We are the children of God, he beloved. He loved us so greatly that He gave His only son to us. Hence I don't think, when He tempt us, he is toying with us. Instead like a perfect father, He wants to build us up. He wants to make us strong. Strong enough to strike back at sin. Strong enough to proclaim the truth of the gospel in this dark and death orientated world. He want to train us. Like how a teacher give test to her students, so how God gave such "TEST" to us so that we may learn and realize out mistake. I think I have found out what are my mistakes. I guess firstly, I lack prayer and putting God first.
First and foremost we must be God orientated in our lives. I have it put Him first. To echo the prayer before the great amen during mass, it is through Him, with Him and in Him that we are truly saved from our sins. It is from God and the works of the Holy Spirit that we would find the grace to build up our strength and beat back at sins. If I do not put my focus in God, but instead rely on the strength of myself, my struggle would only be a vain attempt at false holiness. It is like we have become so vain and proud, that we do not need God or His saving graces.I think this is what truly Satan wants and how he was transformed into an fallen angel. We are trying to be better for the sake of our own mortal human glory.
However, if we put God first in our lives; especially our struggle, we will see that our struggle has a higher purpose. If I unite my suffering with Christ's own suffering in Calvary, I would belief that our own suffering is not in vain. We are acknowledging that something is greater than us, and that we need His help. Hence we are transformed into something better and be humble enough to accept Gods graces. Those temptations that we once fail to overcome, will be just like a walk in the park. In conclusion if we out God first, all things will go well, as mentioned in Jeremiah.
Prayer is also what I acknowledge that I need improvement in. It is a weapon that God gave us. So sharp a blade that it can cut through the strongest sin. St. Josemaria Escriva once said that the Holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and we will be amazed at the results. Prayer is more then a form of communication with me and God. In the sense that it help me to acknowledge my own weakness and fault and to seek help from Christ.
In prayer, we are open to the intercessory of the saints; especially our Blessed Mother. Someone once said that our life is like a race in a humongous stadium. A single event from start to finish. All those who have completed the race; are now the spectators. They are cheering us on. Shouting words of encouragement and cheers so that we can complete the race. Those spectators are our saints. They have continuously pray for us and intercede for all the million participants that are trying to ran the race of their life. If we continuously pray, in Gods time and will, we will sure triumph over our temptations. Prayer help to build up our spiritual muscle so that we will have strength during the "race".
To bring it all to a close, I would want to bring up the passage in the Bible about where Jesus was fasting in the desert for 40 days and He was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11). His answers sums up how we can fight against temptations.
- SPIRITUAL END. When the devil tempts Him by telling Him to change the stones into bread so that Jesus can relieve His huger. Jesus replied "People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." He was quoting Deut 4:4. Jesus's reply reminds me that we have more than physical needs and as spiritual beings we need spiritual needs. Fulfilling one without satisfying the other would not make us complete. Satan is tempting us in every way, for us to disregard our spiritual side. If we have no spiritual side, we would be only mere humans, and hence no sin. However, being a creature created by God, we have a spiritual side. Our ends are not just natural ends; to die, but we have a greater end, to be with God in all eternity in heaven.
- FAITH IN GOD. Ultimately, we must have the faith in the divine providence of the Father. We have to trust in His divine plan that He has for us. Maybe it could be that through temptations we will be open to His mercy and grace. It could be that the strength of our faith will increase. Ultimately, God write straight with crooked lines.
- GOD CENTERED LIFE. Last but not least we must have Christ focused life. It is God who we want to ultimately orient to. "You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him" - Deuteronomy 6:13. It is through such lifestyle that the grace of God can ultimately shines through our sin. We are exposed more towards hims mercy. We will put on a "mind" of Christ and thus strengthen our fortitude to keep temptations at bay.
To live well is nothing other than to love God with all one's heart, with all one's soul and with all one's efforts; from this it comes about that love is kept whole and uncorrupted (through temperance). No misfortune can disturb it (and this is fortitude). It obeys only [God] (and this is justice), and is careful in discerning things, so as not to be surprised by deceit or trickery (and this is prudence). - St Augustine
