Overcoming Sin

October 9, 2020 Friday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint John Henry Newman (England and Wales Memorial) Saint Denis, Bishop and Companions, Martyrs—Optional Memorial Saint John Leonardi, Priest—Optional Memorial

“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”  Luke 11:24-26 This passage reveals the danger of habitual sin.  Perhaps you’ve found that you have struggled with a particular sin in your life.  This sin has been committed over and over again.  Eventually you resolve to confess it and overcome it.  After confessing it you are overjoyed, but find that within a day you are right back to that same sin.   This common struggle people go through can be a cause of much frustration.  The Scripture above speaks about this struggle from a spiritual point of view, the point of view of demonic temptation.  When we target a sin to overcome and turn away from the temptation of the evil one, the demons come at us with even greater force and do not give up the battle for our souls that easily.  As a result, some eventually give in to sin and choose not to try any longer to overcome it.  That would be a mistake. One key spiritual principle to understand from this passage is that the more attached we are to a particular sin, the deeper our resolve must be to overcome it.  And overcoming sin can be quite painful and difficult.  Overcoming sin requires deep spiritual purification and a complete submission of our mind and will to God.  Without this resolve and purifying surrender, the temptations we face from the evil one will be very difficult to overcome. Reflect, today, upon how deep your resolve is to overcome sin.  When temptations come your way, are you wholeheartedly committed to overcoming them?  Seek to deepen your resolve so that the temptations of the evil one do not take hold of you. Lord, I surrender my life into Your hands without reserve.  I beg You to strengthen me in time of temptation and to keep me free from sin.  Jesus, I trust in You.