Recovery is not just about staying free from sin and addiction, it’s about rebuilding the whole person—body, mind, and soul. This happened for me by adopting spiritual strategies when I was in early recovery to deepen my faith in Christ and engage in spiritual warfare.
I remember during my early recovery from lust-related addiction feeling like I was waking up after a spiritual earthquake. Although a new life was beginning, I was still fragile. It required vigilance. In this state, the enemy knows we’ve broken free and will work hard to regain ground: “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
My early recovery was a challenge in many ways. I experienced intense fatigue, brain fog, and discouragement. Temptations crept back in. I had bouts of intense scrupulosity and was emotionally unstable. I often felt like I had made no progress at all. I learned later that this is a normal response; I was not backsliding—instead, I was recovering, or “rebooting.” Father Chad Ripperger, a seasoned exorcist, teaches that once the demons are expelled (as they can be when we begin finding freedom from our addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments), they hover. They wait for a moment of weakness to attack us again.
I was very fortunate to find friends who helped me and a spiritual community that supported me. I joined a Bible study, went to Eucharistic adoration, and found my first spiritual director. My early recovery entailed three strategies. First, I engaged in frequent confession and reception of the Eucharist. I urge everyone in any stage of recovery to do this! Second, I created a structured prayer life. I started simple, but it was structured and consistent: morning and evening prayer along with the Rosary. Third, I got myself involved in a community. Satan enjoys isolating us. Community is our protection against him.
I realized that our early recovery is not only the time to rest and recover, but also to rebuild and reinforce. In addition to the three above strategies, I avoided former toxic friendships and environments. I also focused on my nutrition and sleep. Over time, my prayer of “Lord, help me survive!” became “Lord, make me a soldier in your army!”
As my recovery continued, I moved from wounded to warrior. This feeling of being a warrior was a big reason I started contributing to Catholic in Recovery, in fact. After a year of recovery, I knew I had gained strength, wisdom, and, hopefully, virtue. Still, I faced subtler threats, namely complacency, pride, and spiritual dryness. Complacency and pride are weak areas for me. Father Ripperger reminds us that the greater danger is not the fall, but forgetting that we can fall again.
In these later stages of recovery, I began focusing on three more strategies: deepening my interior life, advancing spiritual discipline, and nurturing humility. I track my growth with the practice of journaling. Lectio Divina and spiritual reading are also vital. I regularly participate in retreats and days of recollection, fast outside of Lent (usually on Fridays), and do 15-30 minutes of mental prayer every day. I am still prone to falling into the temptation that I have conquered my addiction once and for all. However, I’m humbled. I realize now that the humility that comes from falling can be a type of armor—it can keep us looking to God as our strength as opposed to ourselves. No matter what year of recovery we are in, we are still vulnerable. Our souls need deeper roots in Christ to resist more refined temptations.
As I have matured in my faith and recovery, the battles may have gotten quieter, but they have not disappeared. Spiritual warfare does not end; it only changes. While we are always in danger of falling to temptation or back into our addiction in this life, we are no longer unarmed. Scripture, the sacraments, spiritual direction, prayer, 12-step recovery tools, and more offer us continual safeguards and, ultimately, keep us grounded in Christ.
Aaron Walter is a lifelong Catholic and former porn addict whose ministry, NewMenRising, is dedicated to pornography addiction recovery. He is a coach, mentor, and accountability partner and is passionate about helping husbands kick their addiction and transform their lives and relationships. You can connect with him at calendly.com/aaronwaltercoachingsessions.