New EWTN Exorcism Series Explores the Church’s Battle Against Satan
EWTN’s three-part documentary series “In Jesus’ Name” streams on EWTN+ Oct. 28–30 and examines spiritual warfare and the Church’s ministry of exorcism. The series features exorcists, theologians and people who experienced demonic oppression, including Father Dan Reehil, a diocesan exorcist in Nashville. Reehil says the documentary aims to expose the deceptions that draw people toward evil and help viewers understand how to resist them using the spiritual resources of the Church. The series presents exorcism as a ministry the Church has carried on since biblical times and emphasizes Christ’s victory over evil.
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EWTN’s three-part documentary In Jesus’ Name examines the Church’s ministry of exorcism, accounts of occult involvement and spiritual oppression, and Catholic teachings on spiritual warfare. Featuring exorcists, theologians, a clinical psychologist and people who describe finding faith after occult practices, the series presents exorcism as part of a broader path of pastoral care, prayer and conversion. 1
Produced by EWTN Studios and Cumberland Creative, the series streams on EWTN+ on October 28, 29 and 30. Its stated aim, according to Nashville diocesan exorcist Father Dan Reehil, is to explain spiritual warfare and how Catholics can respond using the means the Church provides, rather than to sensationalize the devil. 1
The first episode, “Non Serviam,” explores the origins and reality of evil, drawing on biblical accounts of Jesus casting out demons and giving authority to his apostles. Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob says the early forms of exorcism centered on invoking Jesus’ name. 1
The second, “Swinging Doors,” considers how occult practices and other pathways may expose people to spiritual oppression. Personal accounts describe leaving Wicca and other occult practices, while the episode also addresses the Church’s role in identifying and responding to alleged spiritual attacks. 1
The final episode, “Deliver Us From Evil,” focuses on free will and presents exorcism as part of a wider journey of faith and conversion, with hope as a central theme. 1
The series distinguishes ordinary temptation from extraordinary influence, including oppression, obsession, infestation and, more rarely, possession. It also features a clinical psychologist who assesses possible candidates for major exorcism; the article notes that psychological evaluation is part of the process because not every struggle is demonic in origin. 1
Contributors point viewers toward the Church’s sacramental life, including confession and Mass, as well as Communion, prayer and Scripture. The article also highlights the role of the Virgin Mary in exorcism and recounts Reehil’s memory of a woman who, during his first exorcism, turned to an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and was freed. 1
Retired exorcist Father Vincent Lampert and theologian Paul Thigpen emphasize that, in the series’ Catholic framing, the devil is real but not to be feared when people remain close to Christ. The article advises viewer discretion because some scenes and accounts may be disturbing. 1
Catholic exorcism reflects the Church’s theology of spiritual warfare
Catholic exorcism does reflect the Church’s theology of spiritual warfare—but that warfare is understood through Christ’s victory, not as a contest between equal powers. Exorcism is a prayer of the Church asking God to protect or liberate a person from the Evil One. It is one specific part of a much broader Christian struggle against evil, pursued through the grace of Christ, the sacraments, prayer, and a life of faith.
The Church’s language of spiritual combat draws on Scripture’s account of Christ confronting evil. Jesus expelled demons by his own authority, and the Church understands this as a sign of God’s saving reign. The disciples, in turn, were commissioned to continue that work—not in their own names, but through the authority given by Christ.
The Church’s liturgical teaching also places this combat within the Paschal Mystery: Christ’s death and Resurrection defeat the dominion of sin and the devil. The existence of spiritual warfare, then, does not mean that evil has power equal to God’s. The Church teaches that the devil remains limited by God, and that Christ is the source of the Church’s hope and authority.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith describes the ordinary Christian life in these terms:
The life of the baptized is a combat, conducted with the grace of Christ and the power of his Spirit, against the world, the flesh and demonic beings.
This keeps exorcism in perspective. Spiritual warfare is not confined to dramatic cases of possession; it describes the wider struggle to resist sin and remain faithful to God. Exorcism is a particular prayer within that larger reality, not its defining feature.
The Catechism defines exorcism as the Church asking publicly and authoritatively, in Jesus’ name, that a person or object be protected from the Evil One or withdrawn from his dominion. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops likewise describes it as a specific form of prayer and a sacramental—a sacred sign through which the Church asks for God’s help. It is not one of the seven sacraments, nor is it a substitute for the sacrament of Penance, which forgives sins and reconciles the person with the Church.
The Church also distinguishes ordinary spiritual struggle from what it calls a major or solemn exorcism. The Catechism says that this solemn rite may be performed only by a priest with the bishop’s permission, and insists that the priest act prudently and follow the Church’s rules. This discipline underscores that exorcism is an ecclesial ministry—not a private technique or an act of personal spiritual bravado.
A Catholic account of spiritual warfare must not treat every illness, troubling experience, or psychological crisis as demonic. The Catechism expressly distinguishes illness—especially psychological illness—from the presence of the Evil One, and says that medical science is responsible for treating illness. It therefore requires that the possibility of illness be distinguished from the possibility of demonic influence before an exorcism is undertaken.
That caution is part of the theology, not a retreat from it. The Church’s prayer for a person does not justify neglecting medical care or making a diagnosis without adequate grounds. The same pastoral framework also points to the ordinary means of Christian support: the grace of the sacraments, prayer, and the Church’s care for the person.
The point of exorcism is not to satisfy curiosity about demons or to create fear. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith cautions that liturgy is not meant to satisfy curiosity about the nature, categories, or names of demons; rather, it expresses the Church’s faith and its awareness of the threat evil poses.
The Ukrainian Catholic Catechism, speaking from the Eastern Catholic tradition, similarly presents exorcism as the Church’s prayer for liberation through divine grace. It also stresses that even in possession the human person’s image of God is not obliterated, and that the person can be freed through the Church’s prayers.
So the claim is sound with an important qualification: Catholic exorcism reflects spiritual warfare, but the Church’s teaching centers less on the devil’s power than on Christ’s victory, the Church’s prayer, prudent pastoral care, and the dignity and hope of the person in need.