Today has been especially trying and full of failure. But this gives me some sort of hope.
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| The Battle Plan |
| Written by Matt Fradd |
| Monday, 18 January 2010 |
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1. Humility is the first requirement. We must admit that we cannot succeed by ourselves. We must confess, with St. Paul, "I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh" (Rom7:18), but we must also confess that "I can do all things in him who strengthens me" (Phil 413). St. Thomas Aquinas says that God often withholds grace from us and lets us fall into obvious sin in order to prevent our more calamitous fall into the more subtle and more serious sin of pride and self-satisfaction. 2. We must be uncomprimising about truth and demand total honesty with ourselves, never hiding or evading the light, no matter how uncomfortable. The Sacrament of Confession is our most powerful weapon against any sin. Satan hates and fears it and the Eucharist more than anything else in this world. Fr. Gabriele Amorth, the chief excorcist in Rome tells us that confession is more powerful than an excorcism. This makes sense when we consider that possession is when Satan has control of the body. Sin is when we collaborate with Satan and allow him to have his way in our soul and thus the world. 3. We can do something and not just wait for temptations to come. We can fight offensive, not just defensive, spiritual warfare and be proactive rather that reactive by voluntary penances, cheerfully chosen for love of God's honor. If you are not fasting on a regular basis, start! If you cannot say no to that next slice of cake, that next television show, that next beer, how will you be able to say no to porn, which I think we'd all agree is more tempting than cake, TV and alcohol combined? 4. We must resolve to give God everything, including our very first thoughts (2 Cor 10:5). For "Sow a thought, reap an act; so an act reap a habit; so a habit reap a character, reap a destiny." Each new morning symbolizes creation when God brought light out of darkness, chaos out of cosmos. Each morning we must accept anew the salvation won for us by the paschal mystery and beg for the grace to remain faithful to him. 5. Love, not fear or loathing can overcome lust. Love of heaven, not disgust with earth, overcomes inordinate love of earth. In another words, stop bitching about Hollywood and the gazillion dollar porn industry and begin responding to the courtship of the eternal bride groom, Jesus Christ. 6. Christ gave us his Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the cross (Jn 19:26-27) as our own mother and model. Images of holy motherhood can combat images of impurity. Place an image of the Mother of God on your desktop. Take a look at the following: http://www.wga.hu/art/s/solari/andrea/gcushion.jpg, http://www.wga.hu/art/s/solari/andrea/gcushion.jpg, http://www.lifeteen.com/downloads/wallpapers/maryPraying1280.jpg 7. Remember that there are no victimless crimes, that every time you weaken your soul you weaken the Body of Christ and every member of it, including those you love the most. 8. As with any long and hard struggle, take it one day at a time and one step at a time. The present problem is the only one that is real; let tomorrow and yesterday take care of themselves. 9. Remember who you are: God's child, bought with the price of Christ's blood, destined for heaven. We act our our perceived identities. If you think your garbage you'll act like garbage. If you think your simply an animal you'll act like an animal. "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?" (1 Cor 6:15). 10. Remember where you are going. "Look to the end." There are few sins man will commit on his deathbed. But we are on our deathbed as soon as we are born. This may not be the most optimistic advice but it is true. You're future is only getting shorter. You will die and most likely before you expect. 11. Remember where you are: On a battlefield, not in an easy chair. If you are a Christian you are a spiritual warrior. Don't believe me? Read 1 Pet 5:8. Know that the battle is especially urgent today, when Christ's Church faces a "Culture of death". Does you think I'm exaggerating, that my language is too strong? Believe me, I'm watering it down! Consider for a moment that the most dangerous place on earth is the one place which was meant to be the safest; the mothers womb. 1 out of every three babies conceived are aborted. Men are encouraged to be not protectors but predators, women are convinced they are targets, not treasures. Awake from your sleep Arise from the dead and Christ will give you light! (Eph 5:14) 12. Remember that the enemy is the enemy. "For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph 6:12) The enemy is not the porn industry, not your father, not your wife, not your computer, not yourself but Satan. 13. Remember that good is infinitely stronger than evil, Remember that Satan has been conquered definitively and forever by what christ did for you on the Cross. Take refuge there. The most important aspect of the whole topic of sexual morality is Jesus Christ. He is the Word (Mind) of God, who designed sex; he is the One whose love gave his blood as the price of our forgiveness for abusing his designs; and he is the one who assures us, in his very last words on earth, "Behold I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Mt 28:20) A great deal of the above text has been adapted and edited from the book Catholic Christianity written by Dr. Peter Kreeft. To listen to free talks by Dr Peter Kreeft click here
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