Commentary: Pope Francis teaches discernment for fending off the devil and coping with spiritual battles

Spirituality, whether Christian or Muslim, frequently uses the language of battle, so it is not surprising that Pope Francis promotes the Christian equivalent of a spiritual jihad. Many in the West think jihad only means warfare, whereas it can also mean the spiritual struggle within oneself against sin. In the final chapter of “Gaudete et Exsultate” (“Rejoice and Be Glad”), Francis uses similar language when he writes that “the Christian life is a constant battle.&