Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Straight in the nuts

Over a month ago, I attended this dinner offered by the Archdiocese program that helps fight the difficult problem of pornography and its effects on families, marriages, and lives striving for holiness. This was just after the KC area event that was a tri-factor called "Men of Valor/Women of Virtue/Youth for Truth". This was an AMAZING event in which several men, women, and teens converged for a Friday night and a Saturday morning conference about living a life of modesty, purity, and chastity. Truly awesome! It brought a number of great speakers on this subject to speak to husbands, wives, parents, couples, and teens. Many of these speakers were at this dinner I attended.

After we had finished eating, several people were invited up to share witness to their devotion in fighting the effects pornography has on our families, our culture, and our soul. One of them I particularly enjoyed. His name is Matt Fradd. This guy is awesome! Friday night of the conference, Jason Evert (one of my favorite Catholic speakers) was supposed to be the headlining speaker for the teens. But, his wife and one of his children were very ill, so he couldn't make it to speak at this conference (major bummer!). Instead, Pam Stenzel and Matt Fradd filled in for him friday night. And Matt NAILED IT! It was awesome! He's this Australian guy (great accent!) who mixed humor with a heartfelt message. Truly enjoyed what he had to say.

Anyways, at this dinner, he starts to share a little bit of why he has gotten into this fight against pornography. He shares this awesome story of ministering to a woman who was a student and paid for her schooling by stripping and her conversion. But the kicker, the part that trumped everything else he said, the part I'm going to try and center this post around, was at the end where he summed up everything rather nicely. He said "And, really, the big reason why I'm doing this and fighting against pornography is because I just really want to kick Satan straight in the nuts... Thank you and God bless!"...

I just really want to kick Satan straight in the nuts... WHO SAYS THAT?!?!!? (It was even more awesome in his Australian accent!) Who honestly thinks that?!? Who wakes up in the morning and thinks to themselves "A new day! Time to find ways to kick Satan straight in the nuts!"? Who makes a goal of their work and what they devote a lot of their time to kicking Satan in the nuts? THIS GUY DOES! And right when he said that, every fiber in my very being resounded a loud and infinite "AMEN!!!!!!!!". THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO DO! To kick Satan straight in the nuts. Man! That is such a great goal! For those who may be reading this and are female, the nuts is truly the money shot. Get hit there, and you're hurting really bad! You're down for the count with one quick shot. And to be able to do this to Satan? To look to take him down with one quick shot. To hit him where it counts! SIGN ME UP!

This past Sunday, the Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent was the temptation of Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4: 1-11). Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. It says "he fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry". (This line always cracks me up. "and afterwards he was hungry"... NO DUH HE WAS HUNGRY! He didn't eat for 40 days and 40 nights! SHOOT, I go 40 minutes of fasting and afterwards I am hungry! But, it shows you how much Jesus truly entered into our humanity. He too suffered from hunger...) The devil approaches him and begins to tempt him. How ridiculous is that?!?! The devil trying to tempt even God himself made man! But, does the devil truly know that Jesus is the Son of God?

He proceeds to tempt Him in three ways. First, by tempting his physical weakness, his physical needs, and that is to turn the stones into loaves of bread. Then, he tempts his belief in God, if He is truly the Son of God, then throw yourself down off the temple and God's angels will save you. Finally, he tempts Him to be God Himself in this world by ruling over all the kingdoms of the world, if He but bows down and worships him... And the devil is cunning! Satan is smart! He uses scripture to tempt Jesus, knowing full well that Jesus knows the very scripture he tempts Him with! He knows exactly how to tempt each person and in which way. Satan tempts us in the very same ways.

"The devil tempts us precisely by taking advantage of the needs and weaknesses of human nature." (In Conversation with God, vol. 2 pg. 27) You can see this in the devil's temptations of Jesus. First, he tempts Him in the weakness of human nature within our human bodies. Our body's have desires. They have needs! The need for food, water, rest, love... When we are hungriest, Satan tempts us with what is not true food (the stones aren't truly loaves of bread, although Jesus could make them into true loaves of bread). Think about it. When you are the hungriest for a basic, natural, human desire, do you find yourself looking to fulfill this hunger often times with something that is a mirage of what will truly fulfill you? The devil promises that you will be fulfilled, but "the devil always promises more than he can give." (In Conversation with God, vol. 2, pg. 29)

How about the belief in the existence of God? This question is on the heart of every human being. Does God really exist? And if He does exist, is He truly a "Loving God"? Often times this question is followed up by another question, "If God really does exist, why doesn't He take care of me? Why doesn't He take care of the ones I love? Why doesn't He look after all of us? Why does He let bad things happen?" Many people may look at the recent incidents of Japan, with the earthquake, the tsunami, the nuclear powerplants failing, and they may say, "Why would God let this happen if He were a loving God?" But, isn't this the question of the devil in the story of creation? Sure, the serpent asks "Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?" (Genesis 3: 1) But, this is truly tempting us to question if God really loves us. If God is really loving, why would He restrict your freedom? Why would He keep things from you? Why would He take things from you, like the people you love, the feeling of safety and security, the belief that if you call to Him, He will save you? He tempts Jesus in the same way. If you but fall from this parapet, God will command his angels to take care of you. If God exists, He will save you. Yet, Jesus replies "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'" We must have faith and trust in God our Father! We should not test Him!

Finally, he tempts us that we should become God ourselves. That we should rule over our world and not let God be our "master". The devil offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence if He just worships him. That Jesus could have all the kingdoms of the world and rule over it all. That He may decide what is right and what is wrong and impose His will upon everyone. This was not the first time the devil tempted someone in such a way. Again, we go back to the book of Genesis where he tempts Eve saying "God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad." (Genesis 3: 5) You will be like gods... You will know what is good and what is bad. YOU CAN DECIDE FOR YOURSELF WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG!!! He still tempts us this today! "Why should you listen to a God (that you don't even know if He truly exists) to decide what is right or wrong? You should be able to decide for yourself what is good and what is bad for you!" How many people do you see living their lives deciding what is good for themselves and what is bad for themselves? Where does it get them? How often do you yourself decide what is good and what is bad? The devil is pushing us to become gods in our own right. To rule over our own worlds rather than let God rule over them! To decide for ourselves what is right for us and what is wrong for us rather than let God tell us and guide us to how we were truly created! BUT THIS IS NOT HOW WE WERE CREATED! THIS IS A PROMISE THAT FALLS FAR SHORT OF THE TRUTH! WE CAN NOT DECIDE FOR OURSELVES WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS BAD! GOD ALONE, THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, THE CREATOR OF YOU AND ME, IS THE ONLY ONE WHO MAY GUIDE US TO HOW WE ARE TRULY TO LIVE!

The devil is real. The devil is cunning. The devil is persistent. The devil knows how to tempt us. The devil knows our weaknesses and our needs. The devil knows when we are at our weakest and hits us hard at those moments.

One of his first temptations and goals is to get you to believe that he is not real. That he does not exist. Do not be fooled. He is real and he exists. "The devil exists. Holy Scripture speaks of him from the first to the last of the revealed books, from Genesis to the Apocalypse." (In Conversation with God, vol. 2, pg. 31)

He will do his best to tempt you and attack you at your weakest moments, at the moments you are not paying attention, but heed the words of St. Peter, "Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5: 8)

And he will do his best to separate you from God and His love. To get you to believe that fulfilling your bodily needs and desires is more important then serving a loving God. That, in fact He doesn't really love you, He doesn't really care for you, that He doesn't even exist. That you would be better off being your own god, for you should decide for yourself what is good for you. But always remember "GOD IS ALWAYS BESIDE US!" (ICwG vol. 2, pg. 29) and as St. Peter says "Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you!" (1 Peter 5: 7)

And he will do his best to isolate you, to make you feel all alone in your struggles and difficulties and hardships in resisting the devil, so you might as well give in. But this is not so! For again, St. Peter says "Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings." (1 Peter 5: 9)

And, ALWAYS REMEMBER, that although you will suffer, for in every battle suffering occurs, God, through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the power of the Holy Spirit will be there for you. He will give you strength. Will guide you and will fulfill you as long as you turn to Him and allow Him to. As St. Peter says "The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little." (1 Peter 5: 10)

And you shall be blessed in the end. "So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." (1 Peter 5: 6) "Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him." (James 1: 12)

Let us believe in the devil's existence.

Let us believe that he will attack us when we are weak.

Let us be sober and vigilant.

Let us believe in a God who loves us.

Let us believe that we are not alone in our struggles.

Let us believe that God will give us the strength to fight any temptation.

Let us believe that we shall be exalted in due time.

And let us seek and strive, through our reliance on a God who loves us, to kick Satan straight in the nuts!