“Satan is not real.”
“We mere humans have no power over the demonic realm.”
“In life, evil always wins.”
Thus says the world. Yet, every one of these false—and conflicted—beliefs we hear today is set right in our minds and hearts by St. Martin de Porres who, by his life, tells us the truth: Satan is real, through God we have ultimate power over the demonic realm, and the Lord will always be victorious—in this life and the next.
Whether forged from his humble beginnings, his selfless care for the sick, or the insights gained from his mystical experiences, St. Martin de Porres confronted evil without hesitation. Calm, confident, and relentless, he gives us the example of how to “stand firm” in unwavering faith in God’s victory over darkness. Revered as the “Father of the Poor,” St. Martin cared for the impoverished in body and spirit alike, showing us how to face down evil by “putting on the whole armor of God.”
As the son of a Spanish nobleman and a freed Black woman, Martin de Porres began life in Lima, Peru, in 1579. When Martin was twelve, his mother secured him an apprenticeship with a barber-surgeon to learn a trade. There, Martin was taught the practical arts of medicine—dressing wounds, applying herbal remedies, and administering basic care. By age fifteen, his growing faith led him to the Dominican Order. Since the law at the time forbade mixed-race people from entering, he asked to join as a donado—a volunteer servant who performed the lowest of tasks, like sweeping and washing laundry. His humble request was granted.
After almost ten years of observing St. Martin’s service, medical help to the sick, and deep faith in God, the Dominican leaders broke the law and allowed him to take his full vows as a lay brother in 1603. At that time, he was appointed head of the infirmary and supervisor of almsgiving. This allowed St. Martin to transform his daily charitable efforts into large-scale institutional ministries, including establishing an orphanage and associated Catholic school, creating city-wide health care support for the needy, and even building an animal shelter.
For all his good works, St. Martin is even more well known for his mystical experiences which are among the most heavily documented by the Church during that time. St. Martin spent many nights in the monastery chapel in contemplative prayer where multiple night watchmen and fellow friars would witness his spiritual ecstasy. Often, he was seen suspended in the air, several feet off the ground, deep in prayer, embracing the figure of Christ on the cross.
Following these experiences, the saint—who had no formal theological training and only a basic education—would exhibit “infused knowledge.” Dominican scholars and bishops would regularly seek his counsel on complex theological paradoxes and Scripture passages. They noted that after emerging from his intense prayer, St. Martin’s answers revealed a profound, clear understanding of divine truths that surpassed book-learning. Most importantly, St. Martin would emerge from these experiences with an unshakable confidence in God’s authority in spiritual warfare.
His faith would regularly be tested as he encountered the demonic time and again, in terrifying physical and spiritual assaults. As recorded in the Canonical Trial Records (the Proceso), the friars testified that Martin frequently used a dark, narrow back staircase to travel between his cell, the chapel, and the infirmary late at night. In one famous account, St. Martin confronted a dark figure blocking the stairs as he traveled on the way to the infirmary in the middle of the night. The exchange went as follows:
St. Martin asked, “What are you doing here, accursed one?”
Satan replied, “I am here because it pleases me, and because I expect to profit from it.”
St. Martin responded, “Get out of here; go back to your place!”
When the apparition refused to move, St. Martin untied his Dominican cincture (rope belt) and struck the demon with it. The testimony records that the entity was driven off, leaving behind a sulfurous, foul odor—described in the records as “mal odor.” With that, St. Martin calmly continued down the stairs to tend to the sick in the infirmary.
For some reason it is easier for us to believe Satan was present in history than to see him working in the world today. Contrarily, people today also claim that the evil one doesn’t exist at all—that he is just a figment of overwrought, “overly religious” imaginations. And there are even fallen souls who believe, like I once did, that we can access the power of the demonic to control our reality. All of these beliefs are tragically false.
St. Martin shows us by example the truth: that on this earth we are “…not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” His attitude toward evil should be a lesson to us all. Yes, the demonic is real, but we have no need to fear as God has the ultimate authority. Instead, we should go forth, with faith and confidence and “…take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Eph. 6:12–13).
St. Martin de Porres died on November 3, 1639, at the age of 59, surrounded by his fellow Dominicans. By the time of his death, he was so widely revered that African slaves, indigenous Peruvians, and Spanish noblemen alike flooded the monastery to kiss his feet and catch a glimpse of the holy man. He was canonized by Pope John XXIII in 1962.
On his feast day, let St. Martin be our guide. When evil gets in our way, do not fall for Satan’s lies. But instead, like St. Martin did, “Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Eph. 6:14–16).
Amen.
Author’s Note: Whether the occult has touched your life directly or you are searching for encouragement in spiritual battles, I recommend reading Confessions of a Former Witch, available from Sophia Institute Press. This story, like St. Martin de Porres’, stands as proof that God’s light is always more powerful than Satan’s darkness.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a new CE original series, “Vanquishing Evil: Stories of Saints Who Conquered the Darkness,” which chronicles the legendary figures who went head-to-head with Satan—and emerged victorious. These extraordinary lives serve as living proof that, no matter how fierce the shadow, God’s light will prevail.
Photo by CarlosVdeHabsburgo via Wikimedia Commons
