Humility is the strongest armor, forged of all virtue and feared by demons and satan.

The armor of Temperance

Temperance, like armor, serves as a powerful shield that protects and equips individuals to navigate life’s challenges with balance, discipline, and wisdom. Temperance is like armor for the soul and mind. It doesn’t eliminate challenges but equips individuals with the ability to face them with self-control, patience, and balance. Just as armor shields a warrior’s body from harm, temperance shields a person’s spirit from destructive excess, ensuring they remain steady, wise, and strong. Here’s how temperance can be metaphorically compared to armor:

Protection and Defense

1. Protection Against Impulsivity

  • Armor: Shields the body from reckless attacks, preventing injury.
  • Temperance: Guards against rash decisions and emotional outbursts, ensuring actions are measured and thoughtful.

2. A Defense Against Destructive Desires

  • Armor: Defends against weapons that could cause harm.
  • Temperance: Defends against excesses—whether in emotions, consumption, or behavior—keeping individuals from being controlled by their impulses.

Strength and Deflection

3. Strength to Withstand Temptations

  • Armor: Helps a warrior endure relentless attacks without faltering.
  • Temperance: Provides inner strength to resist temptations, ensuring self-control in the face of indulgence or excess.

4. Deflection of Harmful Influences

  • Armor: Deflects arrows and blows, preventing damage.
  • Temperance: Deflects negative influences, such as peer pressure, addictions, or greed, keeping one on a path of stability and virtue.

Preparation and Empowerment

5. Preparation for Challenges

  • Armor: Prepares a warrior for battle by ensuring protection.
  • Temperance: Prepares individuals to handle adversity with poise and patience, preventing impulsive reactions that could worsen situations.

6. A Tool for Empowerment

  • Armor: Empowers a warrior by instilling confidence in their protection.
  • Temperance: Empowers individuals by granting mastery over desires, emotions, and reactions, fostering confidence in their ability to maintain control.
DALL·E 2025-02-25 11.27.21 - A group of medieval knights preparing for battle, putting on their chain mail armor. The scene is set in a dimly lit stone chamber with torches castin

Adaptability and Improvement

7. Adaptable Defense

  • Armor: Can be customized for different battles and environments.
  • Temperance: Is flexible, allowing individuals to adjust their level of restraint or indulgence based on the situation while maintaining balance.

8. Continuous Improvement

  • Armor: Needs upkeep to remain durable and effective.
  • Temperance: Requires ongoing practice and self-reflection to maintain discipline and ensure growth in self-control.

9. A Foundation for Wise Strategy

  • Armor: Allows warriors to focus on strategy instead of survival.
  • Temperance: Enables individuals to make rational, well-thought-out decisions rather than being ruled by momentary impulses.

10. Encouragement to Persist

  • Armor: Gives a warrior the confidence to continue fighting.
  • Temperance: Provides the mental and emotional resilience to endure hardships without succumbing to destructive behaviors.
DALL·E 2025-03-10 23.04.36 - An ultra-realistic digital painting of a tall, young, and strong medieval knight demonstrating __prudence__ in a decisive moment. The knight stands in

How Temperance is Effective Against Demons and Evil in General

Temperance is a cardinal virtue and one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, serving as a spiritual armor that protects the soul from excess, addiction, and indulgence. It is the virtue of moderation and self-mastery, ensuring that desires, appetites, and emotions are controlled by reason and guided by faith. Demons thrive on excess, recklessness, and impulsivity, but temperance neutralizes their influence by keeping the soul disciplined and balanced.

Temperance Destroys the Devil's strategy of excess and addiction

Satan tempts people to overindulge in pleasure, food, drink, and entertainment, leading them to spiritual weakness and enslavement to desires. Temperance breaks these chains by keeping the soul in control.

  • Temperance prevents addiction and gluttony – The devil whispers, “Just one more,” but temperance says, “Enough.”
  • It protects against sins of the flesh – Many sins arise from lack of restraint in desires, but temperance keeps passions under control.
  • It strengthens the will against compulsive behaviors – Satan seeks to enslave people through habits and urges, but temperance frees them from destructive cycles.

Example: St. Augustine struggled with indulgence before his conversion, but through temperance, he overcame it, becoming one of the greatest saints in Church history.

Temperance weakens the devil's hold over the body and mind

Many spiritual attacks come through bodily cravings and uncontrolled emotions. Temperance ensures that neither the flesh nor emotions rule over the soul.

  • Temperance disciplines the body against laziness and overindulgence – Demons encourage sloth and excess, but temperance keeps the body strong and disciplined.
  • It keeps emotions from clouding judgment – Many sins happen because people act out of uncontrolled anger, lust, or fear—temperance ensures rational and holy decisions.
  • A temperate soul is harder to manipulate – Demons thrive on exaggerating emotions and cravings, but temperance calms the soul and keeps it steady.

Example: St. Catherine of Siena practiced temperance in food, sleep, and emotions, strengthening her soul against demonic attacks and allowing her to receive divine wisdom.

Temperance strengthens spiritual warfare and prayer

Demons fear disciplined souls who pray, fast, and stay focused on God. Temperance strengthens spiritual practices by keeping the soul focused and controlled.

  • Temperance prevents distractions in prayer – Many struggle with restlessness or worldly distractions, but temperance keeps the mind and heart centered on God.
  • It makes fasting and sacrifices more powerful – Fasting is a direct attack on the devil, and temperance helps the soul embrace self-denial without complaint.
  • A temperate soul is disciplined in daily prayer – Where demons try to discourage spiritual consistency, temperance creates perseverance and commitment.

Example: Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days, showing perfect temperance. This spiritual discipline gave Him the strength to resist the devil’s temptations (Matthew 4:1-11).

Many sins—lust, greed, gluttony, sloth, and wrath—are rooted in a lack of self-control. Temperance eliminates these weak points by training the soul in moderation and discipline.

  • Temperance rejects overindulgence before it becomes a sin – Where others fall into temptation, the temperate person walks away before sin begins.
  • It strengthens the will against momentary pleasure – The devil tempts people to choose immediate pleasure over eternal joy, but temperance keeps the soul focused on what truly matters.
  • It prevents emotional sins – Many sins happen in a moment of anger, lust, or impatience, but temperance creates restraint and wisdom.

Example: King Solomon fell into sin because he abandoned temperance, indulging in excess wealth, wives, and pleasure, which led him away from God (1 Kings 11:1-4).

Satan destroys families and communities through uncontrolled desires and self-indulgence. Temperance builds strong, self-disciplined people who lead holy lives.

  • Temperance keeps families healthy and holy – Many marriages and relationships fail due to anger, addiction, or selfish desires, but temperance builds self-control and respect.
  • It strengthens the Church by keeping leaders disciplined – Many Church scandals come from lack of restraint, but temperance creates holy and trustworthy leadership.
  • Temperance protects society from corruption – Where the devil promotes greed, crime, and excess, temperance creates fairness, justice, and order.

Example: St. Benedict established monastic temperance, emphasizing prayer, work, and discipline, shaping Western civilization and protecting the Church from corruption.

Temperance as a powerful armor against evil

  1. Demons use addiction and indulgence—temperance breaks their control.
  2. It weakens the devil’s ability to manipulate the body and emotions.
  3. It strengthens spiritual discipline, making prayer and fasting more powerful.
  4. It prevents temptation from turning into sin by keeping the will strong.
  5. It protects families, churches, and societies from falling into corruption and chaos.

How to strengthen Temperance

  • Practice fasting and self-denial regularly.
  • Avoid excess in food, drink, entertainment, and worldly distractions.
  • Set limits on activities that tempt indulgence (social media, screens, leisure).
  • Pray for self-control and the grace to moderate desires.
  • Surround yourself with disciplined, faith-filled people.


Temperance is not about deprivation—it is about freedom. Those who cultivate temperance become masters of their desires, unshaken by temptation, and invulnerable to the devil’s attempts to control them through excess.