That’s why we have to stay close to God when the house is swept clean. This was explained by Jesus in last Friday’s Gospel reading (Luke 11 : 15-26).
When an unclean spirit goes out of a man it wanders through waterless country looking for a place to rest, and not finding one it says, “I will go back to the home I came from.” But on arrival, finding it swept clean and tidied, it then goes off and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and set up house there, so that the man ends up being worse than he was before.”
We are not just battling with ourselves but the evil that sets up home within. And yes, there is the danger of addiction as Jesus says when he points out the man ending up being worse than he was before.
That’s why it is important to avail of the Sacrament of Reconciliation frequently, to draw strength from God’s grace, “the strong man” he speaks of in another passage, who casts out the intruders who look to settle in our souls and break down our resistance.
The devil knows our weaknesses. Always best to respond to his temptations with Scripture, just as Jesus did when he was tempted in the desert. Satan made the mistake of assuming Jesus would be weakened by 40 days of fasting and prayer.
So it’s no wonder that Our Lady constantly invites us to pray and fast.
We have to watch the subtle mind games Satan employs to entice people to sin. The classic was the line he gave Eve in the Garden when he tried to twist the word of God given to Adam and Eve. The serpent asked the woman, “Did God REALLY say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?”
Eve answered: “We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. BUT of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, ‘You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death.’”
So the serpent continues to contest the word of God, implying that God has lied. “No! You will not die!”
Satan still tries the same tactic with all of us at times, especially when he spots a weakness in our defence. In Eve’s case she liked fruit. Not satisfied with God’s gift of fruit from the rest of the trees, she cast her eyes on the forbidden fruit and succumbs to Satan’s temptation. It was a conscious decision on her part, Adam too. At thet time the fruit tasted good but afterwards they became aware of their sin. That’s why they hid from God when they heard him calling.
That’s something else we are inclined to do when we hear the voice of God, we shut down our conscience and try to hide in the darkness we have created for ourselves. But who are we kidding?
As for not being ready to renounce our sins, this is like the elder sibling of the man who had wasted his inheritance on wine, women and song and eventually made his way back to his father. His father welcomed him with open arms, dressed him in the finest clothes and celebrated his return with a feast.
Unfortunately, his elder brother was not ready to forgive his younger sibling for his wayward ways – or his father for putting on a celebration – and instead chose to turn down his father’s invitation to go inside and enjoy the feast. He remained brooding outside the house, not yet prepared to put aside his resentment and forgive.
He battled with himself when there was no need to. I guess he just didn’t understand or maybe want to accept the merciful love of the Father. What the Father offers to all of us is greater than any ‘pleasure’ on offer by Satan. But we can be encoraged that when we do fail to resist temptation then the Father is always waiting to forgive us when we decide to return to him. The offer to share in the feast is there for all of us.
