| Temptation vs. Trust - article by Joel Hempel Maybe you had this figured out a long time ago. But last night is when it first became clear to me. Resisting temptation is less about brute, spiritual strength and more about trust. Right before Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. You will recall that immediately upon coming up out of the Jordan River, “the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’” (Matt.3:16-17). Christ, the Son of God, was sent on a life-saving mission by the Father. The incarnated Son of God – Jesus – came into the world to be our Savior and to rescue us from Satan’s grip. But before the Man-Jesus could even begin his mission, he would have to battle the Evil One. The hellish temptations with which Satan came at Christ were an attack on Jesus’ integrity. Would Jesus be able to stand up against the devil’s relentless assault? Was Jesus going to trust his Father’s love and the Spirit’s empowering presence or cave in under pressure? Of course, as we know, Jesus stood the test. Our Lord’s success in defeating Satan’s onslaught shows us how we can resist the Evil One. I’ve always thought that Jesus successfully defended himself against Satan because Man-Jesus used the power of God’s Word to defend himself. And that is true. What St. Paul called the Sword of the Spirit – God’s Word – is a powerful tool (see Matt. 4:4-11) in our fight against evil. But here is my new insight: Jesus’ fundamental strategy in resisting and ultimately defeating Satan was his trust in the Father’s love and the Spirit’s presence. As Jesus was tested, so are we – daily! You and I are tempted in many ways. What tempts you may not tempt me. But the temptations – whatever they are – also test our trust in God. God promises to be our complete and reliable love. He promises to be our strength and courage. He promises to be enough! Enough of whatever we need. Will we trust him? When tempted to cave into our fears, can we trust God’s promise never to forsake us? When tempted to pursue shady, selfish, or dangerous ways to find love or success, can we trust the One who will never disappoint us? When we are tempted to be overcome by guilt or shame, can we trust our forever-forgiving Lord? The answer to all these questions is, yes, we can! Like Jesus, we can confidently resist Satan’s temptations because with us is the love of the Father and the very presence of God’s Spirit, who strengthened Jesus’ resolve in the wilderness. | 
