“The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all persons, teaching us that,
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11)
So much of the thrust of the Church teachings have to do with encouraging us to overcome worldly lusts. So much of our culture’s media is designed to do the opposite: To convince us that what the Bible and Jesus Christ warn against is in fact natural. Our young people especially are confused between the Church’s teachings and the society that contradicts the Church.
For sure, Christianity is not saying that the human body is evil—but that it can be used in ways that are evil. Our flesh has its urges, and they can be contrary to our best interests. Within every believer are certain cravings, and they can cause us great problems because they contradict the purity of our whole beings and eventually destroy what is intended for godliness. We should not be discouraged or think we are sinful when we are tempted, because as long as we are alive we shall be dealing with challenges from our bodies—in Greek sarx, meaning flesh. But the Holy Spirit leads us to conquest over the flesh.
God created the world to be cosmos, or total order. But the world without God is in disarray. When the world rejects the Holy Trinity, it falls under the control of the Devil. When you and I put ourselves in order, offering ourselves to the Lord and committing ourselves to restoring His order by starting with ourselves, we partner with all who are doing likewise, and those throughout history who dedicated their lives to returning creation to God’s original plan.
The Devil is the English term for diavolos, which means accuser or slanderer. He is opposed to God and His plan for the world. He is devoted to opposing God’s servants and frustrating their efforts to return the world to the Creator. When our Lord said of Judas “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil? (John 6:70), He intended that not as a rebuke but as a point of fact. When He said, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Matthew 12:30), Jesus is saying that we cannot go through life as spectators. We choose sides: Either on the side of Christ or Satan’s.
You cannot dabble in sin and come out spotless. Especially all who have been baptized in Christ have put on the uniform of salvation. We wear garments that identify us as belonging to those who are devoted to righting the wrongs and purifying the stains of the world. We devote ourselves to making our bodies temples of the Holy Spirit. We take on Satan using the weapons of Christ’s cross and the invincible gifts of the Spirit of God. You and I “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against—the rulers of the darkness of this age” (Ephesians 6:12).
One should not fear the Devil. He had already been defeated by Christ on Calvary; but he lurks around without acknowledging defeat. The present time is like a decisive military victory such as D-Day in World War II, leaving only mopping-up operations. Yet while not fearing him, one should not trust himself to overcome him, for he has time on his side. He can and will attack each of us at any time, day or night, awake or asleep, with temptations designed to weaken our resistance and humiliate us in our own eyes. You were created to live for all eternity with the saints, angels and the Holy Trinity.