, I found the writing a bit on the dry side.