From 1st Peter we are told: "Stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith." This verse from sacred scripture shows that we are in the midst of a great spiritual warfare which is relevant to all of us. This is the spiritual warfare that Adam and Eve entered into when they submitted to their temptation and thus turned themselves away from God. This is the spiritual warfare that Christ overcome in the desert when He overcome temptation and would eventually submit Himself to the wood of the cross to accomplish our salvation. This great warfare is alluded to in the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel where we ask him to "defend us in battle" and to be "our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil." Our readings today should be very relevant to all of our lives because each of us are in the midst of this spiritual warfare if we realize it or not.
There is not a single person in this Church who can claim that this spiritual warfare is not true. We have all felt the weight of sin and continue to feel the tug of temptation upon our lives. We time and time again are forced to chose between our sinful passions or to embrace the Gospel that Christ has brought into our life. This Gospel is for us because we are those who have been tempted by so many things: pornography, adultery, lust, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, anger, pride, despair, gossip, foul language, any of the deadly sins, and the many other ways in which temptation tugs at our heart. All of us here have been and continue to be tempted each day. Temptation comes in different forms to each of our minds, but we must realize that with our trust placed upon God that we can and will come to discover true hope and true liberation. This is why we must realize that we are in the midst of this great spiritual warfare; because without such a realization we always leave ourselves open to the attacks of the devil.
Adam and Eve did not keep on guard against temptation. Instead they submitted themselves to the attack of the devil and became confused by temptation to the point where they gave into this spiritual warfare and thus turned themselves away from God. They were led to believe by the serpent that the fruit of the tree was truly glamorous, they were led to believe that they would receive great knowledge that would change their life, and they were led to believe that not trusting in God's word was not actually sinful. As we remain on guard against temptation we must reflect upon the many excuses that we apply to our sin. As Adam and Eve made up excuses in their mind we allow ourselves to do the same to the point where we too become confused enough to give into our temptations. And so we like to say: God understands the way that I am, I have plenty of time to turn away from this later, it is only one time, this will be the last time, everyone else is doing it, it doesn't hurt anyone, it is not really a sin. In our excuses we stand with Adam and Eve and submit to the weight of the spiritual warfare which is taking place around us.
Instead of so easily giving into the temptations of pornography, adultery, lust, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, anger, pride, despair, gossip, foul language, any of the deadly sins, and the many other ways in which temptation tugs at our heart we must remember that we have been set apart through baptism and thus find ourselves in the midst of spiritual warfare. Prior to Jesus entering into the desert we must remember that he was baptized and then entered into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights to fast and pray. We to have been baptized and thus we must continuously set before our eyes our baptismal promises and stay on guard to live them out faithfully. With this in mind we to join together in this forty day period which is known as Lent. In this season we fast and pray in order to remain on guard and strengthen ourself against temptation.
May we truly use this season to our benefit in order that we may obtain the grace to "stay sober and alert" in the midst of the spiritual warfare that is our temptations. In the midst of temptation may we trust in prayer especially the intercession of the Blessed Mother and that of all the angels and saints especially Saint Michael the Archangel. May we pray that great prayer of spiritual warfare at those moments of great temptation and thus allow Saint Michael to intercede for us as we head into battle. "St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen."
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