To return at another time

This week’s Gospel Luke 4: 1-13 ends with a dark line ‘And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until another time’ some translations state ‘until an opportune time’. Either way it alludes to the devil being on the lookout for opportunities to tempt Jesus and by extention us.

St Augustine’s homily on this passage speaks of it as a lesson in spiritual warfare, and that we are all engaged in spiritual warfare. He taught that Jesus’ reliance on Scripture—rather than miracles or divine power—demonstrates that God's Word is the ultimate weapon against temptation. Augustine reminds us that with faith, humility, and Scripture, we too can overcome temptations and grow in holiness.

This lingering presence of the devil, waiting for an ‘opportune time,’ serves as a stark reminder that temptation is not a one-time battle but a lifelong struggle. St. Augustine warns that just as the devil sought another chance to tempt Jesus, he continually seeks moments of weakness in our own lives—times of doubt, fatigue, pride, or despair.

However, when we read and study Scripture with a heart open to God’s voice and a commitment to daily reflection, we arm ourselves against his temptations. We start by setting aside a few minutes each day to read a passage, even if it’s just a few verses, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide our understanding.

And it is not just for intellectual understanding, but for transformation—we must let it shape our thoughts, words, and actions so that, like Jesus, we can stand firm in faith when faced with temptation.

This newsletter is an online Ministry of the Word, an effort to ground us in the practice of Scripture reflection. Hopefully it plants seeds of interest in going further, on our own, or with a Bible Study group, to arm us with the weapons of Scripture to resist temptations.

I invite you to join with me, become an associate evangelizer, a sower of the Word, by sharing the publication, studying your Bible and grasping opportunities to speak to others on passages from the Bible. If you can afford to, I also invite you to become a patron of this online Ministry of the Word.

Each person that becomes an informed reader of the Bible can help us change the world.