"Do not grieve over the temptations you suffer. When the Lord intends to bestow a particular virtue on us, He often permits us first to be tempted by the opposite vice. Therefore, look upon every temptation as an invitation to grow in a particular virtue and a promise by God that you will be successful, if only you stand fast." (St. Philip Neri)
The evil deceit and lies of the devil have even tempted the Saints. We are not alone in this daily spiritual battle that takes place within the hearts, minds, and souls of all of God's children. Satan works day and night in a never-ending effort to destroy vocations. He seeks out those who have the desire to give themselves to Christ by living their lives carrying out His mission in the world.
"Following one’s vocation means waging a continuous battle because the devil will make every effort to ruin vocations. Thus, the Rosary is a great means of victory." (Blessed James Alberione)
There is story about St. Benedict of Nursia, where he was visited by Satan disguised as a black bird. After the creature appeared before him the mind of St. Benedict swirled and spiraled becoming filled with lustful thoughts about a woman from his past. This was an attempt from the evil one to lure St. Benedict away from his committed life of celibacy. He was able to escape this ferocious tempest of thoughts in his head by throwing himself into a thorn bush; where the thorns tore into his skin, but prevented him from committing a sin of the flesh. It was God who was able to protect St. Benedict from losing his vocation because the Lord was the center of the Saint's life; he always kept the face of Christ before him.
There may not always be a physical thorn bush to throw ourselves into whenever the Devil tempts us with his lies and deceit; but if we keep the Lord always before us as the center of our lives we will find Christ amidst the thorns; the dreadful moments of life. We may experience incredible suffering by the hands of the evil one, leaving us bruised, bloody, and broken, but our wounds can be transformed by Christ if we let Him. We can fight Satan with love by allowing Jesus to reign as the King of our hearts. We can use our suffering as an offering of free-will to our Father in Heaven by becoming true slaves of Christ, where we receive a freedom that breaks the chains of the bondage of sin. If the Sacred Heart of Jesus beats at the center of our lives; the life of every Christian man and woman, then the Truth will set us free.
When we accept the invitation of Christ's Divine Love in the Eucharist we allow ourselves to prepare our hearts for the spiritual battle. The Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ provides us with the spiritual nourishment necessary to arm ourselves against the attacks by the Devil. When we receive the Bread from Heaven we are gifted with the Lord's abiding grace, which gives us the strength and perseverance to resist temptation, and always place our trust in Him.
“Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.” (St. Padre Pio)
Our weapon to fight against the assailant is the Rosary. It is our Blessed Mother who causes the devil to flee as we adorn ourselves with a garland of roses. She is Our Lady of Victory, who triumphs over the wickedness and snares of the devil by her Immaculate Heart. We unite ourselves with the Passion of Christ as Our Lady brings us to her Son. The Rosary is a gift of grace in our spiritual battle against the evil one, and it is by loving the Madonna, the Mother of God, that we fall more and more in love with Christ, Who is infinite Love.
It is love that conquers the Devil because it was the Love of Christ for all of us that led Him to offer Himself willingly as a sacrifice to save the entire world from our sins. And it is the Love of Christ that dwells within our hearts when we accept and receive Him in the Eucharist. We will always find God amidst the thorns because wherever there is the temptation to sin, the flame of His Love in glorious splendor burns brightly within us.