Read Luke 4:1 – 13
SATAN TEMPTS JESUS IN THE WILDERNESS
Sometimes we feel that if the Holy Spirit leads us, it will always be beside peaceful streams. But that is not necessarily true. He led Jesus into the wilderness for a long and difficult time of testing, and He may lead you and me into difficult situations.
When facing trials, first make sure you haven’t brought them on yourself through sin or unwise choices. If you find no sin to confess or unwise behavior to change, then ask God to strengthen you for your test. Also, be careful to follow faithfully wherever the Holy Spirit leads.
Temptation will often come after a high point in your spiritual life or ministry. Remember that Satan chooses the times for his attacks. You need to be on your guard in times of victory just as much as in times of discouragement.
Why was it necessary for Jesus to be tempted? First, temptation is part of the human experience. For Jesus to be fully human, for Him to understand us completely, He had to face temptation.
Second, Jesus had to undo Adam’s work. Adam, although created perfect, gave in to temptation and passed sin on to the whole human race. Jesus, by contrast, resisted Satan. His victory offers to all of Adam’s descendants.
The devil, who tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, also tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Satan is a real being, a created but rebellious fallen angel, and not a symbol or an idea. He constantly fights against God and those who follow and obey God. Jesus was a prime target for the devil’s temptations. Satan succeeded with Adam and Eve, and he hoped to succeed with Jesus, too; but failed.
Satan may tempt us to doubt Christ’s true identity. He knows that once we begin to question wether or not Jesus is God, it’s far easier to get us to do what he wants. Times of questioning can help us sort out our beliefs and strengthen our faith, but those times can also be dangerous. If you are dealing with doubt, be aware that you are especially vulnerable to temptation. Even as you search for answers, protect yourself by meditating on the unshakable truths of God’s Word.
Sometimes what we are tempted to do isn’t wrong in itself. Turning a stone into bread wasn’t necessarily bad. The sin was not in the act but in the reason behind it. The devil was trying to get Jesus to take a shortcut, to solve Jesus’ immediate problem at the expense of His long-range goals to seek comfort at the sacrifice of His discipline. Satan often works that way – persuading us to take action, even right action, for the wrong reason or at the wrong time. The fact that something is not wrong in itself does not mean that is is good for you at a given time. Many people sin by attempting to fulfill legitimate desires outside of God’s will or ahead of His time table. First, ask is the Holy Spirit leading me to do this? Or is Satan trying to get me off the track?
Knowing and obeying God’s Word is an effective weapon against temptation; the only offensive weapon provided in the Christian’s armor. Jesus used Scripture to counter Satan’s attacks, and you can, too. But to use it effectively, you must have faith in God’s promises, because Satan also knows Scripture and is adept at twisting it to suit his purposes. Obeying the Scriptures is more important than simply having a verse to quote, so read them daily and apply them to your life.
The devil arrogantly hoped to succeed in his rebellion against God by diverting Jesus from His mission and winning His worship. Jesus didn’t argue with Satan, but Jesus refused to validate Satan’s claim by worshiping him. Jesus knew that He would redeem the world through giving up His life on the cross, not through making an alliance with a corrupt angel.
Christ’s defeat of the devil in the wilderness was decisive but not final. Throughout His ministry, Jesus would confront Satan in many forms. Too often we see temptation as once and for all. In reality we need to be constantly on guard against the devil’s ongoing attacks. Where are you most susceptible to temptation right now? How are you preparing to withstand it?
Often we are tempted not through our weaknesses, but through our strengths. The devil tempted Jesus where He was strong. Jesus had power over stones, the kingdoms of the world, and even angels, and Satan wanted Him to use that power without regard to His mission. When we give into the devil and wrongly use our strengths, we become proud and self reliant. Trusting in our own powers, we feel little need of God. To avoid this trap, we must realize that all our strengths are God’s gifts to us, and we must dedicate those strengths to His service.
