Today we continue our series on the ‘Dynamics of Authority’ by looking at the temptation of Jesus, which offers valuable lessons on the importance of being swift to resist the lies and temptations of the devil. In Luke 4, we read that our Lord Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted for 40 days by the devil. Jesus was tested to show His capacity to deal with all sin and carry our infirmities as our High Priest. After fasting for 40 days, Jesus was hungry, and the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread” (vs.3). The devil was seemingly empathetic to Jesus’ hunger, but in actual fact, he had deceitful intent – the true test was whose voice Jesus would heed. Remember, you become a slave to whomever you yield to (Romans 6:16). This is the same approach the devil uses with us today; he tries to deceive us into heeding his voice and yielding our authority by targeting our human instincts of self-preservation, presenting temptations that seem beneficial to us, but are in fact, quite the opposite. Jesus swiftly countered, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (vs.4). He did not entertain the devil’s suggestion but relied on scripture, the only offensive weapon in God’s armor (Ephesians 6:17). We too should use the word of God to resist the enemy and stop him in his tracks. We should not allow the thoughts the devil plants to linger, because doing so is akin to giving consent. Whenever the enemy plants a seed in our minds, we must counter it immediately. Thoughts have a lifespan – the longer we entertain them, the more they take root and invite similar thoughts. Therefore, we must be quick to respond.
The devil then proceeded to offer Jesus all the world’s kingdoms in exchange for Jesus worshiping him (vs.6-7). In this way, the devil was trying to convince Jesus that He did not need to die on the cross – as he the devil would simply give Him what He wanted. However, our Lord continued to use the Word to refute him. He replied: “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (vs.8). The enemy’s methods have not changed – he still tries to tempt us in our areas of purpose, to tempt us into taking shortcuts to make it in this life. However, we must understand that it does not profit man to gain the whole world, and yet lose his own soul (Mark 8:36). Saints, it is important to focus our minds and meditate on God’s Word, so that we will not be found wanting on the day of adversity. Lastly, the devil dared Jesus to throw Himself from the temple, citing scripture to manipulate the Lord into doing what he wanted (vs.9-11). The scripture the devil referenced here (Psalm 91:10-12) is conditional, meant to assure us that angels will assist us in unforeseen calamities, not to encourage recklessness. Jesus responded to the devil, saying, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’” (vs.12). Church, don’t be deceived into thinking the devil does not know scripture – our adversary is highly technical. He is a master accuser and always distorts scripture to deceive us, twisting the Word to suit his purposes. That’s why it is important to know scripture in its fullest context, so that he will not manipulate you. Ensure that he finds nothing in you that he can use against you.
After the devil had exhausted his temptations, he left Jesus, planning to return at an opportune time (Luke 4:13). Our adversary is always looking for opportunities to tempt us, so we must not be ignorant of his devices. Even during times of reprieve, we must remain grounded in the Word, as the next level of opposition will be more intense. This is why constant growth is essential; our authority and faith will be tested repeatedly. After Jesus overcame the devil, He experienced promotion, teaching in synagogues and being glorified by all (vs.15). This demonstrates that temptations are opportunities for our spiritual promotion. Every challenge or temptation we face is a chance to increase our spiritual rank. Let us continue in the Word of God, so we can effectively resist the devil and enforce our authority against him.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for teaching us to stand firm in our authority and be swift in countering the enemy’s lies with the Word. We choose to remain in Your Word and give ourselves to Your Truth, so that we will not be deceived or led astray by the adversary. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
