Welcome to the Ignatian Discernment Institute!
The mission of the Ignatian Discernment Institute is to equip people of all vocations to live the spiritual life with hope, joy, and fruitfulness through St. Ignatius of Loyola’s teaching on discernment.
The Ignatian Rules for Discernment of Spirits are a powerful resource for combatting discouragement and growing in the spiritual life.
These Rules were originally written by St. Ignatius of Loyola over 500 years ago, and have expanded beyond the Jesuit order to meet everyone where they are at in their own spiritual journey.
Introduction to the Rules
Rules for becoming aware and understanding to some extent the different movements which are caused in the soul, the good, to receive them, and the bad to reject them. And these rules are more proper for the first week [of the Spiritual Exercises].
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From our Founders:
From the very beginning, the densely packed words of St. Ignatius of Loyola brim with meaning. We know that his life saw a dramatic shift from soldier to saint, and the wellspring of teaching began from his convalescent bed in Loyola after he had been seriously injured in battle. At this graced time, Ignatius considered two projects: one worldly and one of service to God, and through that process his "eyes were opened a little."
In the introduction to the rules we find the model that we embrace throughout the teaching, the key aspects that if understood and employed can help free us from discouragement and set captives free:
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Become Aware
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Understand
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Take Action (Accept / Reject)
As we explore the rules further (below on this page), we will be reminded of how to employ these key skills in discernment of spirits.
When a Person Moves Away from God
(Rule 1)
First Rule. The first rule: in persons who are going from mortal sin to mortal sin, the enemy is ordinarily accustomed to propose apparent pleasures to them, leading them to imagine sensual delights and pleasures in order to hold them more and make them grow in their vices and sins. In these persons the good spirit uses a contrary method, stinging and biting their consciences through their rational power of moral judgment.
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From our Founders:
In the first rule, St. Ignatius describes the spiritual experience of a person whose life is oriented away from God. Such a person consistently chooses sin and resists God's invitations to conversion. Here, the "enemy" (the evil spirit) encourages this direction by offering apparent pleasures, presenting sensual delights to the inagination, and inflaming disordered desires — anything to keep the soul moving further from God. The enemy acts like a false seducer, making vice appear attractive.
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In contrast, the good spirit — even for this soul — acts by stinging the conscience through the gift of reason. This is the voice that unsettles the sinner, prompting a desire for change. Fr. Gallagher highlights that even those turned from God are not abandoned; the Holy Spirit persistently calls them toward repentance. The movements are clear: one spirit comforts toward evil, the other disturbs toward good.
Second Rule. The second: in persons who are going on intensely purifying their sins and rising from good to better in the service of God our Lord, the method is contrary to that in the first rule. For then it is proper to the evil spirit to bite, sadden, and place obstacles, disquieting with false reasons, so that the person may not go forward. And it is proper to the good spirit to give courage and strength, consolations, tears, inspirations, and quiet, easing and taking away all obstacles, so that the person may go forward in doing good.
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From our Founders:
In Rule 2, Ignatius considers the opposite condition — a soul earnestly striving to grow in love for God. For this person, the good spirit consoles: lifting, encouraging, and strengthening the soul. There are peace, tears of joy, and clarity — all signs that the Holy Spirit is drawing the soul closer to God. These inner experiences reinforce virtue and deepen one's relationship with the Lord.
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Meanwhile, the enemy shifts tactics. Instead of tempting with obvious sin, the enemy now attempts to unsettle the soul through doubts, false reasoning, or excessive scrupulosity. These tactics are subtle and disguised. The enemy wants to derail spiritual progress through confusion or discouragement. We must remain alert to this new pattern: the enemy who once tempted with pleasure now discourages through fear or distortion.
When a Person Moves toward God (Rule 2)
Spiritual Consolation
(Rule 3)
Third Rule. The third is of spiritual consolation. I call it consolation when some interior movement is caused in the soul, through which the soul comes to be inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord, and consequently when it can love no created thing on the face of the earth in itself, but only in the Creator of them all. Likewise when it sheds tears that move to the love of its Lord, whether out of sorrow for one's sins, or for the passion of Christ our Lord, or because of other things directly ordered to his service and praise. Finally, I call consolation every increase of hope, faith, and charity, and all interior joy that calls and attracts to heavenly things and to the salvation of one's soul, quieting it and giving it peace in its Creator and Lord.
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From our Founders:
Spiritual consolation, according to Ignatius, is a deep interior joy that draws one toward God. It includes tears, peace, and love for the Lord. It's a movement that leads to greater faith, hope, and charity — always centered on God. Consolation energizes and motivates, strengthening the soul’s desire to serve. It can be considered as “God’s touch upon the heart,” unmistakable in its sweetness and life-giving energy.
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Consolation is not just emotional uplift but a grace that brings the soul into closer alignment with God's will. In such moments, God's presence feels near, and the path forward seems clear. We should remember to cherish these times, allowing them to build spiritual resilience for more difficult moments.
Fourth Rule. The fourth is of spiritual desolation. I call desolation all the contrary of the third rule, such as darkness of soul, disturbance in it, movement to low and earthly things, disquiet from various agitations and temptations, moving to lack of confidence, without hope, without love, finding oneself totally slothful, tepid, sad and, as if separated from one’s Creator and Lord. For just as consolation is contrary to desolation, in the same way the thoughts that come from consolation are contrary to the thoughts that come from desolation.
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From our Founders:
Spiritual desolation is the opposite of consolation: a heaviness of soul, discouragement, dryness in prayer, or loss of desire for God. In such moments, one feels spiritually abandoned, confused, and tempted to give up. Ignatius teaches us that this experience is not sinful in itself — rather, it is a normal part of the spiritual journey and an opportunity to grow in fidelity.
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The key is not to interpret desolation as a sign that something is wrong but to recognize it as a spiritual trial. It teaches humility and dependence on God's grace. It is easy to consider abandoning spiritual commitments during desolation, mistakenly believing the absence of spiritual comfort means failure. The rule invites us to understand desolation for what it is — and to remain faithful through it.
Spiritual Desolation (Rule 4)
Spiritual Desolation:
A Time for Fidelity
(Rule 5)
Fifth Rule. The fifth: in time of desolation never make a change, but be firm and constantin the proposals and determination in which one was the day preceding such desolation,or in the determination in which one was in the preceding consolation. Because, as in consolation the good spirit guides and counsels us more, so in desolation the bad spirit, with whose counsels we cannot find the way to a right decision.
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From our Founders:
This rule offers one of Ignatius’s most practical and essential counsels: when in a time of spiritual desolation, never make a spiritual decision or change. The reasoning is clear — desolation clouds judgment, and the enemy uses it to distort perception and influence poor choices. Decisions made in desolation often move us away from what God desires.
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Instead, we are to remain firm in the spiritual decisions made during times of consolation, trusting they were guided by the good spirit. We can compare this to a traveler who, in fog, does not change course until the sky clears. This counsel is a safeguard for the spiritual life, a way of honoring God’s prior guidance and resisting the enemy’s tactics.
​Sixth rule. The sixth: although in desolation we should not change our first proposals, it is very advantageous to change ourselves intensely against the desolation itself, as by insisting more upon prayer, meditation, upon much examination, and upon extending ourselves in some suitable way of doing penance.
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​From our Founders:
Ignatius now calls for a firm, active response when we find ourselves in spiritual desolation. Instead of passively enduring it, we must "intensely resist" it by engaging in prayer, meditation, self-examination, and spiritual reading. These practices are not simply to endure desolation, but to fight back. Such moments are not times for passivity, but invitations to spiritual growth and fidelity.
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When spiritual momentum fades, the temptation is to drift or surrender. But spiritual maturity requires choosing to row harder. This rule gives encouragement: when we feel least able to act spiritually is exactly when we must most decisively do so. In this way, the very trial becomes a path to spiritual strength.
Spiritual Desolation:
A Time for Initiative
(Rule 6)
Spiritual Desolation:
A Time for Resistance
(Rule 7)
​Seventh Rule. The seventh: let one who is in desolation consider how the Lord has left him in trial in his natural powers, so that he may resist the various agitations and temptations of the enemy; since he can resist with the divine help, which always remains with him, though he does not clearly feel it; for the Lord has taken away from him his great fervor, abundant love and intense grace, leaving him, however, sufficient grace for eternal salvation.
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From our Founders:
We can easily make the mistake of thinking that God is with us when we feel his presence, and that if we do not feel Him, He is not with us. Here, Ignatius offers a word of reassurance and hope: God’s presence, and his saving help, remain even when we do not feel Him.
In such moments, God continues to grace the “natural powers” of the one in desolation—their mind, their free will, etc.—so that they can act against the present desolation as described in Rule 6. The desolate soul is not abandoned — it is being led in a veiled way.
Eighth rule. The eighth: let one who is in desolation work to be in patience, which is contrary to the vexations which come to him, and let him think that he will soon be consoled, diligently using the means against such desolation, as is said in the sixth rule.
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​From our Founders:
Here, Ignatius offers another word of reassurance and hope: spiritual desolation is temporary. Though it may feel endless, it will pass. Desolation can distort our sense of time and self, disposing us to make desperate changes or simply to give up. The enemy would have us believe we are stuck, but Rule 8 teaches that light will return — we need only persevere.
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In desolation we should strive to recall past experiences of God’s presence and to trust that consolation will return. This rule can be deeply consoling: it invites us to remember that trials of desolation are seasons, not life sentences.
Spiritual Desolation:
A Time for Patience
(Rule 8)
Why Does God Allow Spiritual Desolation?
(Rule 9)
Ninth rule. The ninth: there are three principal causes for which we find ourselves desolate. The first is because we are tepid, slothful or negligent in our spiritual exercises, and so through our faults spiritual consolation withdraws from us. The second, to try us and see how much we are and how much we extend ourselves in his service and praise without so much payment of consolations and increased graces. The third, to give us true recognition and understanding so that we may interiorly feel that it is not ours to attain or maintain increased devotion, intense love, tears or any other spiritual consolation, but that all is the gift and grace of God our Lord, and so that we may not build a nest in something belonging to another, raising our mind in some pride or vainglory, attributing to ourselves the devotion or the other parts of the spiritual consolation.
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From our Founders:
Ignatius identifies three reasons why God may allow spiritual desolation. First, to teach us the limits of our own strength and deepen our humility. Second, to test our fidelity — to see whether we serve God out of love or merely for the consolation He gives. Third, to help us better understand and embrace the reality that consolation is a gift, not something we can manufacture.
This rule as a window into God’s pedagogy — the way God teaches us to mature in love and freedom. Though difficult, desolation can lead to purification of motives, humility, and deeper trust in God. The soul learns to rely on God, not on feelings. This rule encourages us to interpret suffering with spiritual wisdom, discovering grace even in struggle.
Tenth rule. The tenth: let the one who is in consolation think how he will conduct himself in the desolation which will come after, taking new strength for that time.
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​From our Founders:
When consolation returns, Rule 10 encourages us to strengthen ourselves for the times when darkness may again come. We must build up the soul’s “spiritual reserves.” In the light of God’s presence, we can think clearly and freely — and that is precisely when we should set intentions and resolutions that will carry us through future trials.
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There is real wisdom in using these clear-headed moments for decision-making and spiritual anchoring. As Ignatius suggests, we are to make plans while consoled — for we know that in desolation, our thinking becomes clouded. In short: when grace is present, store it up. When the sun shines, prepare for the night.
Spiritual Consolation: A Time to Prepare
(Rule 10)
Spiritual Consolation and
Spiritual Desolation: Finding Our Balance
(Rule 11)
Eleventh Rule. The eleventh: let one who is consoled seek to humble himself and lower himself as much as he can, thinking of how little he is capable in the time of desolation without such grace or consolation. On the contrary, let one who is in desolation think that he can do much with God’s sufficient grace to resist all his enemies, taking strength in his Creator and Lord.
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From our Founders:
In this rule, Ignatius gives us an overall view of the discerning person. He reminds us that in times of both consolation and desolation, we have an important role to play in our own spiritual growth.
In consolation, we should humble ourselves, remembering how powerless we felt when we were desolate. I am the vine; you are the branches. . . . apart from me you can do nothing (Jn 15:5). In desolation, we are to recall that God’s "sufficient grace" is empowering us to resist the desolating tactics of the enemy.
Twelfth Rule. The twelfth: the enemy acts like a woman in being weak when faced with strength and strong when faced with weakness. For, as it is proper to a woman, when she is fighting with some man, to lose heart and to flee when the man confronts her firmly, and, on the contrary, if the man begins to flee, losing heart, the anger, vengeance and ferocity of the woman grow greatly and know no bounds, in the same way, it is proper to the enemy to weaken and lose heart, fleeing and ceasing his temptations when the person who is exercising himself in spiritual things confronts the temptations of the enemy firmly, doing what is diametrically opposed to them; and, on the contrary, if the person who is exercising himself begins to be afraid and lose heart in suffering the temptations, there is no beast so fierce on the face of the earth as the enemy of human nature in following out his damnable intention with such growing malice.​
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From our Founders:
In this metaphor-rich rule, Ignatius likens the enemy to a bully who attacks only when he senses weakness. If the soul stands firm — with clarity, confidence, and prayer — the enemy loses heart. This is a powerful revelation: we are not helpless before temptation. The enemy thrives on fear but withers when met by resolute spiritual resistance.
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We must remember that this prompt firmness in the face of desolation is not an act of willpower alone but an act of grace-enabled trust in God. When the soul resists calmly and steadily, the enemy cannot maintain his pressure. This rule empowers the spiritual person to realize that the battle is not one of equals — the enemy's strength is hollow when exposed to the light of faith.
Standing Firm in the Beginnings
(Rule 12)
Breaking the Spiritual Silence
(Rule 13)
Thirteenth Rule. The thirteenth: likewise he conducts himself as a false lover in wishing to remain secret and not be revealed. For a dissolute man who, speaking with evil intention, makes dishonorable advances to a daughter of a good father or to a wife of a good husband, wishes his words and persuasions to be secret, and the contrary displeases him very much, when the daughter reveals to her father or the wife to her husband his false words and depraved intention, because he easily perceives that he will not be able to succeed with the undertaking begun. In the same way, when the enemy of human nature brings his wiles and persuasions to the just soul, he wishes and desires that they be received and kept in secret; but when one reveals them to one’s good confessor or to another spiritual person, who knows his deceits and malicious designs, it weighs on him very much, because he perceives that he will not be able to succeed with the malicious undertaking he has begun, since his manifest deceits have been revealed.
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​From our Founders:
Here Ignatius uses the image of a false lover who works in secrecy, urging the soul to hide its interior experiences. The enemy prefers that we remain isolated and silent about our struggles, knowing that secrecy gives him leverage. The antidote to this tactic is simple but powerful: speak with a competent spiritual person. Share temptations and confusions with a spiritual guide, confessor, or trusted friend in the Lord.
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By doing so, the power of the temptation is broken. So many people remain trapped in spiritual desolation simply because they never disclose it. The enemy is cunning, but his strategy unravels in the presence of truth, humility, and trusted counsel. Rule 13 invites us to the healing light of spiritual conversation — a key Ignatian practice.
Fourteenth Rule. The fourteenth: likewise he conducts himself as a leader, intent upon conquering and robbing what he desires. For, just as a captain and leader of an army in the field, pitching his camp and exploring the fortifications and defenses of a stronghold, attacks it at the weakest point, in the same way the enemy of human nature, roving about, looks in turn at all our theological, cardinal and moral virtues; and where he finds us weakest and most in need for our eternal salvation, there he attacks us and attempts to take us.​
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​From our Founders:
Ignatius concludes with the image of a military commander preparing to besiege a fortress. The commander studies all the walls and attacks at the weakest point. Likewise, the enemy watches for our particular vulnerabilities — pride, discouragement, vanity, fear, etc. — and focuses his attacks there. This rule is a call to self-knowledge: when we understand where we are weakest, we can build appropriate defenses.
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We must work to become people of spiritual introspection, not as a burden, but as a means of grace. We are not to be afraid of our weaknesses but to bring them before the Lord and allow Him to fortify them. This rule reminds us that vigilance and humility are vital. The more we know ourselves, the less vulnerable we become to the tactics of the enemy.
Strengthening the Weak Point
(Rule 14)
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