28th February 2025
Stories
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This Lent, are you ready to renounce the world, your flesh, and the Devil?
Marked by penitence, prayer, and self-denial, the season of Lent is a historic period of preparation for new Christians, culminating in baptism at the Easter Vigil. Since ancient times, during Lent, both baptised Christians and baptismal candidates have renounced three common enemies of the Christian life: the world, the flesh, and the Devil.
Followers of Jesus have long recognised that culture, self, and evil— sometimes referred to as the ‘unholy Trinity’—are three persistent areas of spiritual challenge. In the thirteenth century, St Thomas Aquinas famously described them as the ‘three implacable enemies of the soul’. And the nineteenth-century bishop J. C. Ryle wrote: ‘The principal fight of the Christian is with the world, the flesh, and the devil. … Unless you get the victory over these three, all other victories are useless and vain.’
As Lent begins, are you ready once again to renounce the world, the flesh, and the Devil—just as Jesus’ disciples have done for centuries? Let’s consider these ancient foes.
In a society saturated with media and endless distractions, rejecting the world—those cultural systems opposed to God's kingdom—is easier said than done. Romans 12:2 urges us, ‘Do not be conformed to this world’, yet what we watch, read, and admire quietly and subtly shapes our priorities. Are you guarding your mind and heart? Do you recognise your struggles? Are you asking God to renew you? Lent calls us to fast not just from food but to abstain from anything that dulls our spiritual senses.
The flesh—our weak and self-indulgent nature—pulls us away from God. Galatians 5:19–21 shows how it can affect both body and mind, often in deeply ingrained struggles. Where do you notice this in your own life? Paul likens the Christian life to athletic training, saying, ‘I discipline my body and keep it under control’ (1 Cor. 9:27). What feeds your weakness—entertainment, materialism, indulgence, indifference, poor habits, patterns of speech, certain relationships—and how can you resist? Lenten self-denial is more than a symbolic act; it is a spiritual discipline that strengthens both mind and body. It is not about sheer willpower but about surrendering our desires to God, allowing His grace to transform us.
Lastly, the Devil. In the Lord’s Prayer we pray, ‘Deliver us from the evil one’ (Matt. 6:9), underscoring the reality of spiritual opposition. The danger lies in giving the Devil too much attention or dismissing him entirely. Although his influence cannot be measured scientifically—any more than the power of prayer can—Scripture warns us that personified evil is real: ‘Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour’ (1 Peter 5:8). Yet we need not live in fear, for Christ is faithful and has already won the victory. Where in your life do you need to submit to God in order to resist the Devil?
This Lent, how will your penitence, prayer, and self-denial—together with the wider Christian community—help you resist the world, your flesh, and the Devil?
Lord, as I journey through Lent, grant me the grace to renounce the world, the weaknesses of my flesh, and the Devil. May these forty days deepen my daily walk with you and prepare me for the joy of Easter. Strengthen me as I live out my baptismal vows—in triumph and quiet moments of daily discipleship—that I may do so with renewed hope and a greater awareness of the victory I have in you. Amen.
