Away From Me Satan!

Temptation.  Where do you begin?  There is so much:  sexual temptation -- financial temptation -- political temptation -- food temptation.  

But good news:  God is empathetic in tempting moments, for God Himself, in Christ, has been tempted.  Thus as the writer of Hebrews notes: “…we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness -- but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are – yet without sin.”  (Hebrews 4:15).   

“Exhibit A” of course is Jesus’ own temptation in the wilderness in Matthew 4.  Three times Satan tempts Jesus in the severest way, alluring Jesus, first, to turn from the power of God toward the power of self-satisfaction: by turning stones into bread (Matthew 4:3-4) – then, to turn toward the power of self-accomplishment: by throwing himself off the temple, testing God (Matthew 4:5-7) – and lastly to turn toward the power of self glorification:  by throwing himself at the feet of Satan, forsaking God. (Matthew 4:7-9).  But all cases – Jesus relied on God’s sovereignty and strength -- and resisted temptation.

It’s interesting to note precisely how Jesus did just that.   First, 1) Jesus Didn’t Knee-Jerk, Becoming Impulsive.  I mean Matthew 4:2 tells us Jesus was hungry, but in spite of being hungry, Jesus didn’t give into His rawest needs.  Second, 2) Jesus Established The Truth.   Jesus clarified early on what was correct, through scripture, amid Satan’s lies.  “It is written, Man does not live on bread alone…”  (Matthew 4:4). And lastly, 3) Jesus Got Assertive, Taking Action.   Yes, initially Jesus stayed centered, but then Jesus ‘let it rip’: “Away from me Satan,” Jesus declares in Matthew 4:10.   

Frankly, we need to ‘let it rip’ as well, distancing ourselves from temptation and the evil one.  Translated:  we need to distance ourselves from the person we’re lusting-over at work; we need to distance ourselves from chocolate, double brownie, extra fudge cheese cake, we just can’t pass up.  For James is right:  “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:7-10, NIV).    But it’s a choice each and every day.

Monks in the Order of Benedict enter that Order in two ways: first by vowing to honor the Lord, by humbling themselves before the Lord, in all ways. But secondly, by sealing that vow, by pulling off their street clothes and putting on the habit of the Order of Benedict.   

But the next part is surprising; the monks are not allowed to discard their street clothes.  Rather, they are required to hang their street clothes, their discarded street clothes in their closet, beside their new habit. Well, one day a guest visited the monastery, and questioned this rather odd practice; after all the monks had vowed to honor the Lord above all, and discard their old life; why weren’t their street clothes discarded and burned?  Oh that’s easy, the head monk commented:  it’s crucial we keep choosing what we have chosen.  And so two sets of clothing confront us every morning: the habit of the streets, and the habit of the Lord.  And it’s our choice, every morning, what we will put on.

It’s also our choice, every morning what we put on:  the habit of the streets or the habit of the Lord.   For every morning, we need to determine whether this day we yield to the devil or resist the devil; whether we turn from temptation or give into temptation.