The Exorcist Files - Overcoming The Lies of The Enemy- With Fr. Mike Schmitz

Episode Date: June 25, 2026

Fr. Mike Schmitz who has led millions of people through the Bible in a Year, and The Exorcist Files finally had their moment. We dove into the lies that so many of us are beholden to, and what we can do to overcome them. TThank you to our sponsors!Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/EXFILES.Magnesium, multiplied. 10 forms for total support. Go to https://qualialife.com/EXFILES to get 50% off and save an extra 15% with the code EXFILES.Exodus90- Head to Exodus90.com/exfiles and start your 14 day free trial. Seek the Lord...see what happens!Fountofgrace.com- Use our code EXFILES for $15 off your purchase.Want to support the show? Sign up for the Vault here and get the show ad free and early!Check out the Born Again Identity- with Fr. Gregory Pine. Want to figure out life with God? What you're made to do? What to do about it? Listen/watch now!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do I need to even, you know, attend to God's word? And one of those things that just comes back and that Solomon did the exceptional things exceptionally, but he failed to do the small things. And that's why I think his life is a tragedy. And that's the true for us. I can be out there crushing it in X, Y, and Z. But if I'm not doing the small things, I could lose my soul. Welcome back to The Exorcist Files, the show that makes you biblically smart and demons depart.

I'm your co-host Ryan Bethay, and today in a quantum collision that will certainly leave our enemy in derision, we welcome the priest who helps Billions see the beauty and truth of the Trinity. He's fighting the schism with that wonderful catechism, calling out the world and the devil's bluff by administering sacraments and the right stuff. And trust me, if he hears your confession, you'll walk away with just one impression. And that is that the God of this world made you for him. So just walk with Jesus and please don't sin. Please welcome the disciple of Duluth, the friar of Fargo, the hermit of Hermitown, Father Mike Schmitz. That's amazing. That's incredible. Ryan, that is, I wish we had like a clap track to be able to give applause for that. That was awesome. Thank you. Well, if you get one thing out of it, that's the help. No guest walks away completely empty handed.

You know what's funny is you mentioned Fargo, which is in North Dakota, but the movie Fargo, which I've only saw part of it, but it was set. actually in my hometown of brainered Minnesota. I mean, so you are, I mean, even the friar of Fargo is pretty great too, because, you know, wow. It is a wild movie too. It's, that movie is, it's, it's bizarre, and it did not, it did not serve as a tourism

commercial for Fargo. I was, I don't know how you all do it and your , I don't know how you sustain your vitamin D. I am broadcasting from the Democratic People's Republic of California, where it is a balmy 90, and so I don't know how, but you know what, you were called there and I appreciate that. Oh, it's wonderful.

Yeah, we just go, we were called. Someone years ago once asked me, they said, do you like living in Duluth? They were one of our mission, our focus missionaries. And she said, I don't see, I can't see myself living in Duluth. And she asked me if I liked living in Duluth, Minnesota. And I had been here for probably 18 years at the time, 17 years at the time. And I said, you know, I've never even asked myself that question, whether I like living here, because I don't have a choice. The bishop assigns me. And I go wherever he tells me to go. So I, like, it never even crossed my mind, whether I liked it or not, because, I like it, regardless of whether I like it or not, I have to eat the broccoli. So, you know, that's, that's so interesting too. And if you think, because that is a, that's a sidebar conversation. But I've been reflecting a lot on what are things that I take for granted? And they're actually entirely modern constructs. And you just triggered something. This idea of, hmm, where fulfills me if I want, where do I want to live?

Because I'll just get on a plane and go there. And I'm thinking, for most of history, no, you live in this town because your parents lived in this town and you're a farmer in this town because they're they were farmers or a blacksmith. And like, was anyone going, you know, I'm not feeling fulfilled right now in like ancient Mesopotamia? It's like, no, you're, you're going to live here. I'm like, wow, you're right. The Israelites weren't like, you know, Egypt isn't really fulfilling us right now. So let's just head across the desert for something else. So what interesting is, I love that. Just like, you're called. So also, if you're called, it's sort of irrelevant, right? Yeah, it becomes irrelevant. And it's one of those questions. I mean, it really is a, it's meant to be a

freeing thing. And I've experienced it as a freeing thing because I don't have to like, it's like, what do I choose to wear today? It's done. It's already chosen for me. So I love that. All right, well, it is tradition on the show that we start off on an ecumenical note because we have both Protestant, Orthodox, secular, Catholic, all sorts of listeners here. And since I'm interviewing a Catholic priest, Father Schmitz, what is something or you can do two things even that you deeply appreciate about your Protestant brothers and sisters? There is a There are many things, but one of the things is, I remember this was first, actually it was maybe one of the things was first witnessed to me by a Catholic, but he had named Matt Marr, who you might know, but he, yeah, but he had gotten this, I mean, he had gotten it from being around a lot of non-Catholic Christians, and we were doing it in event. It was, I was first assigned here to Duluth, and I was at an event in Arizona, and it was for young adults. And so this was like college,

and beyond, just a little bit beyond. And we had it all planned for the weekend. And at one point, Matt pulled out his Bible as we're meeting in the morning of each day. We're kind of like, what's the day going to look like and all that kind of thing? And there's a plan already. But he pulled out his Bible and he's like, you know, I was praying this morning with, and he pulled some scripture he was praying with in the gospel or in New Testament, some letter of Paul. And it says this. And I think that maybe, maybe that means we're invited into, and he brought forward the word that he had received that morning in prayer from God's word to the meeting that actually changed the course of how we ran that day. I just thought,

this is so good. And since then, I've seen it in so many different people, particularly in my non-Catholic brothers and sisters. And that's one thing I massively, massively appreciate. And I'm so grateful for. Awesome. Yeah. Now it's great. And to reciprocate to, I say I'm the show all the time, but I'm in a season of just deep reflection and just asking myself all sorts of questions. And I love so much of just the spiritual, the spiritual formation. And especially when you start getting into this legacy of, you know, church fathers and history, it just, it's wild. Also, it's weird, too.

I appreciate how weird it is. It used to bother me. But then once you, like, accept that God came as a person and, like, you know, came out of another person to be crass, everything's weird. Like, it just, is it really that bizarre that? Like, I was reading, you know, Teresa, St. Teresa, and she's, like, complaining about levitating in her journal. And it's like, it hurts. Like, you know, I'm like, this is insane.

It's like, please, I don't want to do this anymore, God. And I'm like, what a problem to have that I just keep floating because I'm so holy and just filled with God's presence. It has not, for the record, happened to me. I don't know if it's happened to you, but I have not. Not yet, no. Not levitated. Let me start here. So obviously, our show does cover a lot about spiritual warfare.

And we have a mission to try and just raise a. awareness to it. And you know, you do so much ministry and especially with youth. And I'm curious, most of my Christian formation came in a Pentecostal tradition where it's widely accepted that the enemy is one of the main threats. Like you have the world and your own bad decisions, the flesh. And then, yeah, of course there's an adversary. What I've been surprised in is that particularly with a lot of folks that I grew up around in different traditions, so the idea that a Christian could face any sort of spiritual attack just seemed insane. So I'm curious, what is sort of the temperature in your ministry and timing of priest, do most people you find have a healthy

respect kind of straddling that line that C.S. Lewis talks about, we're not giving it too much attention, but also being aware of it. Or do you find that in this kind of postmodern world, people are like, really? Like demons? Come on. Right. That's a great question. Because in my personal experience and the experience just in my immediate vicinity, it is incredibly, I would say, natural, but we really mean supernatural, that, yep, angels and demons all around us, angels advocating, and guarding, guiding, praying for us before the throne of God himself. In fact, every one of us being given assigned a guardian angel at our conception has just been, yep, that's just a, that is a normal part of my kind of the air we breathe. And also that sense of, like you said, there is this

balance that, like, no, no, and there's an enemy, and the enemy hates you, and he's filled with envy and wants to destroy everything and everyone that God loves, and that includes you. And just like you said, having that awareness without an inordinate preoccupation has been where I've lived. And so I would say it like this. If you were to, he's not necessarily a tightrope as far as having like, do you care too much or are you too much aware or too unaware? As much as it is, here's kind of a road.

And if you want to stay kind of in the middle of the road, that means like, you have this right balance of I'm aware of the. the spiritual realities around me and have a healthy respect, I mean, in the sense of a, you know, guard, fear, awareness that I have recourse from God himself as well at the same time. But also, God is still God. And I do not have to live my life afraid of the enemy in that sense that he might actually beat God at some point. Like, that's never going to happen.

And so as long as I abide in God and abide and stay close to the Lord, there's no need to be afraid. So I don't know. Is that sound? What's it sound like to you? That makes sense? Yeah, no, for sure. That makes full sense. Let me ask you this. As someone who does so much ministry, and I love asking priest's question, and from the thousands of confessions you've heard, and I know I get to this too, and being at people's bedsides, both either serious illness or as they transition to the next life, where do you see the most collateral damage done? And maybe we start with just like from when people come in for confession, stuff, where do you see the enemy wreaking the most havoc and what can you encourage people to say, hey, look, I have heard people, like, share these things, and it just

breaks them. And so here's my admonition to you. Like, please avoid this. Where does one begin? I find myself being a little more of a triage type of a priest when it comes to confession in the sense that, okay, what do we, what are we dealing with right now? One of the gifts of their being good confessors is that they have kind of a holistic or maybe like a comprehensive approach to, okay, when someone comes in, oh, I see this, I see this, I see this. And, It reminds me of X, Y, and Z, it fits in. I usually just try to take the person as they are and just ask the question. Always asking the question.

The number one question we always ask is, what brings the person here? Like, what are they looking for? Now, some people can be looking for healing. Some people are looking for mercy, obviously, forgiveness is the heart of convention. But healing is a massive part of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And so it's that question of like, what brings them here? Is it guilt? Is it shame?

Is it a desire for God? Is it love? And so all of those things are trying to factor in. That being said, here's the three things that I have found. The first is the most obvious, and that would be just sins of the flesh. And so that sense of like it's just, it is a common thread that goes through not all, obviously, not all confessions, but it is, it is a thread that passes through. I mean, the way in which the enemy tries to steal our hearts is through the flesh. And we're so prone to it and so inclined to it because not only of our broken,

in hearts, or concupisens attraction to sin, but also because we're inundated. One of the pieces in this is to recognize that, as I'm sure people, I know people on your show have pointed this out, people who actually do those roles of exorcisms, is that we are living in such a pornified culture where it's just, it's everywhere. And it has like what the three A's, that pornography in our world, it's anonymous, it's affordable and it is available. And it's everywhere, right? And so that sense of imagine, and it was something that's very helpful for a lot of people who are struggling, is to realize, okay, think of who, who's your favorite saint?

And some lot of guys will say, St. Augustine, because he was able to conquer by God's grace, the sin of lust in him. And say, okay, do you realize that by the time, what is the statistic is something like, by the time a young man in North America is 11 or 12 years old, he's seen more naked, eight years old, he's seen more naked images of women than, all of his ancestors combined, and that sense of saying, okay, so what God has done in someone like St. Augustine, what God has done in other great saints you've heard about who, like, oh, they, through God's grace, he overcame chastity or became impurity, lived chastity, is you're in a time right now where the battle is raging even greater for your soul by the way of your flesh. And so that's really important. So number one is, I would say, really obvious, that this flesh. Number two, though, is this piece there that can lead so many people to discouragement.

And that's one of the things I keep coming back to again and again. I would say that, and I've said this, I need to repeat myself, but I believe that this is maybe, if not the issue, it's one of the top three issues. For someone who knows, someone who knows that God is good, they know that Jesus is God. They know, I've told us to so many people in confession, you know that Jesus established a church and he gave us the sacrament of reconciliation to heal us from our sins, to save us from our sins, to heal our hearts. If we know that, the only way the enemy can ever win is if he gets us so discouraged that we're unwilling to approach the Lord for mercy. And that discouragement is real.

That discouragement is so profound because it's one of the sides of pride, right? The flip side of pride is despair in that sense that like, no, I've tried. I've tried. And I've seen this be so devourgiveness. devastating for people's lives. Someone can, and that's one of the reasons why there is a, gosh, who was it? Maybe Father Benedict Rochelle who founded the Franciscan Fires of the Renewal. He's one of the co-founders.

But he had, I think it was in him who said this. He said, serious sin and serious prayer cannot coexist. One will suffocate the other. And so that sense of like, here's a man or woman, and they find themselves overwhelmed by this inclination to sin, whatever that is. They find themselves falling back into sin, whatever that is. And to say, okay, I might be powerful. in the face or feel powerless in the face of my sin.

Now, we're never powerless because God does never abandon us or leaves us alone, but I may feel broken, addicted, whatever the thing is, compelled to sin. But as long as I keep praying by God's grace, because he wants us to win, as I don't like he praying, God's grace will ultimately suffocate that sin. I don't know if it's going to happen in five days or five years or 50 years, but what is going to happen? And it can't happen if I give into discouragement. So that's the, I think, one of the top three discouragement.

The last thing is a certain indifference. And even people go to confession, there can be a degree of indifference where it's kind of like, okay, I'm here because, you know, I need to bring this one thing as opposed to, oh, no, I need to bring my heart to the Lord. Here's one thing I feel some guilt for. I feel some responsibility for. But I'm not really willing to acknowledge that, I mean, one of the questions, I always ask, often ask, is if someone says, you know, it's been however long, it's been

significant amount of time since their last confession. And they might have their things to say. I'll always say, wait, can I ask you just a couple of questions to kind of fill in the gap? And like, sure, sure, sure, sure. And say, it's been three years. In the last three years, has God been in the center of your life or maybe more pushed to the sidelines of your life? Like, oh, no, no, no. Sometimes people say, oh, yeah, no, he's been the sidelines. Swim right away. Sometimes they acknowledge that. And others will be like, oh, no, he's, yeah, God's the center of my life. Like, okay.

And then my next question is, okay, so have you, do you pray every day? Do you, like, you know, go to His Word regularly? Well, no, not, not really. Okay, that's part of what it is to have God at the center. But there's an indifference, an indifference to letting the Lord be the Lord of my life. And I think that might be another, a third. So one is the flesh. And flesh in all of its ways, too, not just when it comes to lust, but also those other elements of the flesh,

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No, absolutely. And one thing, you know, it's interesting, and I know to, you know, from the Protestant perspective, too, it's really interesting how we just, we got away from this because I don't think anywhere in scripture does it have you, I mean, on one hand, crying out to God and asking God to forgive you, like beautiful. Like, that's amazing, right? And we know that God, like, hears that. But also, even in James V, it's like, confess your sins to one another.

and I've always found one of the interesting parts of that, too, to be when you see, and it's hard, because the effects of sin are on some hand, and sometimes by God's mercy, you don't experience them out right. And by, gosh, by God's grace, like, I'm alive, you know, and I'm sure we all warrant, you know, worse treatment that we're getting. But I'm curious from your perspective, you know, is it, do you find too, like, or is there a message you want to share people like, hey, like, if you're caught in any of this right now, like, just trust me as someone who's hurt it, there's collateral damage. you can't even fathom right now. Because that actually really encouraged me in a weird way is when I walked with people through various things and you see the heartbreak of the decisions that have been made, whether it's breaking up fantasy. It is actually like a protective layer because you will eventually be tempted by something

comparable or similar. And then you can flash back to remember the contrition of this person saying, God, I would never do that again. Right. And so I don't know if there's anything top of mind where you're like, hey, listen to your friendly Duluth priest here, right? I've counseled a lot of people like, don't do these things, you know? There is, I remember, okay, here's two quick things. One is,

I remember being in, it might have been somewhere between eighth grade and 11th grade in high school, middle school high school. And I remember going to, we had religious education on Wednesday nights. And at one point, the teacher had, we, the lesson was covering Jesus saying that if you are faithful in small matters, be faithful in large matters, unfaithful. Unfaithful. in small matters, unfaithful and large matters. And I remember one of the guys in my class saying, well, that's ridiculous. Like, no, I mean, if it was important, I would care. And it just was one of those, it stuck with me. Again, it could have been eighth or ninth grade, but just that sense of, I don't think that's right. Like, I think Jesus is right. I think, and so it's always stuck with me

that, no, actually, the small things ultimately end up mattering. I remember speaking with a priest up in Duluth, he, before he went seminary, he was, he was an alcoholic. He is sober and has been sober for his whole priesthood and whatnot. But he said, I mean, he said, I remember him saying that he always had this what I would never, all the things he would never do. And so, okay, I'll drink, but I'll never fill in the blank. I'll drink, but I'll never hook up with somebody. I'll drink, but I'll never do such not. I drink, even said, I'll drink, but I'll never drive drunk. And he said, I even kept a sleeping bag in the back of my car so that I would never drive drunk. you know, but he said every one of those, I'll do this, but I'll never do that.

He said it was only a matter of time. It was always a matter of time. It was just like, I'm going to keep doing this thing that I know is not good for me, that I know goes against God's will, that I know is going to hurt me, but I won't do that. And always, this always led to the next thing he always said I wouldn't, but I'll never do that. And there's something about this that, and again, I just, when it comes back to that sense of tearing out the sin from the root, and just allowing the Lord to do like the really heavy lifting in our lives. I keep thinking, I've been actually reflecting on this and we did a recording that's coming out at the end of July on the life of King Solomon.

And the life of King Solomon, as you know, it starts out so well and it ends so tragically in that sense that, you know, his many wives turned his heart away from the Lord and he ends up giving false worship to other gods. And this is this tragic, tragic thing. And you think, wait, but Solomon did, had many, many gifts, and he did so many good things because they i mean and he did so many good things because god had given him so many great works to do right that he here's the gift gift of wisdom here's his father who accumulated all this you know this marble and precious stones all these things so he could build the temple and he builds the temple and he makes the city of david and mass you know builds up jerusalem and then also writes

a good portion of the old testament like he does all these things that no other king had ever been asked to do and he does incredible stuff and this can be something that for those of us who serve can say wow i'm doing something that maybe is unique. Something is exceptional, like King Solomon. But what Solomon failed to do is he did exactly, seems like, he did exactly what God was specifically calling Solomon to do, but he neglected to do what God had called all kings to do. And we got it called all kings to do.

He said, okay, don't store up horses. Well, Solomon, I'm building a big nation after 40,000 stalls. Okay, don't buy from Egypt or don't trade with Egypt. Well, that's where the stuff comes from is Egypt. don't, don't gather together, cumulate gold and silver. It says in what First Kings, it says that in those days, silver was a stone. He says, don't accumulate wives for yourself. He has 700 wives for your concubines.

And then lastly, it says, the king will listen or will attend to the word of God, the law, every single day. And here Solomon, no, I'm reading, I'm writing the Bible. Do I need to even, you know, attend to God's word? And one of those things that just comes back in that Solomon did the exceptional things exceptionally, but he failed to do the small things. And that's why I think his life is a tragedy. And that's the true for us. I can be out there crushing it in X, Y, and Z.

But if I'm not doing the small things, I could lose my soul. Oh, yeah. Reminds me, too, that on the Solomon thing, too, I remember my commentary was talking about the dimensions of God's temple that is building, but then Solomon's own palace and how much planning was going into it. And it was like Solomon's palace was like twice the size of God's. Not that that's like a direct thing, but you do kind of wonder in the context of everything else. He's spending a lot. It's like God was a client, but he wasn't like the top, top billing client for Solomon Enterprises. And then man, the Samuel rebuke to Saul after he fails to execute, uh, or when they take all the

treasure from I was in the amicalites right he's like look I I carried all this stuff and it's for you and it's for god and to worship right and uh and al and samuel's like that eternal line of just like oh does the lord not delight in obedience and not sacrifice like what is this bleeding in my ear and i was like oh right and saul's just like so delusional look i did all this good stuff for you and he's like i asked you do one thing kill a gog and you didn't do it you know yeah yeah yeah and i think that that goes back to this the sensei is scary It is, I've been praying about this a lot. In this, I didn't mention this in the, in the talk that I've recorded now, but I was so convicted by this.

There was a story of a priest. I might get his name wrong. Father Stephen Shiler could be like this. Father Shiler. It's apparently in the 80s, he had a near-death experience. And in his near-death experience, he went before the judgment of God. And he's looking at Jesus. And Jesus, with this look of love at him, said,

You know, Father Stephen, you are guilty of this. Again, it was bringing up sins that had not been handed over to the Lord, and not been surrendered to hand up, had not been confessed. And he said that his memory was, he stood there, and here's the Lord who loved him. He could tell, almost like looking at the rich young man, looking at him and loved him, was saying, but this is guilty, you're guilty of this. And he's like, all I could do is stand there and say, yes, that's true. And then say another thing, and you're guilty of this.

Yes, that's true. And you're guilty of this, yes, that's true. And then one of the last things he said, and this is the thing that's just like, he says for 12 years, because apparently at this point he'd been ordained 12 years. So for 12 years, you have lived your priesthood for yourself and not for the Lord and his people. And because of these sins, you're condemned to hell. And it's just, I've been thinking about this like, oh, my goodness, Lord. Like, okay, I want to just, even the small things, the big things, I want all of it to be for you.

but purify my heart. And so then at the end of the story is essentially in this near-death experiences, our lady then comes before her son, our lord, her lord, and intercedes on his behalf. And he's going to be led in to the kingdom, but he's brought back to earth,

essentially, brought back to his body and back back to life. But that line about, you've lived this vocation, whatever the vocation is, wherever the gifts God's given us. You've used him, sure, but used him for yourself.

And that's chilling. Oh. Put that in your coffee in the morning and just be like, oh, wow. Okay. Well, on that note, you know, I know that on our show, we document really extreme cases for catechesis, and many of the cases deal with, you know, extreme dabbling in the occults and very rare, you know, even every exorcist who's come on the show says, you look, this is extraordinarily rare, the kind of demonization we're talking about.

But, yeah, and interestingly, so in season three coming up here, we have a lot more cases that dive into the psychological aspect of it. One, it's a more interesting, it's actually a more interesting character. I find it just fascinating how this like gaslighting and the enemy is always trying to come at and manipulate with light and scripture. And just it's so interesting. And I'm curious as a priest who ministers with so many folks, like we have, Father Martin's office says that for most vast majority people, spiritual warfare is going to take place up here. And it's going to be lies and the culture and the enemy share.

So I'm curious, what have you seen as far as the lies that so many people are believing in to any, listeners out there maybe dealing with this stuff, you know, what's a word of encouragement and, you know, how to, and some truths that they can rebuke those lies with. That's so good. One of the things we, I was thinking about this because, as I mentioned, after in a day or so, we're heading to bring a bunch of teens to a student-villy youth conference. And I'm the team priest for the conference itself. And then after that, we're doing another event here in the Diocese of Duluth. And one of the things we always, almost almost every retreat treat in every conference like this, if I have, if I am given permission to do this,

we almost always have a renunciation of lies, almost always have a renunciation of lies. Where, where there's that, that, there's the lies about identity, and there's lies about who God is. Those are the two main things, right? A lies about who I am and lies about who God is. And so some of the stuff we go, go past, and oftentimes are connected, right? So that sense of the lie that I'm unwanted, that I'm unchosen, that I'm unloved or unlovable. Those are some really big things.

Why are also prevalent, father? That's a big one for me. Why are, that always comes up? Why are, especially with kids, why do so many kids feel unwanted and unloved and unchosen? I wonder if it's this. I remember this happened so powerfully. We were announcing the spirit or the lie, the spirit of fatherlessness. And there was this, this.

I remember at one point some people testified afterwards, they said there was a kind of a break in this. It was just like there were some interior movements. There were some exterior movements. And it was connected to this, the wound of the father. And it doesn't have to be that my own father, my own dad was bad or anything like this. But there is, you know, I think John Paul II had said this.

He said that the first original sin was an attack on God's fatherhood. And ever since then, and the catechism goes on and says, says that with that first sin, trust in God died in the human heart. And that sense of being able to say, okay, so what is the result? The result is, I don't believe I have a dad who loves me. I don't believe I have a father and have who loves me, which is one of the reasons why Jesus is such, I mean, what he does is an entire life is going, he's pointing back to the father. Even when he says, Father, should I say, Father save me from this hour? It's for this reason that I can.

Father, glorify your name. and he points every one of us back to the father. I believe because every one of us has this particular wound that then ends up, I don't trust him, because of that, or I believe I'm fatherless, because of that I'm orphaned, because of that I'm unchosen, because of that I have to demonstrate that I'm worth choosing, I'm worth loving, I'm worth all these things. And I think the sense I have is that those two are connected.

What do you think, right? Hebrews 116 says that God rewards those who diligently seek him. Not only do we see this all throughout scripture, but it's been proven true in my own life time and time again. Of course, we can't put God in a box. There's no formula to get what you want from God. But the truth is, God does reward those who go after them. In fact, I used to do this thing with my friends. We'd take seven of us in a group, and each day we would pray for one person specifically with all of us, and we'd go through the entire week until every single person had been prayed for. And then we would take inventory of what God did. None of us ever left.

empty-handed. And it makes you wonder, why don't we do this more often? That was just a prayer group. Now imagine a cohort of dedicated brothers in arms locked in going after Christ together. The Exorcist Files is proud to partner with Exodus 90, which brings together men all over the world to go after God together. Father Martin says it often. If you're alone and if you're feeling isolated, that is prime time vulnerability for the enemy to go after you. So check out Exodus 90.com slash X-Files and get plugged into one of their challenges. Their next one is St. Michael's Lent, and it starts August 12th, and they're going through the book of Daniel, one of my personal favorites. So check out Exodus 90.com

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Yeah, no, I mean, and I cut you off. I'm curious, there were some other lies you were talking about. So I know that one's very common. We many cases deal with that. But I think the other big one, too, that we propose that as part of that. If I can't trust God, that kind of filters down to everything. So, for example, if he desires me to live a more, more pure lifestyle and, you know, and restrict, like, my activities. Like, oh, that must be

because he's just puritanical and old fashioned and, you know, antiquated. And it's like, oh, no, we have a case file where a man ends up having a sexual dalliance and she ends up being a witch. Now, is that something like, is statistically like, probably not, but it's like, it's just reason whatever, number three, three, four, you know, of like, hey, I want you to, like, I want you to prosper. We just got back from filming a, a series of on the history of Christianity and fermentation and alcohol is really beautiful. Open my eyes to a lot of just crazy. Oh, it's beautiful because the fermentation process parallels so much of spiritual formation.

My mom works at a winery and they, and a small-ease license. And she, we're giving these tour and we're seeing this beautiful barrel room, which is the backdrop for where I filmed with Father Pine recently for a series we did with EWTN. And you see these barrels and going through Ireland on our series, you see barrels with whiskey and rum and bourbon and wine. And the thing is, fermentation starts with this crushing and this mashing and this death.

And then this invisible maturation process commences that no amount of technology, to my knowledge, or I think they'd be doing it, can rush. And then they put you in these barrels, and these barrels impart these flavors slowly over time. And it really just got me reflecting on what are you storing your soul with? And what are the things that you're choosing to impart flavor to you? And then, you know, I love this too. was someone who has, you know, matured past the late 20s. I found it, so the world says, you know, you peak early and that's everything else is just sort of damage mitigation.

But in the spirits world of alcohol, oh, man, if you've been sitting in that cask and that barrel with Jesus and he's been imparting flavor into you for decades, you are actually now the choice, the top shelf, the reserve. You are complex and bold and valuable and just you can't, and there's just, that's why we want, you know, 50-year-old, port, 100-year-old port, because it's been sitting there. And so this guy we were interviewing, he was a shepherd before he became a priest. And he goes, and his beautiful accent, he just said, which I'll butcher, but he's like, oh, Ryan, no good sheep stays in its pen. He's like, and if the she's, I spent half my life looking for sheep because they just get themselves and all sorts of trouble. And if I could just have the sheep stay in the pen, if you only knew what was good for him, but no self-respecting sheep, sheathes in their pen. So we are God's sheep.

And boy, do we get into trouble? But he's like, that pen is for your freedom sheep. Within that pen, you are free to be all you can be. And that just rocked me. Yeah. Wow, so good. Wow. That's incredible.

I like that. Both the spirits part and like you said, that fermentation and that growth. Yeah, so many images that come to mind in that sense of also you can't, yeah, they can't rush it as well as you had highlighted this. but that sense that if you've just been crushed, you're not going to be a wine yet. You're not going to be a whiskey or not. It's like, no. And so I think sometimes there's a self-condemation of like,

I'm not in that place yet, as opposed to, yeah, because you're not supposed to be. This is going. I actually literally praying that this morning. We had mass and I was praying. I was just like with the Eucharist, I'm like, Jesus, I just, I just, I want to love you more.

I'm holding Jesus, the Eucharist, in my hands. I'm like, I just want to love you more. And I remember I had kind of a flash in my mind back to when I had first encountered the Eucharist in high school. And I remember thinking like, God, I want to love you more. And I like, back then I even want to love you more. But here I am. And part of it is just like, okay, you're just going to have to spend time with me.

And you can't. I think it was Phil Collins who said it best. You can't hurry, love. You just have to wait. But there's that sense of... St. Phil Collins, play for us. All play for us. No, that's a whole brand I want to do, Father.

It's just like all the like the rock and roll, like Hall of Fame. You know, like Jimmy Hendricks, play for us. I just, that would be such... I also love Phil Collins. All right, so real quick, I did, I know I catch you out. So, Father, were there any other lies that you feel that people you see in the ministry and you just want to, you know, rebuke those with some truth. Father Martin always says truth is exorcistic, and I just always love that.

And so I'm curious, for those listening right now, you know, so of course they are chosen. They are loved. They're not made by accident. They're here. What else? Yeah. Yeah, no, even that you said that Father Martin's saying that is very short and to the point and powerful, truth is exorcistic.

Also, we're talking with a man who is so far along in the spiritual life, but also has been afflicted by some mental illness. in recent time. And one of the things that really helped him in the midst of having a really difficult time feeling any joy or a really recognizing beauty or goodness. I mean, he can see it, but he found that when he found, when he just came upon something that was true, he would make a point of writing it down. And he's like, okay, this is a, this is in my, I know that I'm being afflicted right now by this depression or by what he's going through. But when he found something true, we grab onto it and say, no, I'm capturing this because I know that this is true. And there was

something so truth is exorcistic, but also it gives firmness to life, especially when we're feeling very shaky. So I really appreciate you said that, he quoted him. So again, the two, I would say the two categories of lies, still, they come back to that. Lies about our identity and lies about God's identity and how they cross, whether we can trust or not. That's what I, that's just what I found. Yeah, I think as what about, maybe another way of phrase that, you know, father, we talk about youth a lot, with people that are now older, advanced on in years, what are the bigger regrets? And I hate regrets. I don't like that. But, you know, what are the, you know, with some of the folks a little further along the journey, little, you know,

the triple to the 50-year-old ports that have been, you know, and they're above. What are some common, you know, nuggets that you hear like, oh, man, you know, I wish I had done this, et cetera, you know, just to kind of hammer home that point. Anything from reflections from folks who've on the journey. Here's one that was very close to me where I remember talking with my mom about as she was approaching her death and she had shared that she said first she said she had said this is maybe a year out, six months out. She said I am I'm not afraid but I am sad and she was because she was seeing realizing that here are these grandkids and great grandkids and her children too but who were like, wow, I'm going to miss seeing these moments.

I'm going to miss being part of these moments in their lives. And there was something so just, you know, she reckoned that. And she just waited out. And it was good, be able to be able to say, like, no, when it comes to fear, like, I love Jesus and I trust in the Lord. But I am sad that I'm going to, what I'm going to miss? And so that's a piece, that temptation to grab on. Now, one thing I thought was fascinating is that I also run into an individual once who,

when he saw his grandkids and great-grandkids, he was filled with resentment and bitterness because they had their whole life ahead of them, and he's like, I'm at the end, I'm losing everything, and they have everything ahead of them. And I was so grateful and praise the Lord that my mom was like, no, she's just grateful, she's just sad that she wouldn't be, wouldn't be part of it,

wouldn't be able to celebrate her grandkids and great-grandkids, you know, like she, and then that was one. And so that wasn't really regret as much as it was, just an awareness of, okay, here's what I'll be letting go of. But then my mom prayed a lot and she loved Jesus and the Father, Holy Spirit, so much that she knows. Like, we're not made for here, though. I mean, the whole point is our heavenly homeland. And so I have to let go.

Like, I have to. This is actually the process that I need to go through in order to be, to be the person God made her to be. And so that is so good. But if there was one thing that then she later went on, it was maybe a week before she had died. And this is something I think is legit for all of us. I think I remember hearing that St. Teresa of the Sioux had something kind of similar where there is that sense of,

okay, have I fully surrendered? And I'm sitting on my mom's bed about a week before she died. And she's like, I just want to make sure that I've given him everything. I just want to make sure I've given him everything. And having a little bit of fear of that, like I heard my own weakness of have I surrendered everything to him?

I, you know, in some ways, have it brought everything to confession to him? And beyond that, okay, I know that I can trust him, but have I given him all of my heart? And I think that for those who take the Lord seriously, that probably becomes the big question. Is, God, is there any part of me that I have not yet surrendered to you? That's one of the questions. Amen. Father, for those who need a little hope injection into their veins right now, you've been a priest for years now. Any stories that you could share, a profound answer to.

prayer, God speaking, and obviously we don't live, you know, every day above grounds a miracle, but, and I don't want to get into miracle chasing. But I think it's important. I always like to remind people that, you know, God does show up. And sometimes it seems directly proportional to how much you seek him. He does seem to like you going after him. But I'm curious, are there any stories that really stand out for you as sort of, you know, benchmarks and like hallmarks along the way of just like, oh, man, that was, that was a time and no one's, you know, and for those who just like are in, they're in that season of contending and they need that hope injection right now. Yeah, that's a great question.

That's so good, Ryan, because there is, there are, I have been reflecting on the line in Luke's gospel where Mary pondered all these things and reflected on them in her heart, or kept all these things and reflected on pondered on them in her heart, because I have this temptation, or this tendency, have this tendency to see the awesome thing and be like, God, that's amazing. Great, what's next? And I'm not like in the sense, like you said, I'm not looking like a miracle chaser in that sense. As much as it is, stuff's going on.

There's stuff to do here. And to commemorate what God does in our lives or enshrine in some ways. What God has done in our lives is so critical because we just forget. I mean, what's the line throughout all of the Old Testament is like, remember, remember what God has done. And remember what he did back in Exodus?

Remember what he did here at the desert? Remember what he did? And there's when he brought you to Canaan. And there's that sense of, even though I've heard God's word tell me to remember, there are so many things that I forget. And so your question of, what do you remember God doing? I'm like, well, I know he's been busy. And but I'm trying to think of, I mean, literally even as you're asked that question,

I was like, this week, there was something this week. What was the thing? And I can't place it. But it was someone's life was remarkably changed. And I just, this is, by the way, this thing right now that you're experiencing is a real big gift when it comes to going to confession with me because you're like no one will ever do you remember when i said i have no idea what you said so is this the spiritual amnesia you're referring to mm-hmm i have divine amnesia where it's just

like i don't know but you should be able to remember the good things god has done too so sure yeah no i think i just you know because i'm just in a season where i just i really want people to encourage uh you know because we a lot of times in spiritual warfare the conversation takes on defensive you know just like, well, how do I avoid this? How do I? And those are good. Those are good things. But I think one thing we've been really excited about, too, is just also is going on the offense and being like, you know, God, I want to pray more. I want to dig in more.

I want to advance the kingdom. And I want to, and because I, Hebrews is at 11.3, it's just been really pondering for me. It's just like, he rewards those who seek him diligently. Not a formula, but just, hey, God's like, all right, you want, I'll hang out with you as much as you want to hang out. And I thought, man, what's the next level that we could all go? too. And so, yeah, I just, you know, we'll have you back on if you have more testimony.

Yeah, I just, I love honoring those testimonies, like you said. How about this? Because this is a, this is a, along those lines. I had mentioned this in a, we had made an essential presents video about, kind of sparked this. There was a Protestant pastor. I can't remember his particular denomination, but, but he had written an email. His name's Mark, Pastor Mark. And he had said that for Lent this last year, his wife had told him, why don't you give up your constant, like, politics drip, you know, that constant drift, 24 hours a day of politics and just this whole thing. And she's like, that's what you should give up for Lent.

And he's like, you know what? You're right. And he wrote about this. He said, I realized I was constantly chasing the next article, getting more rage baited and all this kind of stuff. And I said, what are you going to do instead? And he said, you know what I want to do is I want to listen to the Bible in the ear all in Lent. I just want to go through the whole Bible in Lent. And he said, unfortunately, he didn't make it

through the whole Bible. It took him Lent plus one week. And that's when he, but he got through the entire Bible. And he said, my wife, after like a week or two, immediately could tell a difference. He said, my family, my kids. He said, my congregation could tell a difference in me. He said, I could tell a difference because I had just, I'm not going to chase stuff I can't influence. I'm not going to put my attention on what ultimately doesn't matter, at least in my life. And I'm going to put my attention on God's Word and let him. And he said, my family, they realize I've been changed. My wife, my congregation, I realize I've been changed by God's Word.

And again, it's not a miracle. It is like you had said, that's why it sparked to me because you had said, like here's the stuff that we can actually do, that God has given us tools. And here's a man led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's working through his word and working through this man's life. And he realized that's what God can do with any one of us. If I'm not myself stuck. Well, unplug from the thing you know is killing you and plug into where you know you can find him.

Absolutely. Father, one thing too, I appreciate that a lot of our Protestant listeners write in. And I've actually found a little surge in this is there's been an interest in Novenas, which I find very, which is a fun little corp. Any particular stories or just encouragements for anyone to like, hey, like, you know what, that's a, I actually had a Protestant friend right and say, I'm still not comfortable with intercession of saints, but I wrote a prayer to the Holy Spirit that I'm going to do for nine days and just see what happens. Any thoughts on that? That's so good. I mean, I mean, it's biblical, right? Here is the apostles gathered together

with Mary, and they're praying after the ascension all the way to Pentecost. It doesn't, in any way violate anything of scripture, but it seems to like be a way of like, let's do this. Jesus had said, go and pray, you know, for the coming of Holy Spirit. And so it would make complete sense Father Schmidt, you know, I really, a deep desire in my heart here in the show is just, I love this ecumenical dialogue, et cetera. For those who are just searching and seeking, whether it's the skeptic and the agnostic or the Protestant looking into orthodoxy or Catholicism, etc., what are some invitations that you want to issue out to everyone to consider, to research, to discern, to pray about any encouragements as we depart today. out of the three things that seem to be leading more and more people away from the Lord mentioned, like the flesh mentioned a discouragement, the third be indifference. And so if a person finds himself in a place where like, no, actually I care, it matters to me that I want to know where does God want me.

That caring is an incredible, it's an incredible sign of God's grace. It's an incredible sign that God is operative in your life. And to be able to lean into that, to let that sense of like, but I'm in this, I'm struggling to find this thing, whether that's my call in life. I'm struggling to find the truth. And where does God, where is he inviting me to take that next step? The fact that you're engaged with this and it matters is a sign of his spirit.

Because the alternative, St. Maximilian Colby had once, he called indifference the poison of our age. And the fact that you care and you're not indifferent means you haven't drank the poison. and means that God's leading you somewhere. And he is. Amen. Awesome. Well, we appreciate you being here. You've been called America's priest. Obviously, there's a lot of priests in America, but we just appreciate your ministry. Father Mike Schmitz, thank you for all you do for encouraging. I have so many, you are one of the most ecumenical figures because I have so many Protestant friends of mine who listen to you and appreciate you. And so I just thank you for doing what you do and your ministry. So bless you and really appreciate you

coming on today. And as we say to everybody in the show, stay demon free and everyone you know and God bless. Thank you.