Jesus was “… one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin,” says the
Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 4:15). Why was Jesus tempted when He was without sin?
St. Thomas Aquinas offers one reason that Jesus was tempted was to strengthen us in
our temptations (3a. 41, 1). Our temptations discourage us because we suspect they
are indications of what we really want, our real self. While the temptation may be
coming from part of ourselves, Jesus is showing us that we can say “no” to our impulses
and desires, no matter how strongly we feel them.
We make little sacrifices during Lent, is to build up the habit of saying “no” to our
impulses.
Every good thing we do, brings with it a temptation to give up when it begins to
challenge us. Once upon a time, I used to run in 10k races. It often happened that,
about half way through the race, I began to ask myself, “Why am I doing this?” I couldn’t
remember why but I was too proud to give up. After the race, I usually filled in an
application for another race.
Luke tells us that the temptation comes after Jesus has been filled with the Holy Spirit:
“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the
desert for forty days, where He was tempted by the devil” (Lk 4:1-2).
St. Thomas explains that this was “to warn us so that no one, however holy might think
himself safe or free from temptation” (3a. 41, 1).
The book of Sirach says, “When you come into the Lord’s service, prepare to be
tempted” (Sir 2:1). Athletes get strong as they compete. Thomas says “the devil assails
with temptations even those who fast, and also those who are given to other good
works” (3a. 41, 3).
Thomas Aquinas instructs us that those who seek to imitate Christ can expect to be
temped: “Not only Christ was led into the desert by the Spirit, but all God’s children that
have the Holy Ghost. For it is not enough for them to sit idle; the Holy Ghost urges them
to endeavor to do something great: which is for them to be in the desert from the devil’s
standpoint, for no unrighteousness, in which the devil delights, is there. Again, every
good work, compared to the flesh and the world, is the desert; because it is not
according to the will of the flesh and of the world” (3a. 41, 2, ad 2).
St Ambrose says that the devil envies those who strive for better things. Yet St. Thomas
assures us that “the help of the Holy Spirit, who is the author of good deeds is more
powerful than the assault of the envious devil” (3a. 41, 2, ad. 2).
St. Augustine said that Christ went through temptation to help us as our mediator in
overcoming temptation but also to give us an example of overcoming temptation. We

bring on some of our temptations by ourselves, “…when a man causes himself to be
near to sin by not avoiding the occasion of sinning. And such occasions of temptation
should be avoided” (3a. 41, 2, ad 2). The fact that the temptations may arise from
ourselves should not undermine our resistance.
St. Thomas reminds us that Christ underwent temptation to give us confidence in His
mercy (3a. 41, 1). He recalls that the Letter to the Hebrews said: “We do not have a
high priest who cannot have compassion on our weakness but one who was like us in
all things, except sin” (Heb 4:15).
Luke tells us: “When the devil had finished all this tempting he left Him, to await another
opportunity, (Lk 4:13),” which is usually seen as Jesus’ Passion. Thomas observes that,
as Jesus was enduring His crucifixion, He may have been tempted against love for us:
“He seemed in the later assault to tempt Christ to dejection and hatred of His neighbor”
(3a. 41, 3, ad 3).
In the desert, Jesus’ temptations were to use His power to bring about nourishment for
Himself and freedom from sin for us. Although these were very good things, they were
temptations, as Thomas explains: “Christ came to destroy the works of the devil, not by
powerful deeds, but rather by suffering from Him and His members, so as to conquer
the devil by righteousness, not by power ((3a. 41, 1, ad 2).
St. Thomas acknowledges that a temptation comes in the form of a suggestion and
suggestions are not made to everybody in the same way but towards things to which
each person has a personal inclination.
The devil cleverly doesn’t immediately tempt spiritual persons to grave sins: “He begins
with lighter sins, so as gradually to lead him to greater sins” (3a. 41, 4).

Denis Vincent Wiseman, O.P.

References to the Summa Theologiae of St. Thomas Aquinas give the part of the
Summa, the question and the article. References to Thomas have been taken from
various questions and articles of the “second part of the second part” of the Summa. If
the passage is found in a response to an objection that Thomas has introduced in the
first part of the article, the Latin word “ad,” meaning “to,” is added with the number of the
objection.