This St. Benedict Night Prayer for Protection is offered as a gentle yet powerful companion during the night hours. Spoken slowly and meditatively over 30 minutes, it invites God’s divine protection to surround you as you rest. Through the ancient intercession of Saint Benedict, this prayer calls upon Christ’s authority to break spiritual oppression, calm anxiety, and guard your soul, mind, body, and home from all forms of evil.
Even while you sleep, God is at work. This prayer allows you to surrender what you cannot control and rest under the shadow of His grace.
The St. Benedict Prayer for Protection Against Evil and Fear (30 Min)
The Ancient Latin Prayer That Makes Evil Flee
At the heart of the Saint Benedict devotion is a short Latin prayer that has echoed through monasteries, homes, and churches for centuries—a prayer feared by the powers of darkness and cherished by the faithful:
Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux
May the Holy Cross be my lightNon Draco Sit Mihi Dux
Let not the dragon be my guideVade Retro Satana
Begone, SatanNumquam Suade Mihi Vana
Never tempt me with your vanitiesSunt Mala Quae Libas
What you offer me is evilIpse Venena Bibas
Drink the poison yourself
This prayer was actually written by Saint Benedict himself under the direction of God to function as a bulwark against all the works of evil against man. It has been passed down from centuries, and is acknowledged by the church to be the most effective especially against spiritual attacks and demonic influences. The Saint Benedict medal contains all the words in this prayer and is often used by the church’s chief exorcists in their daily practice to drive out all malicious spirits and Satan’s influence.
Play this soft spoken prayer meditation in the background, while you sleep, work, pray, or go about your day. Even when your mind is occupied, your soul remains under the shelter of God’s protection. The prayer becomes like holy incense in the air, quietly sanctifying your space and strengthening your heart.
Why the Devil Fears Saint Benedict
Saint Benedict was not merely a monk but a powerful spiritual warrior of Christ. His life was marked by profound holiness, deep humility, and absolute trust in God. Again and again, tradition records how Benedict exposed demonic deceptions, destroyed temptations, and overcame direct attacks of the enemy through prayer, fasting, and the sign of the Cross.
On more than one occasion, Benedict was physically threatened by poison meant to kill him. Each time, the poison was rendered powerless when he made the sign of the Cross- shattering the cup meant for his destruction. These moments are not legends of bravado, but testimonies to a life so united with Christ that evil could not endure his presence.
Because of this, the Church recognizes Saint Benedict as a mighty intercessor against:
- Spiritual attacks and oppression
- Curses, witchcraft, and malice
- Fear, anxiety, and temptation
- Hidden influences that disturb peace
The devil fears Saint Benedict not because of Benedict himself, but because Benedict belongs entirely to Christ. When we call upon him, we are calling upon the authority of the Cross that conquered sin and death.
You do not need to wait for fear to overwhelm you before calling upon Saint Benedict. His intercession is available at any moment. Whether it be in the quiet of the night, during anxious thoughts, or in times of unseen spiritual struggle. Play this prayer as you rest. Let it accompany your daily tasks. Allow it to stand as a spiritual guard over your home.
Where the Cross is honored, darkness cannot remain.
Where Christ’s authority is called upon, peace will come.
