#744 How Much Power Does Satan Have? Pope Leo XIII's Terrifying Vision: The Claymore Battle For Hearts

Gen Z men are walking back into church, and it isn’t because they found a new self-help Podcast. They’re waking up to the cost of the culture’s false promises and they’re hungry for something real: truth, mission, meaning and purpose and a Faith that restores the heart. 

From there, the spiritual backdrop that sets the present stage we find ourselves in, when Pope Leo XIII overhead the chilling dialogue between Satan and Our Lord coming forth from the tabernacle. To get an understanding of why the last century felt like a pressure cooker of war, corruption, and the breakdown of marriage and family...and why I believe grace is loosening the enemy’s grip in our moment.

Then we get practical with the Claymore Battle Plan: a three-step blueprint that begins in the human heart, restores human dignity, clarifies the meaning of sexuality through the beauty of marriage and family, and sends us out to rebuild culture and nation. 

John Paul II’s voice runs through it all, especially his “be not afraid,” his Theology of the Body, and his insistence that the future of humanity passes through the family. We anchor the fight in Ephesians 6, because this is not against flesh and blood and we need the full armor of God.

You’ll also hear exactly how to use the Claymore handbook, the free six-page outline, and this podcast as a three-legged formation rhythm, plus the daily habit that makes it real: the 10 minute morning ritual, knees before the phone. 

Join the movement: https://claymoremiliteschristi.com/

Check Out John Krueger's Book "Dwelt Among Us" and the "Claymore Battle Plan Handbook" on Amazon

If this gives you hope or helps you take a first step, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more men can find the path to Truth.

Transcript

Live Event And Gen Z Return

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Welcome to the Claymore Become Who You Are podcast, a production of the John Paul Two Renewal Center. I'm Jack Riggett, your host. So glad you're with us. We had a wonderful event last week with John Krueger, who's wrote about the battles that Gen Z men are going to and how they're waking up on coming back into the church. Just it's it at the peak, it seems like the peak of this insanity going on. They're finding their way back into church. There's reasons for that. And we did a live podcast at St. Mary of Perpetual Help in Bridgeport, Illinois. Great evening. Some of you I know that watch the show were able to make that. We'll be doing more events around the country. So connect me too if you're interested in having us put on a live podcast in your parish, or John and I come in and talk, and it's really wonderful to see. And we had some wonderful witness stories of young men that had come back into the church too. So there's a reason for this. So, anyways, I want to put this in a context. I want to read you something from the introduction of John's book, which is wonderful, by the way. I'll put this in the show notes, uh Dwelt Among Us. It compliments the work that we're doing here with young men so well. I think John and our organization will be doing some more things together. So keep us in your prayers. This is how he starts out, though, and this puts it all in context right now, and then I'll make a couple points on it before we get into the Claymore battle plan and talk a little bit more about that.

Pope Leo XIII And The Time Test

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On October 13th, 1884, Pope Leo XIII, having just finished Mass in the Vatican's chapel, froze in a trance-like state and overheard the chilling dialogue proceed forth from the tabernacle. The tabernacle, for those of you who don't know, is where Jesus is held in the Eucharist, the powerful, beautiful place. And anyway, so that's usually behind the altar, right? When you go to Mass. So he had just finished Mass and he in the Vatican chapel and he freezes because he hears this dialogue coming forth from that tabernacle. The voice of Satan in his pride boasted to our Lord, I can destroy your church. The gentle voice of our Lord, you can? Then go ahead and do it. Satan, to do so I need more time and more power. Our Lord, this is coming from the tabernacle. How much time? How much power? Satan, seventy-five to a hundred years, and very important, and a greater power over those who will give themselves over to my service. Our Lord, you have the time, you have the power. Do with them what you will. Immediately upon receiving this vision, Pope Leo XIII rushed from his chapel to his private office and wrote down what he had heard, and in retaliation crafted this prayer to be said at the end of every mass throughout the world. And that's the Saint Michael prayer. In the Battle Plan Handbook, one of the dedications is to Saint Michael the Archangel. And right away in the dedication, in front of the book, we have the Saint Michael purse. So let's say this

Saint Michael Prayer Together

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prayer together. Are you ready? Name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Amen. Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him. We humbly pray. And do thou, Prince of Heavenly Hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. Name the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Amen. So let's get back to Pope

Why Evil Feels Like It Peaked

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Leo. So that's 1884, right? So let's call it 100 years later, would be 1984. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave him a hundred years. And so that power in 1984 should have come to an end. Well, how come the 20th century just even got more crazy into the 21st century? Well, here's the way I would look at this, especially when you see these young men coming back into the church. It's almost like the power of Satan over these young people, they're seeing it very clearly. And something happened. There's a grace that's that's coming in. It's like the power of Satan doesn't have his hold on those men. And the way I would look at it is 1984, let's just say it it peaked, but you have all of these institutions that have been captured by evil. We have the deep state, the deep church. We had right after that World War I. Then we had World War II. More people died in wars in the 20th and going into the 21st century than all of the other worlds wars throughout history. Millions and millions. And, and, and, and at the same time, more children were killed through abortion and murder than all of those wars, even through the 20th and 21st century. It's a mass slaughter of innocents, huh? So we see this build up, and then we see the sexual revolution of the 60s twisting and distorting marriage and the family, and this breaking down and this dysfunction coming through. We had the sexual abuse in the church, and we still have these leftovers. And this is this is something you have to catch here. He said, Satan says, I need 75 to 100 years and greater power over those who will give themselves over to my service. So remember, Pope Paul VI in the 60s said the smoke of Satan has entered the church, even. So we see the smoke of Satan in this in the culture, we see it in the church, and so it's like a vice coming down. Now the residuals of that, you know, the people that grew up, the priests that grew up in this, the the boomers and the people before that, they grew up when Satan had this power and are looking around and saying, what happened? Why are we under this reign of evil? Well, this is why. And now we have this residuals. And I think COVID probably accelerated all of that coming together, and there was a peak there that's going on right about now. And then we're blessed to have these young men coming back into the church, you know, the seeds of life coming back into the church. And then we also got a reprieve with President Trump, this corruption and and all of this evil, this religious freedom being taken away from us. And I believe he was a gift. And again, you know, he's not God. He's he's a he's a he's a politician, a real estate guy, and politics is messy. It doesn't matter who's in there. You put Pope Leo the the 14th, Pope, present Pope right now, you put him in charge of that, he would be running around in circles. I mean, it's a he wouldn't know what to do. There's so much going on. And somehow Trump has a handle on this. I think this it's a grace. And these young people are waking up at the same time. So again, if the power peaks, how does it change now? It's gonna be up to us. It's gonna be up to us. You know, we we are the visible sign of God in the in the world. It's if we bring the good into the world, so here it is, it's playing out. God is there, ready to give us the grace, like he always was, hanging on the cross. He's ready to pour this out from the tabernacle at Mass and Prayer. And so this is what the Claymore battle plan is all about. We saw this spiritual battle early on, and we we know that these young guys that are searching are saying, what is the truth of things? And this is where the Claymore battle plan uh, you know, handbook, the outline, and the pot and the podcast all to come together like a three, uh, like a three-legged tripod, huh? To to give them and to give you what you need. And then we share this with each other. We have to come out of this together with the power, but we have the power. We have the power, this grace that comes from God. You know, remember Jesus didn't come for sin management, he came with power. So let's let's talk about what's going on here today in the Claymore battle

The Claymore Three Step Battle Plan

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plan. And let's let's let's really get into that a little bit. This is a handbook for young men, of course, in spiritual warfare, but it's for all of us to share as we go along here. We realize how many of us have not been formed and the beauty and the power of this. We have we have many women that have joined us because they have sons and and husbands, etc., that that need the spiritual formation. And and it's that three-step battle plan. It's that battle that we all know on our hearts, and the three core things about a man, um, when he's when he's fired up with grace, he knows life is supposed to be an adventure. He understands it's it's gonna be a battle. They these guys understand you pick up the sword, huh? And the third thing, it's about beauty, especially the beauty of love. It's it's it's a love story. It's hard to imagine that. But but we have to get our hearts back. You know, when you see all these attacks on us, you have to realize the you know, they're not the enemy. The enemy is the enemy. And those that have aligned themselves, of course, with them. So it's a spiritual battle that's taking place, and and it's a it's a real battle. But we're all spiritual people. We forget this. We're a body and a soul. You know, we're caught up in that spiritual battle with our souls in inside already. Now we have to make visible the good, right? So the handbook, a handbook for young men and spiritual warfare, and that's really what it's about. It's inspired by the life and teaching of John Paul II, who passed this beauty of our faith. He didn't make this all up. He takes this beautiful deposit of faith that even the smoke of Satan couldn't change. You know, Jesus said, this church will be here. It's gonna be here, but nobody can stop it. Pay attention, John Paul II said to young people. Your life is not an endless series of open doors. Listen to your heart. Do not stay on the surface, but go to the heart of things, and when the time is right, have the courage to decide. So this is a three-step battle plan for restoring human dignity, which starts with the human heart, understanding marriage and the family, number two, and then going out and restoring the culture and the nation, number three. So confronting the evils of our time through the power of what? Truth and love. We live in an age of confusion and collapse. Every day the ear hums with noise of false promises, right? We have screens flashing, counterfeit versions of truth, of happiness, love, and freedom. The world insists that pleasure is purpose, that identity is self-invented, that truth is whatever feels right. However, even in the chaos, something deeper stirs in the hearts of young men that we're meeting. A quiet ache remains, a hunger for something more. I see it in their eyes. They're restless. And you guys are tired of shallow answers and cheap imitations of meaning. You sense that life must have a deeper purpose, that you were made for something greater. You're right. You were. This is why the Claymore Battle Plan was born. It was forged at the intersection of two realities. On the one hand, the darkness of our age. I just outlined that. On the other, the unquenchable light of divine truth. It was shaped by the evils that I have witnessed, the assault on human dignity, the distortion of love, the destruction of innocence, but it was also shaped by the young men I know who were rising to meet these challenges with courage and faith. Above

John Paul II And Human Dignity

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all, it was formed by the life and teaching of John Paul II. He was a philosopher, a wonderful, powerful, beautiful father and shepherd to us, and spiritual warrior of our time. You know, he looked directly into the heart of modern man and saw both the wound and the cure, and he refused the spear even while standing amid the ruins of the twentieth century, the bloodiest century in human history. John Paul II confronted the twin tyrannies of Nazism and then communism, ideologies born of the same lie that man can live without God. He understood that when God is removed, man himself is diminished. A world without God inevitably becomes a world against man out of suffering, persecution, cultural devastation. John Paul himself experienced those things and then proclaimed a message that still resounds with urgency and hope. Be not afraid, be not afraid. I could hear that voice, huh? So often he would look at you. Be not afraid. This is a spiritual battle. We can overcome this. In fact, we're called to overcome this. He believed the future of humanity passes to the family. He believed every young man must discover his dignity, his mission, and his capacity for heroic love. His vision, articulated most fully in the theology of the body, which is the whole beginning of the Claymore Battle Plan, that reveals that the human person is created for communion, for self-gift, and for greatness. This vision is the heart of this handbook and really the whole Claymore battle plan. It's not simply a collection of ideas. It's a strategy for reclaiming what has been lost. It's a battle plan for restoring the dignity of the human person through truth and love. The Claymore sword is your weapon, not a weapon of violence, but a weapon of truth. Its name recalls both the great double-edged sword wielded by Scottish warriors. Remember, it made famous in the movie Braveheart. If you haven't seen that, you should see that movie. It's excellent. What's the other side of that double-edged sword? The ancient call of Christianity and the early Christians and all the way through our age to become militis Christi, soldiers of Christ. We're in a spiritual battle here. This world is in a spiritual battle. But we can win this. Again, we talked about Satan has has had to loosen his grip. Grace is just wanting to be poured out. John Kruger and I talked about this, and I'll try to get uh the podcast that we recorded up pretty soon. He's really something you should meet him. We're going to be doing more events, hopefully, together. And if you want us to do an event in your parish, don't forget to reach out to me. So this is a call to arms. And remember this again, it's not about flesh and blood. Yes, it's people that have given themselves over to the service of Satan, as we said. The enemy is Satan who has control over them. That's why we always have to look at people and realize they're under the power of Satan, huh? Again, it's not against flesh and blood. In fact, I want to read Ephesians 6

Ephesians 6 And Spiritual Armor

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to you. So Ephesians 5 talks about husbands love your wives as Christ loves the church and brings together that those that that one great sacrament, the marriage and the family, Christ in the church. This is Ephesians 5. Well, Ephesians 6 comes right after that, and it says, if you're going to live this out correctly, you're going to need prayer. So this is Ephesians 6, and this is talking about what we're talking about here, verse, starting at verse 10. Finally be strong in the Lord and put in the strength of his might, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. See how this has been going on for a long time. We got to put this in perspective. We are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand the evil of the day, and having done all to stand. And it goes on. It goes on to say how to do that. This is how the whole Claymore battle plan is to do that, to understand how to live this out, huh? And it's a powerful movement. So the Claymore battle plan offers a three-step blueprint for renewing the world by first renewing the man, first reclaiming the dignity of the human person, getting our hearts back, then understanding our sexuality and the beauty of marriage and the family and how that all comes into play. You got to get that right. Unite it with Christ in the church. Then you go out, number three, rebuild culture in the nation. And you do this almost organically through that grace, then. Every battle, though, begins in the human heart. This journey begins there as well. It advances then to formation of your own heart through fraternity, sharing this with others, prayer, and then going out on mission. It culminates in a life of authentic love. You become a person of love. Lived in the power of the Eucharist, right from that tabernacle, huh? The power that God just wants to pour out to you. And you see it in these young guys. Ooh, you see change of lives. You want to see how God works? Come meet some of these young guys. Some of you guys are uh listening to this podcast, and you're part of Claymore. So thank you for that, sharing it with others. So this is the love that conquers what? Sin and death. This movement is for the bold, for young men who still believe the truth matters, for those who feel the fire of God's call burning within them, even if they can't not yet name it. For those who are tired of being spectators in a culture of destruction and are ready to fight for what is true, good, and beautiful.

How To Use The Handbook Outline Podcast

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So how do you use this handbook? It's a it's like a three-legged tripod, huh? Three legs. The Claymore Handbook is designed to use along with the Claymore Soldiers for Christ battle plan outline. Now, that battle plan outline is this overview structure. Very important. It's only six pages. And you can download that for free at Claymore Milituschristi.com. I'll put it in the show notes or just read it right there. So you need that outline. Very quick. I would read that first so you get an overview of the whole thing, then dive into the Claymore handbook. They're made to work together like that. And if you go through the outline, you'll see exactly how that goes. And the and the Claymore outline also includes a formation there. So very, very important to do. And then the third step is this Claymore Become Who You Are podcast. And that gives you the information to stay in contact. And then you take this three-legged Claymore battle plan, right, with the handbook, the outline, and the podcast, and then use it to plant the seeds of Claymore Brotherhood right where you are, with whoever God puts on your path. So the handbook itself is structured as a journey of discipleship. It's a year-long campaign of formation, awakening, and renewal. It's presented in 52 acts, 52 short chapters, 52 acts we call them, one for each week of the year. Each act offers practical teaching, reflection, discussion questions to help you engage the truths of the faith and live them out in the concrete circumstances of your daily life. Remember

Morning Ritual And The A Team Rhythm

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that this only works when you begin with the Claymore 10-minute morning ritual. Knees before the phone. Always. This can be found again in that outline, can be downloaded for free, read right on our website. Remember, why do we do that? Why do we get to our knees before we look at that phone in the morning? This is primarily a spiritual battle, and spiritual battles are ultimately won in prayer. That's how you start to get your heart back. Then, FYI, while the handbook is presented as 52 Acts or short chapters, like I said, you could read one a week and share that. I'd like to see you join the Claymore A-Team because there's an urgency that we feel, and there's a time is ripe right now for us to take back this territory for Christ. What does the A Team mean? In addition to that Claymore 10-minute morning ritual on your knees, right before the phone, you just read and meditate on one act every day from the handbook. They're very short. And when you do that, you're waking up in the morning and you're filling yourself up with Christ. And you'll see in that litany when you do those prayers, we have podcasts about this too, but you'll see, you know, praying with temptations and the power of this to get your heart back. And then you read one of those acts that probably, you know, toward the end of the evening, maybe even, you know. Put that in your mind last instead of doom scrolling. Read that first, and and then you'll see. You'll see how fast it starts to act on your heart and on your mind, huh? You're going vertical and then you're filling it in with it with the gospel. This will have you in great shape for the rest of your life in 52 days if you're on the 18th. Think about that. 52 days, you've got a formation that's going to give you this place to grow and discern for the rest of your life. And well before that, God will already have put someone else on your path that needs to hear the gospel. And this is how seeds are being planted. You'll see seven days, ten days, two weeks being on your knees, reading one act, all of a sudden, boom, something will happen. And you'll have the confidence to be able to say, hey, you know what? I'm doing this Claymore battle plan. It's amazing the gifts that it's brought into my heart. And I just want to share this with you. That's what it is. See, this is not meant to be a solitary mission. It's a brotherhood. So consider walking this path with another man who shares your hunger for meaning and your desire for greatness. Your desire for greatness. You know what does that mean? You're going to find that all out in the handbook. But you're called, you know, St. Arenas said the glory of God is man fully alive. That's what it is when we're fully alive. So we want to walk together with others, fight together, encourage one another as brothers in Christ, and then invite others to join you. Together, the handbook, the Claymore Battle Plan outline in the podcast formed that living rhythm for the Claymore mission, a movement of young men united by faith, courage, and the love of Christ.

Brotherhood Invitation And Closing Charge

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John Paul II believed in you. He saw in the young a sacred energy, a capacity for wonder, sacrifice, and renewal capable of rebuilding the world. You are the future, he said. But you're also the present. You are the present. Don't think that eternity means tomorrow. Eternity means forever. You're an eternal being. Start right away. Open your heart to Christ. Get your heart back. God is entrusting you to the task at once difficult and uplifting of working with Him in the building of the civilization of love. This is your invitation. Pick up the Claymore sword. Enter the battle with courage and humility. And remember the words of your true commander, Christ Himself, who said, In the world you will have trouble, but take heart, for I have overcome the world. It's his power, huh? Glory to God. Good to be with you guys. Feel free to write me if you have any questions. If you're planting these seeds, let us know. We'd love to join you in that. Bye bye.