Why do we continue to sin, even after we’ve renounced it in the sacrament of reconciliation? Brant Pitre (2021; chapter six) writes that it is because of humanity’s disordered desire for pleasure, possessions, and pride. These temptations are the root of all sin and were used by the Evil One against Adam and Eve, against Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and still in use today against all of us.
Adam and Eve disobeyed God because the forbidden tree was good for food (pleasure), it was delightful to the eye (possession), and it would make them wise (pride). In Matthew’s Gospel (4:1-11) the devil tempted Jesus in the same way. He told him to turn the stone into bread (pleasure), offered him authority over all earthly kingdoms (possession), and to exalt himself as the Son of God by performing a miracle (pride). Pitre provides several examples of the suffering caused by these temptations in the modern world. These include: 1) drug abuse and human trafficking (pleasure), 2) robbery and corruption (possession), and 3) the arrogance of politicial leaders (pride).
What are we to do to curb these desires? Dr. Pitre offers the remedies provided by Jesus: fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. Controlling our cravings for food and drink allows us to voluntarily resist sin by growing in self-control (chapter seven). He writes that the best way to weaken cravings for money, luxuries, etc. is to give it away (chapter eight). Last, humble prayer before God is the antidote to pride — we ask for and need God’s help (chapter nine).
The battle against temptations is continuous. I have noticed that the closer I get to God, the more these attacks persist. Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti (2026) writes that “enduring the devil’s temptations is a part of every Christian life,” but “just as Jesus triumphed, in him so shall we.”
Pitre, B. (2021). Introduction to the Spiritual Life. Image.
Rossetti, S. J. (2026). In Jesus We Shall Triumph. In P. Gohn (Ed.), Living Faith (Volume 41, Number 4, p. 60). Creative Communications for the Parish.
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