“Do you reject Satan and all his empty promises?” This question rang out on the evening my beloved goddaughter was confirmed. The teens rose from the pews and shouted, “I do!” and in my heart I answered, “Amen.”
Later, I thought about all the empty promises Satan dangles before us.
In our teen years the lies are about the use of drugs, as in “One time won’t matter.” Or if it’s cigarettes, you’ll hear, “You can quit any time.” Pornography? “You can watch it occasionally, and you won’t get hooked.” Premarital sex? “Everyone’s doing it.”
When we get older, Satan lures us to cheat on income taxes, neglect our children and gossip about our neighbors. As the years go on, he ups the ante. “You’re a good person. You don’t need to go to church.”
Many people think Satan is a mere symbol in the Bible, but his dirty fingerprints are all over the world. And as the poet Baudelaire said, his greatest trick is getting people to believe he doesn’t really exist.
If you need proof of his demonic presence, look at the divorce statistics. Satan helps destroy marriages by suggesting a love affair will heal a midlife crisis. He also hints that married life should be as romantic after 10 years as it was on the first date.
Those who still doubt Satan’s existence can check out the newspaper headlines. There, we see sexual assault, murder, robbery and every form of conceivable brutality paraded out on a daily basis.
Suffering is an inherent part of life. Most of us have experienced the deaths of people we dearly loved, as well as other life-shattering events like job loss, illness — and don’t forget emotional traumas from relationships gone sour.
There are also trials and tribulations associated with raising children, catering to demanding bosses, and worrying about everything from the global economy to the rising price of dog food.
The reasonable response to suffering is the one suggested by Christ, who said, “If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me.” But Satan hates the notion of anyone heeding Christ, so he claims you can escape your cross. You can either drink yourself into a stupor or get hooked on drugs that supposedly make the world go away.
We are nearing Good Friday, commemorating the moment Christ literally took up his cross and died on it. He did not succumb to the temptations the devil offered. He did not accept the drink containing myrrh that would dull the pain. Nor did he lie to Pilate to escape the terrible fate that awaited him.
On the cross, he suffered terribly. Because of physical agony, yes, but also because of the sins of the whole world. Because of our sins today. Because of all the devilish temptations that lure us away from God.
The Gospels tell us Satan entered Judas’ heart shortly before that famous betrayal with a kiss. But Christ’s story didn’t end on the cross. It continued through Easter Sunday and beyond. This means God triumphs over every evil, and can bring us out of the bitterest darkness.
We can reject Satan’s empty promises by remaining faithful to prayer, church attendance and our marriage vows — and by bravely shouldering our daily crosses. Yes, devils are constantly nipping at our heels, but there are also angels surrounding us.
