The Spiritual Combat and a Treatise on Peace of Soul by Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

The Spiritual Combat and a Treatise on Peace of Soul

By Dom Lorenzo Scupoli · Published by TAN Books

Overview

You feel the pull of the world every day—the sudden flash of anger, the weight of sloth, or the nagging anxiety that steals your focus from God. The Spiritual Combat is the field manual you need to stop losing those daily battles and start reclaiming your soul for Christ. This timeless classic shows you exactly how to identify your weakest points and apply a winning strategy to overcome them. Combined with the Treatise on Peace of Soul, Dom Lorenzo Scupoli provides the concrete, step-by-step tactics required to root out vice while maintaining the deep, interior stillness of a soul at peace.

• Master Your Passions: Learn practical methods to curb sudden impulses like impurity, anger, and laziness before they lead to sin.
• Develop Ironclad Virtue: Follow a systematic plan to acquire the habits of holiness, focusing on winning one specific spiritual battle at a time.
• Eradicate Anxiety: Use the included "Treatise on Peace of Soul" to maintain a calm heart even in the midst of life's greatest trials.
• Pray with Purpose: Discover seven distinct ways to achieve the full benefits of prayer, even when you feel spiritually dry or distracted.
• Win the Morning: Implement a "morning mobilization" strategy to prepare your soul for the specific temptations you will face throughout the day.

From the Book

“The spiritual life consists in nothing else than the knowledge of the goodness and greatness of God, and of our own nothingness and inclination to all evil; in the love of God and the hatred of ourselves.”
— Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

Intended Audience

This book is for any Catholic who is tired of making the same mistakes in the confessional and is ready for a practical guide to holiness. It is particularly essential for fathers leading families, those struggling with persistent habits of vice, and anyone whose interior life is overwhelmed by modern stress.

FAQs

Is this book too advanced for a beginner?
Not at all. While it is a profound classic, Scupoli wrote it to be a practical manual. The chapters are short and focus on action rather than abstract theory.

Why is the "Treatise on Peace of Soul" included?
The Spiritual Combat teaches you how to fight, but the Treatise teaches you how to keep your heart still while doing so. They are the perfect pair: the sword and the shield.

How should I read this book for the best results?
St. Francis de Sales read from this book every single day. We recommend reading just one short chapter each morning to set your "battle plan" for the day.

Key Themes

• Spiritual Strategy: Approaching holiness with the discipline of a soldier.
• Self-Distrust & Confidence in God: Recognizing our weakness while leaning entirely on God’s strength.
• Interior Peace: Maintaining a "quiet center" as a defense against the devil's tactics.