Francis J. Remler - How to Resist Temptation

How to Resist Temptation

Francis J. Remler, C.M.

SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS
Manchester, New Hampshire

How to Resist Temptation was originally published as Why Am I Tempted? (Paterson, New Jersey: St. Anthony Guild Press, 1938). This 2001 edition by Sophia Institute Press includes minor revisions to the original text.

Copyright 2001 Sophia Institute Press

Printed in the United States of America

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Imprimi potest:
T. J. Flavin, C.M., Provincialis

Nihil obstat:
F. J. Holweck, Censor Librorum

Imprimatur:
John J. Glennon, Archbishop of St. Louis
St. Louis, July 14, 1938

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Remler, Francis J. (Francis Joseph), 1874-1962.
How to resist temptation / Francis J. Remler.
p. cm.Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-928832-39-3 (pbk. : alk. paper)1. Temptation. 2. Christian life Catholic authors. I. Remler, Francis J. (Francis Joseph), 1874-1962. Why am I tempted?
II. Title.BT725 .R46 2001 241.3 dc212001049623

Editors note: Except where otherwise noted, the biblical quotations in the following pages are taken from the Douay-Rheims edition of the New and Old Testaments. Where applicable, quotations have been cross-referenced with the differing names and enumeration in the Revised Standard Version, using the following symbol: (RSV =).

Introduction

One of the most painful ordeals that God-fearing and virtuous souls are made to undergo is that of being tried by temptations. Temptations meet them at every turn and assail them from within and from without.

There is scarcely a day on which they do not experience the full truth of the words penned by St. Paul: I do not the good that I will [i. e., that I desire to do]; but the evil which I hate, that I do.... To will [to do good] is present with me; but to accomplish that which is good I find not. For the good which I will, I do not; but the evil which I will not, that I do.... I am delighted with the law of God according to the inward man; but I see another law in my members fighting against the law of my mind, and captivating me in the law of sin that is in my members.

From this passage we can see that temptations assail the saint as well as the sinner. No man is exempt from their molestation. They follow us all through life like our very shadow, and they will not cease to trouble us until we have closed our eyes to this world in the hour of death.

Now, the mere fact of being tempted is in itself a heavy cross to those who are resolved to love God to the utmost capacity of their soul and are determined to keep themselves free from the stain of sin. Sometimes they are assailed only at intervals for a short time; then again for long periods and almost continuously; sometimes only with moderate violence; at other times so vehemently and insistently that they seem to be driven to the verge of defeat and surrender. And this cross, heavy as it is in itself, is made still more so by the fact that often, when the conflict is over, they find it impossible to decide whether they have come out of it victorious and are still in the state of grace, or have gone down in defeat, rendered themselves guilty of sin and thus lost the love and friendship of God.

Not only this: two other factors often contribute to increase their disquietude and unhappiness. First, it may happen that because of a lack of proper instruction, they consider it actually sinful to be tempted; and second, they may consider the feelings and sensations that certain temptations, especially those of an impure nature, produce in the body as evidence and proof of willful and deliberate consent to these temptations.

From this it can easily be seen that temptations may become the source of an agonizing martyrdom to those who are poorly instructed in the subject.

And what is often the final outcome of this mistaken idea of the nature of temptations? Nothing less than this: it may lead to failure in the spiritual life. Mistaking their temptations for actual sins, and finding that in spite of their strongest resolutions they cannot keep from being tempted, many lose courage and say, What is the use of trying any longer? I cannot keep from committing sin, do what I will; I might as well give up. Thus, lack of proper knowledge induces a fatal discouragement and makes them relax their efforts to avoid sin. In the end, they yield easily to temptations and possibly contract the habit of sin, which may prove fatal to their eternal salvation.

Ignorance of the true nature of temptation paralyzes many a soul and exposes it to the imminent danger of eternal punishment, even though it had been destined to do great things for God and reach a high degree of eternal glory in Heaven.

These considerations have prompted the writing of this treatise. It is intended to serve as a guide especially for souls who are tried by the fiery ordeal of temptations, and to point out how these can be turned into the means of greater love of God, increase of grace and merit here and endless glory hereafter.

Chapter One

Understand what temptation is

Before all else, it is essential that we get as clear a notion as possible of the meaning of the word temptation.

Temptation is derived from the Latin tentare, which means to try or to test. Accordingly, a temptation may be said to be a trying or a testing of the soul for the purpose of ascertaining its attitude toward God and its fidelity in the service it owes to Him.

To a great extent, temptations are to the spiritual life what various tests on machines and materials are to mechanical and building operations. Before a steam boiler is put into operation, its ability to withstand a determined pressure of steam is ascertained by subjecting it to a rigorous test. Before a beam is placed in a building, its carrying strength is determined. And so in hundreds of other cases. The machines and materials are put through stresses designed to show whether they will prove adequate to the demand that will be made on them. By a transfer of meaning, we can say that they are tempted.

This, then, is the meaning of temptation a trial or a test. In the service of God, souls are tested or tried in order that the quality of their love for God and their devotion to Him may become known, and that they may at the same time be given opportunities of winning for themselves large treasures of grace and merit.

Temptations, therefore, are meant to reveal whether the love that a soul claims to have for God is genuine and true, and not mere hollow sham and vain pretense. They are the acid test of the spiritual life. It is well known that there are certain substances that look so much like gold that they are often mistaken for that precious metal by ignorant and inexperienced persons. Many a man has been deceived by the worthless substance commonly known as fools gold. To discover whether minerals that look like gold are the genuine metal, an assayer employs special tests. One of these consists in subjecting the substance to the action of strong nitric acid. If the substance is gold, the acid will have no effect on it; if it is not, it will break up and dissolve an easy way of proving that what was thought to be gold was nothing more than worthless dross.

This has its parallel in the spiritual world. There are many souls parading before men what appears to be solid and genuine virtue. An acid test is needed to reveal the true character of these souls. This is supplied by temptations. The soul that truly loves God will not allow itself to be overcome by them, but will remain firm and immovable in the keeping of His holy law; whereas that which is only a pretender will offer but little resistance, or perhaps none at all.

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