Does the Devil Make Us Do It?

We are slumbering. We are unaware that God's greatest gifts have been twisted in meaning, by the evil one, to actually keep us out of heaven.

Have you noticed how at every funeral we are told, "The loved one is in a better place"? How on earth could anyone know that?

Only God can see into the hearts of men and know our secret perversions of His creation. The world is ruled by things that are disordered: sexual sins, greed, control, power and pride.

"We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one."1 John 5:19

Consider these things that our designed by God, but have been changed by evil in our world to slowly change our hearts and keep us from living in Heaven with God for eternity.

God created the World and saw that it was good. The devil tells you to use the world for your own purposes, forgetting that the Lord asked us to care for that world.

God created them Man and Woman in His likeness. Our physical beauty is meant to reflect the beauty of God to others. The devil says that our looks can be used by others as objects, for lust, or even to ridicule others. He further tells us that our outward beauty is not beautiful enough! That we need to 'fix' what God has already created perfectly.

God created marital sexual union as a positive experience that is unitive (draws the couple together in a moment of ecstasy) and procreative (to produce children). It is a foreshadowing of the unending experience of the ecstasy of Heaven! It is no surprise, that the devil abuses, twists, contorts this gift into a selfish, lustful experience.

Even the financial blessings the Lord provides, can become an occasion of sin when we hang on too tightly to these gifts and refuse to be generous to others.

"But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." 1Timothy 5:8

Scripture tells us how to avoid these traps!

"But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
James 4:7

"And he answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:27

Scripture reminds us that we MUST stay awake to avoid the pitfalls of evil.

"But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36

Christ also reminds us to stay awake, when he says to Peter at Gethsemane,
"He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matt 26:41

Stay awake, read Sacred Scripture, receive the Sacraments to strengthen you, and pray that our eyes will stay open so that we might resist temptation! God bless!