Demons, Fr. Chad Ripperger explains, are on a short leash: they can only do what Christ permits, and they're openly Christ's slaves whether they like it or not. So has he ever actually been afraid during an exorcism?

Fr. Ripperger shares the one case where a demon refused to comply, and what he saw in its face after asking God to allow a severe punishment: not demonic power, but the severity of God's own justice.

He also unpacks why the devil is himself trapped in constant hypervigilance and fear of punishment, and why he wants to spread that same psychology into the rest of us.

This is a clip from my incredible interview with Fr. Ripperger, which you can watch in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvB8k_ABjto

Fr. Chad Ripperger is a Catholic priest, theologian, and exorcist serving the Archdiocese of Denver, and founder of the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother (the Doloran Fathers).