First Reading: Dt 26:4-10; Psalm: 91. R. v. 15b; Second Reading: Rm 10:8-13; Gospel: Lk 4:1-13

THREE LESSONS FROM CHRIST’S TEMPTATION

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP 

It’s four days now since we began the season of Lent. And on this first Sunday of Lent as we reflect on the temptations of Jesus Christ, the gospel gives us an eagle’s eye on the wiles of the Devil that we may see and know the Devil’s tricks so as to overcome his temptations in this period of Lent just as Christ did.

From the temptations of Christ in our gospel of today, we can draw three lessons that helps to keep us alert against the temptations of the Devil.

The first lesson is that the Devil does not stop at tempting us just once. He comes in different shades and with different tricks. We saw how the Devil tempted Christ in three different occasions presenting plausible and attractive reasons to convince Christ to yield. And the Devil does this in a very appealing way. When we experience some lack or when our desire for certain needs is heightened; the Devil in the form of a bait presents to us ways to cut corners in a bid to acquire these needs by all means or at any cost. It was while Christ was hungry that the Devil suggested that Christ should turn stone into bread. The options that the Devil presents to us is always appealing and doable but harmful in the long run. We must beware of cutting corners. It is an evil trick.     

The second lesson is that we must never relax when we triumph in temptation because the Devil will be back to try again. When Christ overcame the Devil in his threefold attempts, “the Devil departed from him until an opportune time.” (v.13). The Devil does not rest from deceiving us into sin. He lurks around waiting for an opportune time to strike again. Even when we fall to his tricks, he does not stop or go away; for he wants to devour every good in us. Hence, the scripture warns, “Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour’ (1 Pt 5:8). And when we speak of the Devil’s temptation, we of course do not mean a face-to-face encounter with the Devil. The Devil will never come in that manner for he knows he will scare us away. When the Devil wants to tempt us, he comes through friends, families, co-workers, and in most cases through our thoughts. Recall that Christ rebuked Peter in these words: “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mt 16:23).   

The third lesson is that when the Devil retreats to return again in an opportune time; he comes this time around in a more powerful and compelling way than before. When the Devil is defeated, he hits the gym to gain more muscle. So that when he returns and tries again, the temptation becomes weightier than the previous and almost impossible to resist. The Devil only retreats to reinforce and gather more wiles on how to bring us down in his next attempt.

When the Devil attacks a second time, he comes very fortified to do severe damage if we allowed him. “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest; and finding none he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it wept and put in order. Then he goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first”. (Lk 11:24-26).

When the ‘opportune time’ came prior to Christ’s passion, the Devil tried again. First, he came through Peter to stop Christ from going the way of the cross but failed. Then in the garden of Gethsemane he tried again to dissuade Christ that this cup of suffering will be too much to bear but also failed. His persuasive attempts were due to his fear of Christ’s final defeat of him through the cross; the final blow that will knock him out and save us from the bondage of original sin. We can see that it was at a vulnerable time and at the climax of Christ’s life that the Devil appeared again to stop him. Christ struggled but through prayer chose the will of his Father over the tricks of the Devil. The Devil won over the first Adam in the garden of Eden but was completely defeated by the new Adam in the garden of Gethsemane.

As we journey with Christ in this period of Lent, beware that the Devil will not tempt us just once. He will also not relent if he failed to win us over. And when he returns to try again to tempt us into doing his wish, he will come more fortified than before.

Every Lenten period, the Church encourages us to try to resist and overcome a habit of sin. So that when Lent is over, we rise into new life with Christ. These habits of sin could be excessive drinking, drugs, sexual immorality, social media addiction, gossip, slander, grudges, unforgiveness, hurtful words and whatnot. As we try to resist and overcome these sins, the Devil will persistently tempt us to live by them. He will not give up. And each time the Devil tries to trick us into living by these sins, he will go all in in doing that.

So, in this period of Lent, when we make an honest confession and decide to repent from our habits of sin, expect that the desire for these sins would heighten. No one fights sin or the Devil without receiving a more intense counter-attack. And when it does happen, know that it is a temptation from the Evil one which we must resist. However, we must not give up in our battle against sin even when we relapse after a sincere contrition and confession. God’s grace is sufficient for us. Our feelings of disappointment, frustration or anger when we relapse in sin is a sign of an honest desire for repentance. God is pleased by our honest efforts. But if we took note of the possible occasions that led to our relapse, perhaps we can overcome these sins through God’s grace and genuine effort.

Christ’s defeat of the Devil left the Devil sad and broken. But the Devil is not so broken and weak to tempt us. Our battle against the Devil and against sin continues. We must beware of the Devil’s tricks. We must see them coming. And we must be ready to ward them off through prayer and genuine effort.  

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord Jesus, grant us the grace to discern, identify and overcome every temptation of the Devil in this period of Lent and beyond that we may remain united to you. Amen.