Temptation! Temptation! Oohh, it’s here again. I am tempted so much.
Sometimes people consider being tempted with sinning. To be tempted is not to sin. To yield to the temptation is to sin. Being tempted and sinning are not the same thing. Jesus, who was without sin, was tempted by the devil. We too are tempted by the devil and sometimes, we yield to the temptation, and we sin.
Original sin in our human nature makes it easier for us to yield to the temptation and sin. That is not the way God wanted it, but when Adam and Eve looked at the fruit and saw that it was good and the devil told them it would make them be like God knowing right from wrong, they yielded to the temptation.
God took care of them in spite of their sin by clothing them, but they were driven out of the Garden of Eden and forced to toil for their food, shelter and clothing. They also brought death upon themselves and all of us, their offspring.
The devil was pleased with himself for having turned them against God. The devil tries to do the same with Jesus, knowing that Jesus is the Son of God. If the devil can get Jesus to yield to his temptations, it would be a major victory to bring the Son of God down. Jesus did not yield to the devil’s temptations and in every instance that the devil used to entice Jesus, he refuted the devil with scripture.
In our busy lives it is difficult to find time for reading and studying the Bible, but it is crucial that we do it. How else will we be able to refute the devil when he tempts us? This is an excellent way to help us not yield to the temptation by knowing scripture well enough to use it in our spiritual battle for our souls.
Unlike Jesus, we have all sinned, many, many times. We lose our way and turn from God, our ego seeking to be more important than anyone around, including God. WE need to be the center of attention. It is easier for the devil to get us to yield to temptation when our ego ,ME, gets in the way because we can decide what is right, or wrong, for us.
Fortunately, God takes care of us just as he did with Adam and Eve. God provided us with the Sacrament of Reconciliation for us to confess our sin, you know, the times we yielded to temptation, and we can receive absolution from the priest, acting In Persona Cristi, (In the person of Christ) to forgive us our sins. This was given by Christ to Peter and is handed down through the ages by our Pope and Bishops.
Our task is to leave the Confessional and through prayer and studying the Scriptures with the help of the Holy Spirit, become strong enough to resist the temptations the devil bombards us with each day.
Luke’s Gospel tells us that: “Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil.” In ancient times, everyone knew that the desert was the place where the spirits lived. It was a terrible and frightening place. Not only did the spirits live there but it was full of robbers and evil people who attacked the innocent person traveling alone. That is why people traveled in caravans for safety in numbers.
The Anchor Yale Bible Commentary gives us a little more background on Jesus’ temptation from Luke: “Thus endowed (with the Holy Spirit), Jesus now undergoes an experience that sums up an aspect of his whole ministry. He conquers the devil, because he is filled with the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit helps us to overcome the devil in times of trial and temptation just as the Spirit helped Jesus.
Today’s Gospel ends with “When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.” Notice how it says that the devil departed from Jesus for a time, not forever, but for a time. If the devil never left Jesus alone, will he ever leave us alone?
Saint Padre Pio said “ Be certain that the more the attacks of the devil increase, that much closer is God to your soul.” If we inverse St Padre Pio’s statement, it reads: “The closer we get to God, the more the devil will attack us with temptations hoping we will yield to them and turn away from God.”
The Christian life is hard. The devil is always trying to lure us away from God. The closer we are to God, the harder the devil works to destroy our relationship with him. Saint Padre Pio also said: “Remember that we cannot triumph in battle if not through prayer; the choice is yours.”
Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It is also a time of penance when we sacrifice something meaningful to us or take on additional acts of penance through prayer, spending time with God in a Holy Hour or service to others. This act of showing our devotion to God and seeking his presence in our lives is part of our Lenten observances.
Padre Pio said that we cannot triumph in our spiritual battle except through prayer. The choice is truly ours. Yes, it takes time to quiet our minds and our souls to enter God’s presence and ask him to enter our lives, giving us the Holy Spirit to defend us in our spiritual battle.
If Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit when he entered the spiritual battle with the devil, how much more do we need the Holy Spirit in us. There is no shortcut, it takes time with God, studying scripture and praying. Are we willing to spend time with God as part of our Lenten penance?
