Is intense spiritual warfare a sign I'm doing something right?

Yes. So many times people come to confession and say, Father, this has been the hardest season of my life, the most intense battle I've ever been in, and yet I have never prayed so much. You can't be a soldier of Christ, as the baptismal service says, if you're not actually fighting a battle, and the battle you're fighting is for your very soul. If you don't have an enemy, you're not on the battlefield.

The worst possible circumstances for a Christian are when everything is peaceful and there are no trials or temptations. When a parish goes to build a new church, the bishop says, prepare yourself, because there are going to be big temptations. The devil does not want new churches, ordinations, or priests rescuing souls from his grip. I've seen people who were involved in the occult experience even more intense warfare when they turned to Christ, because the devil wants to hold on to what was his.

People think I'm joking when I tell them, if you become a catechumen, expect warfare like you have never experienced in your life. They think they're just changing theological camps. But the devil knows they are going to be united with the body and blood of Christ, and he does not want to see it.