Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
cast into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
Most glorious Prince of the Heavenly Armies, Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in our battle against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.
Come to the assistance of men whom God has created to His likeness and whom He has redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil.
Holy Church venerates you as her guardian and protector; to you, the Lord has entrusted the souls of the redeemed to be led into heaven. Pray therefore the God of Peace to crush Satan beneath our feet, that he may no longer retain men captive and do injury to the Church.
Offer our prayers to the Most High, that without delay they may draw His mercy down upon us; take hold of the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, bind him and cast him into the bottomless pit so that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.
O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Your holy Name, and humbly implore Your clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin Immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel Saint Michael, You would deign to help us against Satan and all the other unclean spirits who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls. Amen.
A Prayer Against Evil — and the Protection the Church Actually Gives
When you want to be protected from evil, the Church hands you something older and surer than any internet ritual: prayer addressed to God, who has already won.
From the Church’s tradition: The Catholic pattern is the opposite of a confrontation. We do not argue with the enemy or command him — we turn to God and ask Him to deliver us. "Resist the devil," Scripture says, but in the same breath: "Be subject therefore to God" (James 4:7). Protection from evil begins by belonging to Him.
A prayer against evil is one of the oldest instincts of the human heart, and the Church has never treated it as superstition. Every time we pray the Our Father we say it plainly — "deliver us from evil" — words the Lord Himself gave us. So the desire to be protected from the enemy is not only allowed; it is taught. The only question is how a Catholic prays it rightly.
And here the Church is clear, because she is protecting you. A layperson’s prayer against evil is always addressed to God — never to the spirit itself. We do not bargain, taunt, or command; we ask our Father to defend us, and we trust the victory Christ has already won on the Cross. That is the deprecatory pattern, and it is exactly what keeps a prayer against evil from curdling into the fear and fascination the enemy is hoping for. The prayers below are that path — the St. Michael Prayer, a prayer to restrain evil, and Psalm 91, the Church’s shield-psalm — each of them spoken to God.
Listen — The Prayer to St. Michael, narrated
The Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
The Church’s great prayer against evil — and note its form: it asks God to "rebuke" the enemy and begs the prince of the heavenly host to "cast into hell" the spirits who prowl. The petition is made to God and His angel, never by us to the devil.
A Prayer to Restrain Evil
A deprecatory prayer — it asks God to restrain and turn back every power of darkness, in the pattern Scripture gives the laity (Jude 1:9). It never addresses a spirit directly.
Lord God, mighty in power and rich in mercy, I come to You as Your child, sealed in Baptism and redeemed by the Precious Blood of Your Son. You alone hold all power in heaven and on earth, and at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow. To You I lift up my whole life this day.
Lord, restrain every power of darkness that would come against me, my family, my home, and all that You have entrusted to my care. Turn back, O God, every assault of the enemy. In our human weakness, comfort our fear and anxiety, quiet our confusion and anger, and lift us from despair. Where there is darkness, send Your light, that we may live safely in the freedom of Your children. Father, let Your peace dwell here, for this household is Yours.
In the name of Jesus, and standing in the freedom His Cross has won for me, I renounce sin and every work of the evil one. I reject the empty promises of the enemy, and I ask for grace not to consent to whatever would lead me away from You. I give myself anew to You — body, mind, and soul. Wash me in Your mercy, fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and let Your truth take the place of every falsehood within me.
Clothe me, Lord, in the full armor of God: gird me with truth, guard me with the breastplate of justice, shield me with faith, set upon me the helmet of salvation, and place in my hand the sword of the Spirit, which is Your Word. Where I am weak, be my strength; where I am afraid, be my peace; in moments of darkness, be my light that no shadow can overcome.
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Holy Mary, Mother of God, lead us to your Son and shelter us beneath your mantle; holy angels and saints of God, pray for us.
Father, into Your hands I place myself and all I love. Guard us through this day and this night, and let the victory of the Cross reign over every fear and every danger. I trust in You, O Lord; in You alone is my refuge and my peace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Psalm 91 — He Who Dwells in the Shelter (Douay-Rheims)
Prayed at Compline for centuries as the night-shield against "the terror of the night" and "the arrow that flieth in the day." (Shown in the Douay-Rheims; in the Vulgate numbering this is Psalm 90.)
1. The praise of a canticle for David. He that dwelleth in the aid of the most High, shall abide under the protection of the God of Jacob.
2. He shall say to the Lord: Thou art my protector, and my refuge: my God, in him will I trust.
3. For he hath delivered me from the snare of the hunters: and from the sharp word.
4. He will overshadow thee with his shoulders: and under his wings thou shalt trust.
5. His truth shall compass thee with a shield: thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night.
6. Of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil.
7. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee.
8. But thou shalt consider with thy eyes: and shalt see the reward of the wicked.
9. Because thou, O Lord, art my hope: thou hast made the most High thy refuge.
10. There shall no evil come to thee: nor shall the scourge come near thy dwelling.
11. For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways.
12. In their hands they shall bear thee up: lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13. Thou shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk: and thou shalt trample under foot the lion and the dragon.
14. Because he hoped in me I will deliver him: I will protect him because he hath known my name.
15. He shall cry to me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will deliver him, and I will glorify him.
16. I will fill him with length of days; and I will shew him my salvation.
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How a Catholic prays against evil
Begin where the Lord begins. The single most important prayer against evil is the one we already pray every day: "deliver us from evil." It is petition — we ask God to do the delivering. That one phrase holds the whole Catholic posture: the enemy is real, but he is not our equal, and we never face him alone or on our own authority. We turn to the Father.
Scripture gives the order of battle in a single sentence: "Be subject therefore to God, but resist the devil, and he will fly from you" (James 4:7). Notice which comes first. We resist evil not by shouting at it but by belonging wholly to God — through repentance, through the sacraments, through a life of grace. The devil flees a soul that is God’s. That is why the Church’s real weapons against evil are so ordinary and so strong: Confession, which is itself a deliverance; the Eucharist; the St. Michael Prayer; Psalm 91; the Rosary. Every one of them is addressed to God or asks His saints and angels to intercede — never the enemy.
There is one line the Church will not let a layperson cross, and it is for your protection. Imperative prayers that command or address a spirit directly belong to the solemn ministry of a priest appointed by his bishop, not to private prayer, however sincere. If what you are facing feels persistent, frightening, or beyond ordinary temptation, the next step is not a stronger prayer found online — it is your parish priest. He will take it seriously, help you discern (much of what feels spiritual is human or medical, and both deserve real care), and he knows the Church’s further steps if they are ever truly needed. Asking early is not weakness; it is what the Church means protection to look like.
When to pray it
- ✦Daily, as a shield: the St. Michael Prayer in the morning and Psalm 91 at night.
- ✦In a moment of fear or spiritual attack — turn to God in petition, never to a confrontation with the enemy.
- ✦Over your home and family, asking God to restrain evil and keep what is His.
- ✦And early — bring anything persistent or frightening to a priest, soon rather than late.
The Church’s prayers against evil
Shelter and freedom from fear
Questions about Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
What is the best Catholic prayer against evil?+
The Church gives several, and they work together. The St. Michael Prayer is the most direct prayer against evil — it asks God to rebuke the enemy and His archangel to defend us. Psalm 91 is the ancient shield-psalm, prayed at Compline against "the terror of the night." And the Our Father’s "deliver us from evil" is the prayer the Lord Himself taught. All three are addressed to God, which is what makes them safe for any layperson to pray.
Is it safe to pray against evil on my own?+
Yes — when you pray the Catholic way, which is deprecatory: you ask God to protect and deliver you, rather than addressing or commanding the spirit yourself. That is the pattern of every prayer on this page, and of the Our Father. What is not safe, and not a layperson’s to do, is a solemn exorcism or any prayer that commands a spirit directly; that is reserved to a priest with his bishop’s mandate. Pray to God, lean on the sacraments, and bring anything serious to a priest.
What does the Bible say about resisting evil?+
It gives the order plainly: "Be subject therefore to God, but resist the devil, and he will fly from you" (James 4:7). We resist evil first by belonging to God — through repentance and grace — and the enemy flees a soul that is His. Even the archangel Michael, disputing with the devil, "durst not bring against him the judgment of railing speech, but said: The Lord command thee" (Jude 1:9). If Michael appeals to the Lord rather than rebuking on his own authority, so do we.
How do I know if I need prayer against evil or a doctor?+
You may not be able to tell on your own, and you should not try to. Much of what feels like oppression is human — exhaustion, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma — and these deserve real care, including medical and psychological help, without any shame. The Church discerns the two together, never against each other. Bring it to your parish priest, keep your doctor in the picture, and if you are ever in crisis or thinking of harming yourself, reach out for immediate help today.
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