Reviving the Ancient Spiritual Combat: Exodus 90 and St. Michael's Lent

Men, we are surrounded. Not by flesh and blood, but by principalities, powers, rulers of darkness in this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:12). The enemy is not idle. He moves against our families, our parishes, and our hearts. He seeks to divide, discourage, and destroy us and our loved ones.

We must respond with resolve. Not with lukewarm compromise. We do not want to be like those who Jesus would spit out of His mouth. No, men, we must respond with a holy violence against sin (cf. Matt. 11:12). This is the spirit of St. Michael’s Lent, a tradition born in the crucible of the early Church, revived today through the radical path of Exodus 90.

The Origin: St. Francis and the Summer Lent

In the year 1224, St. Francis of Assisi, already renowned for his holiness, felt called to retreat into the wilderness from August 15 (Assumption of Mary) to September 29 (the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel). This forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance became known as St. Michael’s Lent. It was during this time, on Mount La Verna, that it is said St. Francis received the holy stigmata (wounds of Christ). 

This was no ordinary retreat. St. Francis entered that Lent with the full intention of uniting himself more closely to Christ through suffering. He fasted not only for his own sanctity but for the renewal of the Church and the protection of the faithful. He entrusted this time to Our Lady and to St. Michael, the great protector of the Church.

Though never formally enshrined in the liturgical calendar, St. Michael’s Lent became a powerful tradition within the Franciscan order and among devout Catholics. It was a time of spiritual combat, reparation, and heavenly intercession. A season when men left the world behind to do battle for souls.

The Exodus 90 Revival: Reclaiming the Old Weapons

In our own age, Exodus 90 has picked up this ancient spiritual sword and placed it back into the hands of Catholic men.

Exodus 90 is known for its 90-day spiritual exercise rooted in prayer, asceticism, and fraternity. Now, in their annual St. Michael’s Lent initiative, Exodus 90 calls men not to a diluted devotion, but to a rigorous and focused season of interior purification. This is not simply a spiritual warm-up. It is warfare.

From August 15 to September 29, Exodus 90 challenges men to a series of disciplines. These include:

1. Daily silent prayer (minimum 30 minutes)

2. Cold showers

3. Regular and intense exercise

4. Seven hours of uninterrupted sleep

5. No alcohol

6. No desserts or sweets

7. No eating between meals

8. No entertainment media (TV, movies, social media, news)

9. No unnecessary smartphone or computer use

10. Weekly fraternity meetings with men

11. Daily accountability check-in with your anchor

12. Friday 2am Holy Hour (a night vigil)

13. Wednesdays and Fridays as fasting days (no meat)

This is no small task men. But, we were not made for comfort. We were made for greatness. This is what saints have done for centuries to mortify the flesh, illuminate the soul, and reclaim dominion over the passions. This is what is required to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with St. Michael, the Prince of the Heavenly Host.

Why St. Michael’s Lent Matters Today

St. Michael the Archangel was the first to cry out: “Who is like God?” He cast Lucifer from heaven. He now stands as the Church’s defender, invoked in every exorcism, protector of the dying, and patron of police, soldiers, and all spiritual warriors.

We live in an age where the demonic is celebrated, pornography poisons homes, effeminacy is normalized, and men have forgotten how to fight. St. Michael’s Lent is a direct strike against this passivity. It is a clarion call for men to:

• Reclaim spiritual authority over their homes

• Purify their minds and bodies through fasting and mortification

• Grow in silent prayer and discernment

• Fight not alone, but in fraternity

The Power of Angelic Intercession

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:

"From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their (angels) watchful care and intercession. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life. Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God (CCC 336)." 

St. Michael’s Lent is not simply a private devotion. It is an angelic assault. When men commit to this 40-day battle, they are invoking the aid of angels who war against the demonic.

Exodus 90’s St. Michael’s Lent campaign in 2025 includes a focus on angelology, drawing from Scripture and Tradition. Participants are invited to meditate on the role of angels in salvation history:

• St. Michael as protector of Israel (Daniel 12:1)

• St. Gabriel as messenger of the Incarnation (Luke 1:26)

• Guardian Angels in Psalm 91 and Matthew 18:10

• The warfare described in Revelation 12

This is not mythology. It is divine revelation. And it reminds men that we are never alone in this battle.

Fraternity: No Man Fights Alone

One of Satan’s primary tactics is isolation. The Exodus 90 model destroys that by mandating daily check-ins with your anchor and weekly meetings with your group of brothers. Here, iron sharpens iron (Prov. 27:17).

Men challenge each other. Go to confession frequently. Fast together. Pray together. This fraternity is not based on weakness but on the desire to become saints. This is brotherhood forged in fire.

The Feast of Victory: September 29

The final day of this Lent is no coincidence. It is Michaelmas, the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. It is a day of triumph. Just as St. Francis received the stigmata near the end of his fast, you too are called to emerge from this 40-day battle with visible, lasting change.

Not perfection, but purification.
Not comfort, but character.
Not excuses, but excellence.

On September 29, men who complete this Exodus will celebrate with their brothers, with their families, and with the angels of heaven.

For the Renewal of the Church

This is not just personal sanctification. It is ecclesial combat. The Church needs holy men. Husbands who lead. Fathers who bless. Priests who sacrifice. Sons who serve.

When you participate in St. Michael’s Lent, you are praying for:

• Vocations to the priesthood and religious life

• The purification of the Church from scandal and error

• The defense of the family

• The conversion of souls

• Your own sanctification and leadership as a man of God

Take Up Your Arms

The Church does not need more comfort. She needs more courage.

You were made for this fight. Not to blend in. Not to be silent. But to be a light in darkness. A warrior in exile. A saint in training.

St. Michael’s Lent begins August 15. You still have time to prepare. Gather your brothers. Set your alarm. Delete the apps. Confess your sins. Embrace the disciplines. Commit to the 40 days.

And fight.

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

Want to join the fight?

• Go to exodus90.com and register.

• Share this with your men’s group, parish, or priest.

• Start now—don’t wait for perfect conditions.

This is our time.

“Be watchful. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)