The Power of God’s Word

Matthew 4:1-11 (NLT)
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.

3During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,

‘People do not live by bread alone,

  but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple,6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,

‘He will order his angels to protect you.  

And they will hold you up with their hands

  so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.”

7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.

8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”

10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,

‘You must worship the Lord your God

  and serve only him.”

11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Refection

Temptation is everywhere around us; it’s something we all will face at some point in life. Even Jesus, the Son of God, was tempted. satan presented Him with various opportunities to not follow God’s plan for His life. The devil tried to make Jesus rethink God’s word. However, Jesus was no ordinary human and rejected every choice the devil presented Him. Jesus could have given into temptation and chosen a different path, but He remained committed to the redemption of mankind.

There are a few things that are important to note when satan appeared to Jesus and tried to tempt Him. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness and never left Him. The devil only did what he was permitted to do. The devil tempted Jesus when He was physically weakened from fasting, and isolated for forty days and nights. The devil knew of God and scripture but manipulated it or took it out of context. Jesus, being fully God, quickly rejected the devil’s schemes and correctly quoted scripture back at the enemy. The devil left Jesus after he knew he could never tempt Jesus into sinning. After being tempted, angels came to Jesus to serve Him, making it clear that God was aware of what was happening

With every temptation, the devil attempted to cause Jesus to question His allegiance to the Father. He would start by saying “if you are the Son of God” or “if you will fall down and worship me,” trying to convince Jesus to disobey God. Jesus quickly grew tired of the conversation and told the devil to leave Him.

What can we learn from the temptation of Jesus?

First, we desperately need Jesus in our lives to overcome temptation. He lived the sinless life we could not. We have the Holy Spirit living inside us who will bring truth to our minds when we find ourselves in a situation that could lead us to sinning.

Second, scripture is a very powerful tool to be used against spiritual adversaries. satan is deceitful but limited in power. He leaves when scripture is used against him and he no longer has the upper hand. Fasting and prayer are equally important tools. Jesus fasted for an extended time and had continual communication with God, which prepared Him for this encounter.

And lastly, God allows circumstances in our lives that help us grow closer to Him. Jesus was not surprised by satan’s schemes. He was perfectly unified with His heavenly Father, who prepared and equipped Him to conquer temptation.

First Corinthians 10:13 says, “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”


Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your word! Thank You for Jesus. Help me when I’m struggling and feeling overwhelmed by life. Protect me from the enemy’s attacks and give me wisdom to know when temptation is near. I want to be closer to You. Guard my heart and mind. I need Your Holy Spirit in my life! Amen