Temptation

“Temptation: An Attraction, either from outside oneself or from within, to act contrary to right reason and the commandments of God. Jesus himself during his life on earth was tempted, put to the test, to manifest both the opposition between himself and the devil and the triumph of this saving work over Satan.” CCC538

Do all temptations come from the bad angels? Some temptations come from the bad angels; but other temptations come from ourselves and from the persons and things about us.

Do not love the world, or the things that are in the world. (I John 2:15)

Can we always resist temptations? We can always resist temptations, because no temptation can force us into sin, and because God will always help us if we ask Him.

And he has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” (I Corinthians 12:9)

Further reading: CCC 2846-2849

Facing temptations in prayer

2732 The most common yet most hidden temptation is our lack of faith. It expresses itself less by declared incredulity than by our actual preferences. When we begin to pray, a thousand labors or cares thought to be urgent vie for priority; once again, it is the moment of truth for the heart: what is its real love? Sometimes we turn to the Lord as a last resort, but do we really believe he is? Sometimes we enlist the Lord as an ally, but our heart remains presumptuous. In each case, our lack of faith reveals that we do not yet share in the disposition of a humble heart: “Apart from me, you can do nothing.”