The Lie At The Core Of Every Temptation

 

Temptation and sin are realities that all of us face, no matter how far along we are on our spiritual journey. The devil tempts us because he wants us to fall away from God and lose our hope. However, that doesn’t have to happen if we keep turning to our Heavenly Father with confidence in His mercy.

 In Sunday’s gospel, Jesus goes to the desert to confront Satan. Throughout Scripture, the wilderness is the place of temptation and testing. During their wanderings in the desert, the people of Israel fell to the temptation to worship a false God and to lose hope that He would provide for them during their journey. Though Saint Mark doesn’t tell us how the devil tempted Jesus, we know from the other gospels that they were similar to the ones the people of Israel and all people face - namely, to turn to something other than God for our well-being, security, and hope. Jesus does not fall to temptation but vanquishes the devil. In doing so, He gives us assurance that we can do the same.

So, we can face temptation with confidence. It doesn’t have any power over us because Jesus has already conquered Satan not only in the desert but by His cross and resurrection. Temptation only has power over us if we give in to it. If we resist it, push it out of our minds, and remind ourselves that Jesus has power over it, we will conquer our temptations. As Saint James tells us, “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

 When we are tempted, we should always remember that Satan is the father of lies. At the core of every temptation is a lie. We might be deceived into thinking that giving in to sin will relax us and make us feel better. However, all sin can do is leave us feeling empty and guilty. Satan might whisper into our ear that it is only a small sin and nobody will get hurt. Then, consequences we didn’t anticipate arise from our sinful acts and innocent people are hurt in the process. In any case, our relationship with God is always damaged whenever we give in to sin. So, whenever we are tempted, we should ask ourselves, “What is the lie that Satan wants me to believe?” When we bring that temptation into the light of truth, we will see it for what it really is and it will lose its power over us.

This beautiful season of Lent is an opportunity for us to face our sinful selves and turn to Jesus with confidence and trust. As we prepare for the celebration of Easter, we spend these weeks renewing our baptismal vow to reject Satan, and all his works, and all his empty promises. We reject the glamor of evil and refuse to be mastered by sin. Standing up to temptation, arming ourselves with the word of God, and staying close to Jesus in the sacraments will ensure that we will share His victory over sin and one day reign with Him in heaven.