Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.  The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."  But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"  Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"  Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"  Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."  Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"  Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

"Led by the Spirit."  Temptations are a necessary part of the spiritual life.  Though God himself tempts no one (James 1.13) he allows us to be tempted by the devil.  Temptations are so necessary for us because they remind us that we are weak, sinful creatures living under the sting of original sin.  It is a mistake to view temptations as a punishment of God or an abandonment by Him.  He loves us more intensely than our imagination or hope can desire and all that occurs to us is allowed by Him for our growth.  How necessary temptations are so that we know our utter fragility and dependence on our Father.  It may be that without the sting of temptations we come to view ourselves as really something.  We must be reminded of who we are and so temptations must occur.  Do not be angry or upset at God on their account.  Let them be a cause for increasing your knowledge of your complete dependence on his love and mercy.

Jesus shows us how to act in the time of temptation.  He fasted.  Of course by the time temptation arrives it may be too late to begin fasting.  Jesus fasted before he was tempted.  He also showed his disciples that fasting is necessary sometimes for casting out demons.  By the time they were asked to cast out the demon it was too late to begin fasting (Mark 9.28).  Therefore fasting must become a lifestyle.  There are many ways to fast but the point is to begin.  To face temptations to gluttony fast with food and water.  To face temptations to lust fast with your eyes.  To face temptations to greed fast with charitable donations.  To face temptations to gossip fast with  your tongue.  The purpose of all fasting is to mortify ourselves and increase awareness of what is our true sustenance.  Jesus teaches us this during his first temptation which he overcomes by saying "one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."  Living by bread alone, (not fasting) is a denial of the reality of our dependence on God; it turns away from the divine food of the Word to eat the world's food.  Such a diet cannot sustain us in the time of temptation.

Christ's second temptation shows us the kind of interior struggle the soul can go through in the midst of a temptation when it engages in the inner dialog.  It is tempted to a bad behavior and it almost seems justified by the scriptures themselves.  Perhaps one example of this is when it feels justified toward almost violent anger because of Christ's cleansing of the temple (Matthew 21.12).  But the Word cannot contradict itself so for every apparent justification of action there is a deeper, more rational, truer response.  Jesus uses it, so must we look for it.  (The example of anger has many responses).

Jesus was tempted not once but three times in a row.  So if we overcome one temptation it is not cause for celebration.  Satan has much more patience and strength than we do.  But eventually "resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4.7)  Not without a parting shot though.  That parting shot is often his deadliest trick.  It often comes in the form of a suggestion such as "just give in this once and I will leave you alone in peace.  It isn't natural to resist temptation for so long.  Why be different than others.  You deserve to give something back, to have your own way and rights now and again" and so on.  Beware the parting shot.