Part 1 — Dark Thoughts: Overcoming the Great Darkness

Confinement can be particularly difficult for those who are single or for those who live on their own. Dark thoughts can quickly overpower reason and engulf us in a downward spiral of deep sadness and great darkness. However, it is possible to avoid the drift by adopting healthy spiritual, psychological and physical measures.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have taken the initiative to check up on my friends and family. I send texts, emails, and make calls to check in with those who are close to me as well as my acquaintances. I have also taken the opportunity to do some follow-ups with those whom I accompany in their spiritual growth process. While some seem to be experiencing the crisis with confidence, many are rather anxious or even distressed by the measures taken by the government. They are also affected by the repercussions on their personal lives: loss of employment, loss of income, isolation, loss of contact with parents or grandparents, a feeling of increased uncertainty about the future… Not to mention the fear and panic that some people feel regarding the possibility of contracting the virus.

Nevertheless, I noticed that the greatest distress was in those living alone. All of them testified to having gone through periods of great darkness where they withdrew into their own bubbles, refusing all contact with their entourage. For some, this manifested itself over several days or even weeks, when feelings of darkness took over their thoughts. For others, it was a roller coaster of a ride where each day brought a new set of emotions.

What is the Great Darkness?

Depending on the individual, darkness can manifest itself in different ways. In one of my first articles, I describe it as a decline, a drift of thoughts into the abyss of suffering. At first, we feel sad or anxious. We feel a heaviness at the centre of our chest or a knot in our throat. We tell ourselves that if we could pinpoint or pin down the source of our pain (yes, yes, pin it down, like an army circling the enemy or like a pack of wolves circling their prey before tearing it to pieces), we might be able to overcome it. So we begin to think and ask ourselves questions to which we may not necessarily find the answers, but for which our troubled minds will concoct shortcuts called dark thoughts.

Dark thoughts essentially feed themselves on pain, feelings of injustice, despair and on themselves. The more we hurt, the more we cry out at injustice, the more we foment dark thoughts, the more we despair, and the more we hurt… The worst part is that this vicious circle works in all directions! The feeling of injustice can also fuel dark thoughts, pain and despair. All this leads to confusion; we quickly feel burdened, then overwhelmed and anxious by our thoughts. Welcome to the lair where the great darkness resides.

Spiritual Point of View on Dark Thoughts

This morning, during my daily devotions, I was meditating on the passage of Matthew 4, verses 1 to 11. This is the passage that deals with the temptation of Jesus in the desert. I am always amazed when I discover new angles of interpretation for a passage that I know well. So I was very excited when my reading gave me new insight into the great darkness that we all experience at some point in our lives.

1. « Apre bal, tanbou lou » : After the party, the drums are heavy

I like this Haitian proverb that highlights the painful aftermath of a party: the return to one’s daily routine, fatigue, various aches, and sometimes, even grief. More tragically, this proverb also refers to the harsh reality of life: moments of pure happiness, joy or great success are often followed by major trials or tragedies. Sometimes we have to simultaneously juggle big challenges with the satisfaction of personal or professional success. That’s life! And Jesus lived it too.

It was just after the heavens opened up for Him at His baptism (Matt. 3:17) that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matt. 4:1). What is meant here by “tempted” when referring to the Greek word “peirazos” is to be tested. It is the same verb that is used in 1 Cor. 10:13.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

1 Cor 10 : 13

Yes, the day following the festivities is always tough! For Jesus would then have to spend forty days in the desert without eating. But why? The author of the Gospel of Matthew addresses his writings to the Jews with the intention of demonstrating that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. To do so, the author often refers to the old writings and to the prophets to support his argument. This story is precisely written with the intention to show the Jews that where the people of Israel had failed in the desert, Jesus succeeded.

The forty days in the desert are therefore a symbol for the Jews of the forty years that Israel spent wandering in the desert after their escape from Egypt. And it was after these forty days that Jesus got hungry.

2. Satan Uses Our Vulnerability to Make Us Fall

So far, nothing extraordinary. Satan is a coward. He attacks when his prey is vulnerable and weak because he can’t be too bothered. He waits, studies his target, takes note of their weaknesses, and when the time is right, he launches the attack.

So let’s examine his strategy when dealing with Jesus in the desert:

Jesus has been in the desert for forty days and forty nights. The environment is arid and hostile. It is extremely hot during the day and cold at night. We can imagine that Jesus has no backpack and that He has very little to drink. Already, after a few days in the desert, simply hydrating Himself makes Him sick. There are little to no landmarks, and He moves around by foot! He is therefore exhausted. We must also remember that deserts are not uninhabited. The possibility of getting trapped by a gang of crooks is very real. At the end of forty days, Jesus is not only hungry and thirsty, but He is reaching the end of His physical and mental capacities.

Satan has observed Jesus. He knows that Jesus is the Son of God and that His mission is to save mankind. He knows that Jesus nurtures His relationship with the Father by fasting and praying, and in doing so, He is preparing Himself to fulfill what He was sent to do. But behold, a loophole appears as His body and soul falter in the hostility of the desert: He is hungry.

a) He Tempts the Body

“You are hungry! So, eat! Use your powers, abilities and aptitudes to satisfy your physical needs. Come on! You don’t have to endure this!”

Satan uses our senses, our physiological needs, and our desires to make us fall. He wants us to rely on our own strength to get us out of trouble. In doing so, we are distancing ourselves from God.

To a lonely person who finds themselves in the great darkness, Satan might say:

“Do you feel lonely? Are you craving for some affection? Are your hormones raging!? Come on! Go ahead! Caress yourself a little to get rid of the urge. Install this dating app on your phone to meet people “like you” who are bored. Go ahead, click on this link to watch this erotic video. Spend your weekend lusting after the man/woman you want on social media. Take charge of your life!”

But Jesus replied: “No, Satan! No! I am not going to rely on my abilities to satisfy my cravings. Rather, I am going to rely on the Word of God, for His Word is Life in abundance. I do not depend on my own strength, but I depend on God.”

Jesus’ response is a parallel with the exodus of the people of Israel from the land of Egypt. God had wanted to teach the Hebrews to depend on Him alone. They were no longer to be conditioned to think as slaves, but rather, as God’s chosen people even if they had been beaten, dispossessed, and unjustly put to death by their Egyptian masters, and even if they were satisfied with the little they received to live. Once they were free, there was even a time when they wished to return under the yoke of their masters instead of braving the desert to inherit the Promised Land.

And as for ourselves, how many times do we return to our old ways and harmful habits instead of living as people who have been set free by the Word of God? Are we truly living only by Him and for Him?

Satan uses our needs, desires, or discomfort (pain) to push us to satisfy our needs by ourselves (regaining control). In doing so, we no longer recognize the bond of dependence that exists between us and God, which will inevitably drive us away from Him. This is the first step in the downward spiral of dark thoughts.

b) He Instills Doubt in Your Soul (He Confuses You!)

“Is God really with you? How do you know? Okay then! If He really loves you, throw yourself down, and He will come to your rescue. That way, we’ll know for sure.”

Doubt is Satan’s favourite tool. His trick is as old as time itself. Literally! Doubt in itself is not a bad thing, but when it leads us to be wary of God’s good intentions towards us… Ouch! This is a slippery slope because it can lead us to manipulate God or to force His hand as Israel did in Horeb. The people, frustrated with their conditions in the desert, doubted God’s presence (Ex. 17:7) and became angry with Moses to make him urge God to give him water. This the Lord did (Ex. 17:6).

The problem with this type of behaviour is that we are rarely satisfied with the answers we receive. We say:

• God, if You love me, answer me.
• Give me THIS job, or THIS husband/wife.
• Give me a child.
• If You really exist, heal me.
• Make the pain stop, and I will believe that You are with me.
• If You really loved me, You wouldn’t allow me to be alone. 

Israel had witnessed many miracles. The people had seen the hand of God at work in their circumstances more than once, but they continued to doubt.

• Yeah, I got THIS job, but in the end… The competition wasn’t that intense, so it’s probably just luck.
• You gave me a child, but it was through adoption, and I wanted a biological child.

Ultimately, the answer never succeeds in appeasing the doubt that we have regarding God’s presence or love for us, which amplifies the dark thoughts and the great darkness in our hearts.

Also, asking or wanting to see God act in our situation is not the problem. Rather, it is trying to get what we want by forcing His hand, or by straight out testing God’s intentions by provoking Him. It’s a little like the person who says:

“If you leave me, I’ll kill myself.”

You see… We cannot build healthy relationships by demanding, by provoking, or by questioning the intentions of others.

It is therefore a score of 2-0 for Jesus who once again does not allow Himself to be fooled by the devil’s tricks and answers with a bang:

“I don’t need to provoke God to know that He is with me. I know that He is with me.”

c) He Offers a Quick Solution

“But come on! Is it all really worth it? Why accept all this suffering? Everything can become very simple, very quickly. I’ll give you everything, right away, hassle free. Deny God, and follow me…”

Satan knows that we do not like to suffer and that it is human nature to find the path of least resistance to achieve our goals. He knows this, and he often uses it against us.

• If I wasn’t a Christian, I’d probably already be married!
• Do we really have to wait until after marriage? Seems to me like it all comes down to the same thing.
• I would be less lonely if I was willing to act like everyone else.
• If I worked on weekends, I would have more money to pay the bills.

As 1 Cor. 10:13 tells us, God does not allow us to go through trials that are beyond what we can bear. Like gold, we are purified and refined by fire (1 Pet. 1:6-7). It is through trials that our characters are formed (James 1:3-4).

However, when we suffer, dark thoughts can cause us to take shortcuts in order to stop the pain. Unfortunately, these shortcuts can drive us away from God and even push us to idolatry.

In accepting the mission of being the Saviour of the world, Jesus understood the price (cost). He knew that there would be no shortcuts and that the road would be strewn with pitfalls. But the price (reward) of all this suffering is the salvation of mankind and the promise to share the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven with all those who would have believed and persevered in their faith.

In the midst of the great darkness, we too must weigh the cost and the expected reward. Our reward is eternal and cannot be compared to the bonuses that certain shortcuts can give us here on Earth. Why risk jeopardizing our eternal inheritance in the glory of God for perishable gains?

It is therefore a no-brainer for Jesus who then sends Satan packing:

“Away from me, Satan! I don’t want your shortcuts. It is only God that I will worship and serve!“

After the Trial, God Sends Comfort

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.

MATt 4 : 11

When we resist the devil and dark thoughts, they flee from us (James 4:7). But first, we must resist! In His Love, God has given us the Holy Spirit who helps us in moments of weakness to hold on to Him and the Word of God. He sends us comfort through His Spirit, His Word, and angels… who can also take the form of people around us. God is always with us and supports us, whether we succeed in overcoming trials or not.

Let’s Pray

Papa, thank you for Your Word and for the example of Your Son Jesus who teaches us to overcome life’s difficult moments. Thank you for sending Him among us so that we may know You through Him and be set free from the yoke of sin. Thank You because even when we do not feel it, You are always with us and for us. Your Word attests to this and we believe it. We pray for the people who are living alone and who have a hard time during this confinement period. Brighten their thoughts and chase away the dark notions. You know that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he will devour. Do not allow him to achieve his goals of invading their thoughts with lies to bring them down. Help them rely on Your Word and on Your Promises until You bring them deliverance. Amen!