Spiritual Combat

First published in 1589, Spiritual Combat has served generations of seekers as a fierce, practical guide to the inner life. Lorenzo Scupoli writes not for cloistered monks but for anyone living 'in the world' who refuses to let their passions rule them. The book treats the Christian life as what it truly is: a daily struggle against temptation, pride, and the slow erosion of the soul. Scupoli offers no comfortable abstractions. He gives instead hard-won wisdom about vigilance, humility, and the patient work of breaking one's own will. St. Francis de Sales called it the 'golden book' and carried a copy for eighteen years, reading from it daily. Four centuries later, it remains the book spiritual directors hand to those ready to take discipleship seriously. This is not spiritual reading for the faint of heart. It is for those who want more than comfort.