In the first Epistle of Peter, we are warned to “be alert, and on guard — because the devil, like a roaring lion, is prowling about seeking someone to devour.”

Then Peter strongly exhorts us: “Resist him — steadfast in the Faith!”(1 Peter 5:9).

Jesus calls the Evil One the Father of lies. The devil deceives, disguises truth, masks less noble intentions with the appearance of virtue, and grossly misleads us. Satan caused such a stir of exhausting and relentless temptations bombarded upon Jesus in the desert that angels had to come to reinvigorate and one might say, heal the Lord of His battle scars in its aftermath, offering Him hope, energy and encouragement (Matthew 4:11).

In the Garden of Gethsemane, an angel also comes to strengthen Jesus as his blood-soaked sweat drops to the ground in agony over the impending chalice of suffering He is about to drink for our salvation (Luke 22:43). Certainly the fury of hell was upon Him as he embarked upon the journey of the Cross — the very Cross of saving love that abolishes darkness and disunity.

We can look all around us right now and see in the events of the world how Satan is furiously busy — he is sowing seeds of anger, lust, hatred, division and atrocious violence. He is tricking people into all kinds of schemes, gimmicks, tricks, wild parties, addictions, and weird acts. Satan is busy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, he never sleeps and he never slumbers. Satan knows that God is working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to make things good and better for his people, so satan works even harder to destroy and demolish God’s plans because he wants to divert and destroy the peace and prosperity of God’s people. Pope Francis is often reminding his listeners that Satan is real and not to be duped by him, he could be anywhere operating through anyone at any time. While being astute regarding the power of the Evil One, we also need to acknowledge our own personal responsibility in choosing darkness — and our own tendencies to falter in virtue, to be selfish, and to freely choose at times to waiver, even ever so slightly, from union with the Lord. In letting go of our attentiveness to the Lord’s directives, we can trail away from His friendship, and if we trail away from God’s friendship and God’s way we may open doors to other external forces of darknesses that can exacerbate our waywardness and chip away at the authenticity of our lives in Christ. God does not want this for you.

Lent calls us back to Jesus’ voice to “repent and believe the Good News,” and Peter’s forceful warning, “Be alert!” Repenting is acknowledging we need to reorientate ourselves to Christ — to His love, to His discipleship of humble service, to daily prayer and purposeful desire to have communion with God, and to be extensions of Jesus’ healing love for all people. This healing love even flows over into all our gifts set before and in us to share with the world. Such conversion even means becoming better and kinder stewards of creation and all God’s creatures.

To enthusiastically repent and be newly alert to all that blocks our path toward Christ is to begin afresh, to renew our efforts and our inner discipline, to run vigorously in the way of union with Christ. The urgency of Lent is for us to once more focus upon Jesus in everything and put everything we are and desire and need in His most Sacred Heart.

“Come to me … learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart says Jesus.” (Matthew 11:29). That broken, pierced Heart of the Redeemer is a mystical and true fortress of strength against the forces of every untruth and darkness. It is the chamber of infinite interior love and the Holy Spirit’s fire of wisdom and goodness.

Lent is ultimately the call to be invited again into the intimacy of Jesus’ friendship, and to imitate His all-giving, self-emptying love on this earthly journey, all the way to Heaven!

Written by John J. Schweska a licensed professional counselor with Catholic Charities