Whose Side are You On?

Nobody knows the struggle of the Christian better than those who have endured in the past. Countless martyrs and witnesses of the Faith in Christ have stood against demons and the world for their faith in Christ. Every one of them endured the fight and so can you.

I meet a lot of people who either see temptation as unfair because they either don’t feel strong enough to fight it, or don’t want to fight it. What I hear most often is the feeling that it isn’t fair that God allows us to face temptation. We’re missing the point.

When we were baptized into Christ, we were forever united to Him. Since we are united to Christ, He is with is (quite literally) through every temptation. It might not seem fair but consider this promise from God.

Brethren, let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, shun the worship of idols. I speak as to sensible men: judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not communion in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not communion in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be in communion with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of the demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of the demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

1^st Corinthians 10.12-22

Saint Paul wants you to know what you are facing today, countless faithful brothers and sisters have faced, and still face, through the ages. I know that sounds like an excuse. Many detractors accuse the Church of convincing us to ‘put up with’ temptation just to control us.

I admit, it can feel that way sometimes. The Church says, “God won’t allow more temptation than you can handle,” and we’re supposed to ‘just sit back’ and accept it as unavoidable. Remember yesterday’s warning about temptation.

We are called by Christ to avoid temptation. That means so long as we do our best to avoid temptation, He will protect us from more than we can handle. IF we choose to ignore the warning and ‘go head on’ toward temptation, we lose the protection of God.

God honors our free will. If we choose temptation, then we run the risk of facing more than we can handle. Even in those cases, there is still hope. There is always hope. Saint Paul also reminds us that God provides us with “the way of escape.” We can always walk away.

Despite what you may think, you are never walking alone. Since the moment of our baptism, Christ has been on our side through good and bad, easy and difficult. Enduring temptation, and avoiding temptation, isn’t always about our strength. It is about God being on our side.

If we fall, God gives us a way out through Holy Confession. If we find ourselves face-to-face with temptation, God gives us way through the temptation and a way out. The only way to be up against temptation alone, is to walk away from God and walk toward temptation.

I invite you to remember whose side you’re on today. You are on God side and God is on your side. We are a team, you and me, us and the God. Allow the witness of the martyrs and saints to inspire you to walk away from temptation and endure with Christ at your side.