The One Who Conquers All Evil

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 10:49 pm Post subject: The One Who Conquers All Evil

The One Who Conquers All Evil

Scripture:

And the priest taking the basket at your hand, shall set it before the altar of the Lord your God: And you shall speak thus in the sight of the Lord your God: The Syrian pursued my father, who went down into Egypt, and sojourned there in a very small number, and grew into a nation great and strong and of an infinite multitude.

And the Egyptians afflicted us, and persecuted us, laying on us most grievous burdens: And we cried to the Lord God of our fathers: who heard us, and looked down upon our affliction, and labor, and distress: And brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand, and a stretched out arm, with great terror, with signs and wonders: And brought us into this place, and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey. And therefore now I offer the first fruits of the land which the Lord has given me. And you shall leave them in the sight of the Lord your God, adoring the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 26:4-10)

But what says the scripture? The word is nigh you, even in your mouth, and in your heart. This is the word of faith, which we preach. For if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him up from the dead, you shall be saved. For, with the heart, we believe unto justice; but, with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.

For the scripture says: Whosoever believes in him, shall not be confounded. For there is no distinction of the Jew and the Greek: for the same is Lord over all, rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. (Romans 10:8-13)

And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the desert, for the space of forty days; and was tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry. And the devil said to him: If you be the Son of God, say to this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him: It is written, that Man lives not by bread alone, but by every word of God.

And the devil led him into a high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time; and he said to him: To you will I give all this power, and the glory of them; for to me they are delivered, and to whom I will, I give them. If you therefore will adore before me, all shall be yours. And Jesus answering said to him: It is written: You shall adore the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.

And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and he said to him: If you be the Son of God, cast yourself from hence. For it is written, that He has given his angels charge over you, that they keep you. And that in their hands they shall bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone. And Jesus answering, said to him: It is said: You shall not tempt the Lord your God. And all the temptation being ended, the devil departed from him for a time. (Luke 4:1-13)

Reflection:

The evil one moves hearts to take and oppress through deceit and violence. The Lord hears the cry of those who face persecution and injustice. The final say as to the consequences of evil rests with the Lord, for He banishes the evil to the darkness and cleanses the faithful to enter where evil is not allowed to follow. For this and all His glory, we should offer thanks and praise.

In this world, He moves through the hearts and hands of the faithful. He raises the lowly to confound the prideful, the arrogant and the haughty. The Lord sees all injustice and remembers. He demands an accounting of every heart; where it has spread the blessings of His love and where it has allowed evil to roam and seek the ruin of souls.

Those who have climbed the fortunes of the world shall discover their climb was for not, for their pursuits do not yield the light, only the path to darkness. Those who have trusted in the blessings of His Word shall find blessings beyond this world, for their trust is in the One who is, was and ever shall be; the Creator of all which is good.

Blessed are those who turn their hearts to their redeemer, for it is through His sacrifice that a place within His kingdom was purchased for every soul who accepts Him, believes in Him and seeks to live by His Word. It is through our Savior we may gain the strength to turn away from the evil of the world and all its temptations designed to trap us in darkness. It is through Christ our King that we may be delivered to all the blessings of His light.

The evil one seeks to tempt each of us to what brought his fall; the fall caused by envy and pride. He appeals to our selfishness and our desire for what is of the world, but there is One which Satan cannot tempt or deceive. It should not surprise us that every twisted word of the evil one is rebuked by Jesus, for the Son of God is the Word made flesh, the light of the world; sent by the Father to redeem the children of His creation.

We are tempted to believe it is beyond the capability of human kind to resist the seductions of the evil one, but the Father sent His only begotten Son to demonstrate that we need not be ruled by our flesh. We are deceived to believe we are not capable of His strength to resist temptation, but if we seek Him in prayer, He will strengthen our heart. If we falter, He will pick us up. Though we may wander for a time in the desolate space, we may trust in His promise that through Him, we may be delivered from all the evil of our day.

Jesus faced Satan in the desert and from upon the cross. In these moments, Jesus revealed that evil has no power over Him. The triumph of the Son gives hope for all, for through Him, we may gain His strength. Through prayer, we may ask Him to guide us. If we listen to Him with a contrite heart, He will guide us to where we may gain the same strength He demonstrated by which to resist the temptations of the world and all the empty promises of Satan. Left to ourselves, we are but pawns to the evil one, but as we turn ourselves over to our Lord, He will rescue us. Let us, then, join hands in prayer so that He will guide us to all the blessings of His holy kingdom.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier