According to Pope Francis, the devil tempts humans with three “poisons,” namely attachments, distrust, and power, in order to separate us from God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pontiff reminded pilgrims in his weekly Angelus message in Saint Peter’s Square that “devil” means “one who divides,” and that Satan always seeks to separate people from God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In recalling Jesus’ temptations in the desert, the pope stated that the devil attempts to “separate Jesus from the Father and distract him from his mission of unity for us.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He continued, Satan seeks to exploit Jesus’ human condition, which was weak after fasting for forty days, and tries to poison him with three types of venom to undermine his mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese poisons are attachment, distrust, and power,\u201d he continued, and \u201cwe too live among these temptations, always.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is terrible, but that is just how it is, for us too: attachment to material things, distrust and the thirst for power are three widespread and dangerous temptations, which the devil uses to divide us from the Father and to make us no longer feel like brothers and sisters among ourselves, to lead us to solitude and desperation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe wanted to do this to Jesus, he wants to do it to us: to lead us to desperation,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pope went on to stress that Jesus defeats these temptations by \u201cavoiding discussion with the devil and answering with the Word of God.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is important: you cannot argue with the devil, you cannot converse with the devil! Jesus confronts him with the Word of God,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
According to Pope Francis, the devil tempts humans with three “poisons,” namely attachments, distrust, and power, in order to separate us from God. The pontiff reminded pilgrims in his weekly … <\/p>\n