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 (Luke 4:1-2).
He did so for the same reason he was baptized and crucified. Jesus experienced the temptations of Satan, the one who tempted Adam and Eve, to undo the effects of their original fall. Diabolos, translated as devil in English, means “slanderer” in Greek. Ha satan in Hebrew means accuser or adversary. Satan is the fallen angels, seeped in pride, who seeks divide, brings disorder to all that is good, and ultimately seeks death. We dismiss the reality of his presence at great risk. On the other hand we often give him more power than he deserves. Jesus is tempted, but unlike Adam and Eve, as well as the Hebrews following Moses in the desert, he does not give in. Jesus remains grounded in the will of his Father and so Satan has no power over him.
Jesus knows who he is and whose he is. Jesus is the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, who willingly was sent by his Father to conquer the effects of sin and death by taking upon himself the sin of fallen humanity. Jesus was willing to become a sin offering on our behalf.
Jesus could have dismissed Satan, yet he endured his temptation to teach us “how to triumph over temptation” (St Augustine 1976, 87). Jesus not only teaches us how, but empowers us to overcome Satan. The weakest Christian is more powerful than Satan himself, because we can call on the name of Jesus. This is not some magic incantation, but when we call on the name of Jesus, he, in the fullness of his humanity and his divinity, is present with us. God has given Jesus the name above every other name, so that as his word is spoken, every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth (cf. Philippians 2:9-10). Just as a floodlight shines in the darkness, the darkness gives way to the light. This is even more true with Jesus. Where Jesus is present there is love, such that no fear or evil can remain.
I had a dream some time ago, I am not sure how long now, but it is still just as vivid. I was sitting on a couch in the first floor of a house. The scene shifted so that I was seeing myself sitting on the couch from above and then my view was redirected to the attic. I witnessed a misshapen, dark figure rummaging through old boxes and newspapers. He embodied pure evil. I was then back in my body, and knew this creature was moving out of the attic and coming down the stairs to the room I was sitting in. My heart was pounding and I felt petrified as I heard his steps drawing closer. I was frozen in fear. In a few more moments, he came into view. What I saw was not the figure in the attic, but a handsome man, but I knew it was him. As he continued closer my fear increased, fearing that he would touch me, then a hymn came to mind. He stopped the moment I began to sing, my fear began to dissipate and I woke up.
Evil tends to present itself at first as an apparent good, as attractive, as normal, otherwise we would reject it outright. Satan and his demons are active through whispers and nudges, they look for our weaknesses and through the same tactics as peer pressure, seek to inject their poison and manipulate our actions. I am not talking about possession here, I am just talking about their divisive influence and seeking to present disorder into God’s plan of order. The most dangerous evil is the one masked in faith. Someone who can speak the verses of a Bible and quote chapter and verse does not a Christian make.
Satan himself quoted from Psalm 91 to Jesus, tempting him to throw himself off from the parapet such that the angels would protect him, catch him, and bring him down safely lest he “dash his foot against a stone.” Jesus in today’s account from Luke deftly countered each of Satan attacks with the sword of the Word of God. Even the subtle attacks of seeking to sew doubt into the reality and truth of who he was by stating, “If you are the Son of God…” Jesus did not flinch or doubt. He grounded himself in the love he had experienced from his Father, from the faith he, as fully human, learned from and experienced with Mary and Joseph, and he stood his ground until Satan left him.
Jesus’ encounter with Satan in the desert is one for us to pray with and meditate upon often because Jesus shows us how to counter his attacks. It is not with the weapons of this world but by placing our trust in God our Father and remembering, no matter how hard the father of lies tries to convince us otherwise, we too must ground ourself in the truth that we are God’s children and he loves us and seeks our best. As we trust in him with each temptation and with every aspect of our lives, our relationship and trust in him will grow.
We will no longer rationalize what we know to be unacceptable in ourselves as well as others. We leave less room for the allurements and see the lies of Satan more clearly when we keep ourselves grounded: in the truth of who we are as the Father’s beloved daughters and sons, in Jesus’ word, and in our growing relationship with the Holy Spirit.
It is important to assess our thoughts, actions, and words with honesty and humility each day, thank God where we have said yes to his will and followed through on acting where he has led us, where we have loved, and ask for forgiveness for when we have forgotten who we are and have been led astray by the father of lies. Also, it is important to ground ourselves in the Scriptures and allow the Word of God to become a daily nourishment. Reading, meditating, and praying with a few sections slowly each day will be transforming. We can start with the reading from Luke from today and with each reading, as with Jesus, the words will become as much as part of us as the air we breathe.
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Photo: Jesus, though tempted, remained a light in the darkness so we can follow!
Spiritual Stepping Stones 