When Mark tells us that “the Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness… and he was with the wild beasts” (Mk 1:12–13), he is not just describing scenery. He is showing us where real transformation happens: at the edge of our inner desert, where we encounter our “beasts”—and discover that God is there too.
In the Gospel of Mark, the wilderness and meeting the beasts are not accidental. The Spirit leads Jesus there. The desert is not punishment; it is initiation. It is the place where illusions fall away and truth surfaces.
Drawing on the wisdom of the Desert Fathers, Anselm Grün reminds us that the “demons” we face are not only external forces but also the raw energies of our own fear, anger, craving, and shame. Faced honestly, these forces do not have to destroy us; they can become places of encounter and slow inner transformation. The desert is where we stop running from ourselves and allow God’s light to fall on what we usually hide.
Lent invites us into that same inner wilderness. When we fast, simplify, or spend quiet time in prayer, our inner beasts often wake up: old resentments, loneliness, compulsions, the urge to control. Instead of seeing this as a failure, we can see it as the beginning of deeper work. Like the monks, we “fight the demons” not by hating ourselves or forcing change, but by staying present, naming what is there, and letting Christ stand with us in it.
Mark adds that “angels ministered to him.” The wild beasts and the angels surround Jesus at the same time. Our own deserts are like that: a mix of danger and hidden help. To encounter demons and angels within this Lent is not to go alone into darkness, but to join Jesus in a place where even your most untamed parts can be met — not with contempt, but with a fierce, liberating mercy.
Transformation begins where avoidance ends.
Notes
Grün, A. (2000). Heaven begins within you: Wisdom from the Desert Fathers. Crossroad Publishing Company.
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Encountering Demons and Angels Within
Explore this theme in three different formats—each offering a unique way to reflect and engage:
📄 Article: https://lifespring-wholeness.blogspot.com/2026/02/encountering-demons-and-angels-within.html
🎧 Audio: https://youtu.be/2F4hvpgndyk
🎥 Video: https://youtu.be/7lLUK7SuBsQ
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Viewed the video it was nicely explained. Read the article was able to grasp more like the part where evil is in the mist of the the journey however God's help is with us. T in the mix. Thank you enjoyed your blog
ReplyDeleteThis is the best explanation of our inner desert, and thankfully provides insight into resolving issue And growing spiritually and emotionakly.
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