Power of Temptation
“Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the LORD God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
‘Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?’”Genesis 3:1
The story of Adam and Eve is perhaps one that is well known to Christians and non-Christians alike. God created man and woman, Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve — all humanity — is the greatest of all creation for they were made in the very image and likeness of God. They had the enviable gift of sharing in the life of God Himself. They had the gift of sanctifying grace. They also had the gift of free choice and free will, and they chose to reject that life with God.
It would be foolish of us to ignore the power of the enemy. The devil is real and he is powerful. But we should also remember the devil is nonetheless a creature, a creature of God who has chosen to reject His love. No creature is greater than its Creator. So, the devil is powerful, much more powerful than us, and he uses our weaknesses to tempt us. The devil tempts us with lies. He promises us things that He can never really give. He tempted Adam and Eve with this knowledge, this opening of the eyes that will make them like gods. The irony in this is that Adam and Eve already possessed those gifts. They were already made in the image and likeness of God — they were like God already! As being as such, they were infused with a special knowledge that no fallen angel could give to them. Adam and Eve were tricked and tempted to receive something they already had. How often do we allow our pride and jealousy to get the best of us? What much more could we ask for? We are made in God’s very image and likeness. By our baptism we have come to share in the life of God Himself. What greater gift is there? In the fullness of time, God gave us one greater gift — Himself. He became man and died so that we might live.
The power of the devil’s temptation can cause us to reject all that we already have in the selfish hope of getting something even better and more. So, what can we do? We must reflect upon our own weaknesses. What are the things that cause me to fall? Know those well and know that the devil will prey on those weaknesses. Bring those weaknesses into the light. Bring them to the Lord. Here is a sample prayer: “Lord, I know that ‘x’ and ‘y’ usually leads me to anger and frustration and I end up feeling sorry for myself. Teach me to offer up my ‘x’ and ‘y’ and to believe that You will use them for good. As for the enemy, I reject his lies and his empty promises. Keep me close to You, Lord.”
When we bring before the Lord our weaknesses and all that causes us shame, the power of the enemy’s temptation becomes nothing. God is our strength and He is our life. The enemy seeks to bring us down but God seeks to raise us up. Let us never forget that.
