Something caught my eye this time around with Christ's temptation passage. His response to Satan after the second temptation is "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." This is of course the reason why he does not agree with Satan's suggestion - it would be putting God to the test. But - NB - it is also an admonishment to Satan himself, a warning: You, Satan, you are not to put God (Jesus) to the test. As this occurred to me during the reading, I though, if that really is a warning to Satan, then when Satan ignores the warning ad continues to put Christ to the test, Christ would have to respond forcefully to that. And, he does, at the next temptation: "Begone, Satan." And Satan is forced to flee.
I wonder whether this representation can have use to us: can we warn Satan to stop testing us, and then banish him? At first blush, of course, it does not appear so - for one thing, we are not God, and the biblical passage is "do not put the Lord your God to the test." And, even the saints report having temptations continue for a long, long time on occasion.
Still, if sanctifying grace gives us a share of God's own Life, so that He takes up residence in our souls so to speak, and if upon being tempted we throw ourselves on God's mercy and ask Him to use His power to protect us (knowing in humility that our own power is worth nothing), in a sense Satan is indeed putting God to the test by continuing to tempt us. Can we then banish him for a time? I know of nothing that positively indicates that we can, outside of the very generic standards about prayer: ask you shall receive, if you have faith as a mustard seed you could move mountains, etc. God certainly seems to enjoy having us learn patience by letting us practice it very intensely when we pray in the throes of temptation. Even if there is anything in the record of the saints that shows one banishing Satan, it would appear in the nature of the special events that classify as notable miracles, not an ordinary part of daily spiritual survival.
Tony:
I think it's pretty simple, really. If, with God's help, we successfully resist temptation, we have thereby and already "banished Satan." But only for a time. Looking for some other weak point, he usually returns.
Which reminds me to give The Screwtape Letters to my older daughter for her birthday.
Best,
Mike
Yeah, but there is a world of difference between bearing temptation for hours and hours, and then being relieved, and being under temptation, telling Satan to begone, and immediately finding relief. There is also a world of difference between Satan choosing to stop for a time because he is getting nowhere, and Satan stopping because God directly forces him to.
Tony:
I'm not sure what you're driving at. Are you saying that Christ's temptations didn't last as long, or were easier to get rid of, than ours? And if so, does that suggest that they are neither pattern nor empowerment for us?
One sometimes hears it said that the sufferings of Jesus, including the Passion, weren't particularly relevant to those who have suffered "more" or longer. I hope you're not making the same sort of argument here.
Best,
Mike
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