As we approach the season of great spiritual warfare (with the feast of the Archangel Michael quickly approaching), we will be carrying a number of stories on demonology.

But before we do, we would like to recommend that everyone prepare with the greatest weapon. We speak here of love. More than a weapon, it is a shield.

Are you under demonic attack? Do you feel harassed by evil spirits? Are you or your loved ones in spiritual commotion? And if so, what do you do about it? What do you do about what seem like intractable bondages?

The answer is love, for when we love, God is with us. God is around us. And evil cannot penetrate. God walks the tunnels of our hearts. You may still feel some fiery darts, but if you love as much as you can as long as you can in every situation, you will find a surprising world of protection!

That's because when God is in your heart, the evil one does not dare to penetrate. If you look at times when you have been harassed, you'll see that the harassment may have been most intense or at least lasted for the greatest length of time during periods when you were in less than a totally loving spirit.

Often, evil attacks come because there are folks who simply dislike you. These can be very stinging and are felt on a level that is not just emotional but spiritual. Dislike and especially hatred unleash demons. They set spirits against us. The same is true of jealousy. As the Bible asks, who can stand before that? It is as powerful an attack as there is, and we can also be stung by those who are involved in the occult or New Age or illicit sexual activity. We have seen great attack come from those who believe they are seers or locutionists but are actually in touch with familiar (or demonic) spirits.

The solution? What do we do when evil bites or gnaws or slaps at us?

When the attacks come, the best defense is to pray for whoever may be the source of the attack, to send them best wishes in the form of unconditional love. Hard? Yes. But it comes with practice. Try it with relationships: If there's someone in your family whom you're at odds with, pray ardently for that person. Pray until your heart is full of love for that person. Pray until you love that person every day!

If you can do that, you are imitating the way that Christ won the battle at Calvary.

And like Him, you will have angels around you (including the Archangel Michael).

You'll note that the most loving people you know seem to glow, they seem to have a bright countenance, and that's because they are engulfed with the Holy Spirit.

When we love, we surround ourselves with a beautifying and shield-like radiance.

Pray, love -- and fast.

With those three, no matter the evil -- no matter how daunting it may seem -- nothing can approach to harm you. Above all, the devil flees from the heart that truly loves.