Temptations Never End

We wake every day to the same reality. The sun shines. The winds blow. Temptation attacks. Like a natural force of weather, temptation blows, and we get ‘pushed around’ like branches in a tree. The key isn’t to avoid the wind, but to prepare the branches.

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”  The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Mark 1.9-15

We continue our celebration of Theophany with a reminder of temptation by the devil. Even Jesus was tempted. Even Jesus had to endure the pressure from the devil, but He never gave in. We, on the other hand, are not Christ. We give in, but God understands that.

Today’s blog is brief. Accept temptation. Fight temptation. Just don’t give up. When temptation blows in, prepare ‘your branches’ to bend a bit so they don’t break. If you think temptation will stop, then you will not be prepared for the storm, and you will break.

As Orthodox Christians we prepare for the winds of temptation with the spiritual life. Prayer and fasting can be compared to the pruning of branches to make us stronger. Sacramental life, especially Holy Communion, is the nutrient that helps us develop strong roots.

When Jesus was in the wilderness the angels ministered to Him. We have our guardian angel to help us navigate our way out of the wilderness. The Light of Christ we celebrate at Theophany leads the way through the storms of temptation. All this is to prepare us for the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of God is at hand, and the only way we will be prepared for it is to follow Christ. We cannot ‘just’ believe what we hear about Christ. We must follow Him, through the wilderness and darkness into the Light. He leads the way, but only if we follow.

Stop waiting for temptation to end. It never ends. Stop waiting for the storms to calm. They never calm. If you keep waiting for ‘someone’ to do it for you, you will never find the way out. Jesus is the Way out of the darkness. Follow Him and expect to be treated like He was treated.

If they tempted Jesus, they will tempt you. If they attacked Jesus, they will attack you. Be prepared for the temptation and you will bend and shake, but you will not break. The angels and God are on your side.