Brothers and Sisters,
As is often the case with the collects in the Book of Common Prayer, the collect appointed for this coming Sunday points us to a great deal of important truth in a short amount of space:
O Lord God, grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The collect, first, serves as a reminder that the Christian life is a battle. In many ways, this fallen world is in rebellion against the righteous reign of the Lord, and the world tempts us to take part in that rebellion. Additionally, our own flesh tempts us into rebellion against the Lord. Even as believers, we still battle with an inclination to desire and pursue the wrong things. That’s not all: the devil is real, and he really tempts us and seeks to devour us, as Scripture reminds us.
Taken in isolation, all of that seems like bad news. We’re up against formidable enemies. Thank God that he doesn’t leave us to fit the battle alone. He gives us grace for the battle, and his grace is sufficient. His grace is sufficient to blot out our sins. His grace is sufficient for the fight against temptation. His grace is sufficient to purify our hearts and renew our minds.
We have a battle to fight, but we have a victorious Savior fighting for us. His grace is sufficient.
In Christ,
Fr. Caleb