Part 2: How Temptation Works and How to Recognize It

Last week, we reviewed what sin is. In short, it’s missing the mark or falling short of our goal, which is life with God.  The “mark” is saying “yes” to God. Everything we do that is saying “no” to God is sin. If we want to avoid sin, it helps to understand temptation. Last time we also began looking at two readings (Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-11) that show us how the devil operates. First, the tempter, the devil (who is very real: see CCC #391-395) is a deceiver. (For more on the devil, read, Deacon-structing: the Devil part 1, part 2 and part 3). Notice the serpent’s opening move in Genesis: “Did God really say…?” He plants doubt. He confuses. He makes us question who God is and who we are. In the desert, he says to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God…” subtly attacking His identity. Confusion is one of the enemy’s favourite tools. When truth becomes blurry, when everything feels relative, and when words get redefined, we lose clarity. Once we’re confused about who God is or who we are, we become vulnerable. There is so much confusion in our world today. We don’t know what’s real, what isn’t, or what truth itself is. This confusion is the work of the devil. Second, the devil preys on weakness. Jesus had been fasting for forty days. He was hungry. That’s when the temptation came. The attack was targeted. The same happens to us. When we’re tired, discouraged, stressed, lonely: that’s often when temptation whispers the loudest. “You deserve this.” “It’s not a big deal.” “God understands.” Temptation often sounds reasonable. Which leads to the third point: the devil lies. Jesus calls him the “father of lies” (John 8:44). But here’s the tricky part: those lies are usually half-truths, or twisted truths. close enough to sound convincing. “You will not die…” he lies to Eve. “God doesn’t really care…” he says to us. “You’re not worthy…” “God is not all-powerful…” At the root of every temptation is a distortion about who God is or who we are. If we start believing God is not loving, not powerful, that He doesn’t care or that we are unloved or unworthy, we are already drifting off target. Finally, the devil doesn’t want us to think about Heaven. He shrinks our vision. The devil wants us thinking only in earthly terms: Bread, comfort, power, reputation, pleasure. None of those things are evil in themselves, but when they become the bull’s-eye without God, when they replace Heaven as the goal, we’ve shifted targets. The devil wants us distracted from the target. Again, we live in a world that is so full of distractions. This is one of the reasons the Church gives us the season of Lent: to help us clear the distractions. Lent clears the clutter. It pulls our focus back to the real mark: Heaven. It helps us ask, “What am I really aiming at?” Jesus responds to every temptation by thinking beyond the immediate moment. He keeps His eyes on the Father. He keeps His eyes on eternity. So how do we discern the voice of God from the voice of the enemy? Here’s a helpful guideline: God may allow difficulty, even suffering, but He never takes away our peace. Temptation brings confusion, despair, shame, agitation, and division. It pushes us away from trust. It isolates us. It draws us away from God and more into ourselves. Saying “yes” to God may be hard, even painful, but over time it strengthens peace. Saying “no” to God may feel good for a moment, but it eventually steals our peace. To fight temptation, we don’t just wait until we’re in trouble. We build strength beforehand. Jesus fasted before the temptations came. He was spiritually ready. We prepare by:

• Staying rooted in Scripture; reading, studying, and praying with Scripture
• Praying daily
• Receiving the Sacraments, especially Confession and the Eucharist
• Building virtues like self-control and discipline (through fasting, for example)

The more we know God, the easier it is to recognize lies about Him and about ourselves. The more we know Church teachings the better we can identify half-truths about what we believe. The Church teaches that temptation is part of the spiritual battle. The enemy “prowls like a lion,” (1 Peter 5:8) trying to make sin attractive. But God never allows us to be tempted beyond our strength. And our temptations reveal where we need to grow and where we need to lean more into God. (CCC #2846-2849) Maybe this Lent, when you pray “lead us not into temptation,” you can also pray, “Help me say ‘yes’ to you, Lord, in everything.”  Let’s pay attention to the temptations in our life so we can be better at conquering them. And remember this: God wants you to be happy. But not without Him. Not because He is controlling and doesn’t care. But because He is a loving Father. Because He knows that true happiness is life with Him. Trusting Him. Walking with Him. Saying “yes” to Him. That is the bull’s-eye. That is the mark. That is our happiness.

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With every post, Deacon Pedro takes a particular topic apart, not so much to explore or explain the subject to its fullness, but rather to provide insights that will deepen our understanding of the subject. And don’t worry, at the end of the day he always puts the pieces back together. There are no limits to deacon-structing: Write to him and ask any questions about the faith or Church teaching: [email protected]. Follow him on Facebook and Instagram.