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.
The St. Michael Prayer
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
From the Church’s tradition: Composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1886 and prayed after Low Mass throughout the Church for nearly a century — the Church’s best-known prayer of spiritual defense.
In 1886, Pope Leo XIII added a short prayer to St. Michael the Archangel to the prayers said after every Low Mass — and for nearly a century, the whole Latin Church prayed it together, kneeling, at the end of Mass. It remains the most widely prayed Catholic prayer of spiritual defense, and in recent years the popes have repeatedly invited the faithful to take it up daily again.
The prayer asks God — through the prince of the heavenly hosts — for defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. It is a prayer of humble petition, not confrontation: "May God rebuke him, we humbly pray." Below you will find the prayer, the longer form Leo XIII composed, narrated audio, and a prayer card to keep or share.
Listen — St. Michael Prayer, narrated
The St. Michael Prayer — Full Text
The short prayer of Leo XIII (1886), followed by the longer invocation drawn from his 1890 composition.
Keep this prayer with you
Download the The St. Michael Prayer card
A prayer card you can save to your phone, print for your wall, or send to someone who needs it tonight.
Free download. The app reads it aloud with you, every day.
About the St. Michael Prayer
St. Michael the Archangel appears in Scripture as the defender of God’s people: in Daniel as "the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people" (Daniel 12:1), in the Epistle of Jude contending with the devil, and in Revelation 12 leading the angels in battle against the dragon. The Church has invoked his protection since the earliest centuries.
Leo XIII’s prayer compresses that whole biblical picture into a few lines. Notice its shape: every petition is addressed to God or to Michael as intercessor — never to the enemy. "May God rebuke him, we humbly pray" echoes Jude 1:9, where even the Archangel does not rebuke Satan by his own authority but says "the Lord command thee." That is the Church’s standard for the laity’s spiritual warfare: humble, deprecatory, confident in God’s power rather than our own.
The prayer is for everyone. It is not an exorcism, requires no authorization, and belongs in ordinary daily prayer — after Mass, at night, in moments of temptation, over your children.
When to pray it
- ✦Daily — many Catholics pray it every morning or after Mass.
- ✦In moments of temptation, fear, or felt spiritual attack.
- ✦At night, with Psalm 91, as part of household night prayer.
- ✦As a nine-day novena to St. Michael (September 21–29, or any time of need).
Go deeper with St. Michael
More prayers of defense
Questions about The St. Michael Prayer
Who wrote the St. Michael Prayer?+
Pope Leo XIII. He composed the short prayer in 1886 and ordered it prayed after Low Mass throughout the Church, where it remained until 1964. He later composed a longer invocation to St. Michael in 1890, from which the extended form is drawn.
When should I pray the St. Michael Prayer?+
Any time — it is a prayer for daily use. Common practices: every morning, after Mass, at night prayer with your family, and in any moment of temptation or fear. Recent popes have explicitly encouraged the faithful to pray it daily.
Is the St. Michael Prayer an exorcism?+
No. It is a prayer of petition and intercession: it asks God, through St. Michael, for protection. It never addresses the devil directly and requires no special authorization. Solemn exorcism is a separate liturgical rite reserved to priests appointed by their bishop — if you believe you are facing something beyond ordinary temptation, speak with your parish priest.
What is the long version of the St. Michael Prayer?+
A fuller invocation drawn from Pope Leo XIII’s 1890 composition, which expands the same petitions — defense in battle, the binding of the ancient serpent, the protection of the Church — for use by the faithful. Both forms are on this page, and both are prayers of humble petition to God.
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