HOW TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION
Frederick Wood said, “Temptation is not sin; it is the call to battle.” That statement blew me away. Why? Because it is a statement of freedom. Satan’s job is to tempt us. Our job is lean on the Holy Spirit and go to war against the temptation. Listen to me! Here is an important truth. If you resist temptation, victory is promised!
Temptations will come to every child of God. I know this because even the Son of God battled against temptation while on earth. The story of His temptation is recorded in Luke 4:1-13. This account of Satan’s attempt to overcome Jesus with the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life teaches us how to live victoriously in the present world (see Gal 5:16; 1 Jn 2:15).
This week I want to look at the introduction of this narrative and the first temptation (Lk 4:1-4). In this opening scene I believe we can discover through Jesus’s example the tools to resist temptation and win every battle. You ready?
LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT INTO THE WILDERNESS
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry (Lk 4:1-2).
Let’s set the context, after being baptized in the Jordan River by John (cf. Lk 3). Afterword this Jesus, who is “full of the Holy Spirit” is “led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” Luke is a master of giving us snapshots of how the Holy Spirit leads Jesus while doing the Fathers will while on earth. In my opinion, knowing Jesus is full of and being led by the Spirit shows us something important. He is not entering the wilderness in a defensive posture hoping to just win. Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Spirit on the offensive to win.
In the Bible when one reads about “wilderness” it’s not necessarily like the wilderness we have in North America. Remember Jesus is in the Middle East. The idea of wilderness must be seen from that perspective. Think of it like a desert. When people of this day thought of wilderness they thought – danger, wild, barren, and filled with wild animals ready to kill for food. They had good reason to think this because that is what it was like.
Jesus purposefully goes to the wilderness “where he is tempted by the devil.” It’s almost as if at Jesus’s baptism that a message went out to Satan that the fight was on. But Jesus did not choose to go to war with the Devil in the Synagogue. No, He went to the wilderness. He met the devil on his own turf! Jesus did not wait for Satan to come to Him. Instead, Jesus went out to face down the “accuser of the brethren” (cf. Rev 12:10 KJV). Who is this being called “The Devil” or “Satan?”
The Greek διάβολος (diablos) speaks of a person who is prone to slander, making false accusations, and makes personal attacks against others. The Hebrew שָׂטָן (śāṭān) describes one who stands against another and in this case, Satan is a superhuman adversary. The Devil or Satan uses accusation, slander, and adversarial attacks against Jesus. By implication, he uses those same tactics against us as we journey with Christ
Make no mistake, Satan is a real being. He tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden. He tempts Jesus in the wilderness. Satan is a fallen angel who rebelled against God (cf. Gen 3:1-14; Mt 25:41; Lk 10:18). Now, he is in constant battle against God and those who put their faith in Christ. Let me offer some important facts about our enemy:
He is not like God or even on the same playing field as God.
He cannot be everywhere like God.
He does not possess the same power as God (not even close – He is a created being – God is Creator)
He works through evil spirits under his control to tempt believers and draw them away from God and into darkness.
That does not mean we should take our enemy lightly. It does mean AS BELIEVERS IN CHRIST THE DEVIL HAS NO CONTROL OVER US – UNLESS WE SURRENDER CONTROL TO HIM. So, what the Devil does is accuse, withstand, and create chaos around you. His accusations remind you of your sin filled past. He withstands you with circumstances and situations. He creates chaos by using the challenges of life to make us doubt God’s providence.
HIS GOAL IS SIMPLE: TO CAUSE DISTRUST IN GOD, GOD’S PROMISES, & GOD’S WORD!
That’s it! Simply put Satan puts temptations in front of you and I trying to get us to trust in our own resources (e.g., ability, power, wealth) instead of trusting God’s resources that are boundless and never fail. With this in mind let’s look at the first temptation Jesus overcomes.
Let’s look at the first temptation that Jesus overcomes.
THE TEMPTATION OF DISTRACTION
The devil said to [Jesus], “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone’ (Lk 4:3-4 emphasis added).
Matthew adds an additional line not included in the Lukan account. He writes, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). I cannot speak to why this line is excluded from Luke’s account. Matthew’s addition, however, gives us rich insight into how the Devil is trying to tempt Jesus.
Think of the scene. Jesus and Satan are in the wilderness - a place of darkness and danger. Jesus has not eaten anything for 40-days and He is hungry. Jesus is no doubt physically weak from this extended fast. The Devil chooses this moment to step on the scene and say, “[…] if you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
I believe the Devil is accusing God of abandoning His Son, Jesus Christ. In those thirteen words he is saying, “Does your Father really love you? If He really did love you, then you wouldn’t be this hungry.” Now I know some of you super spiritual folks will dismiss my next statement as heresy. I am OK with that! But Jesus is not fasting too just fast. He is in the wilderness – a desert - there was literally nothing to eat in the desert. Maybe it was a spiritual exercise, maybe it wasn’t.
Now before you rend your garments hear me out. This story of God’s firstborn son Israel (Ex 4:22; Rom 9:4) contains a similar wilderness/desert scene. As Israel (the nation) traveled from Egypt to The Promised Land, they too journeyed through a desert. As they trekked through this wilderness waste land, they became very hungry. Somewhere between Elim and Sinai the Israelites began to murmur and complain about not having food to eat (Ex 16:1-3). The implication is that in the wilderness, no food was available.
But God uses this wilderness/desert to show His glory by supernaturally providing manna and meat for His firstborn son (Ex 16:4-21). They did not have to plant gardens or even work for their sustenance. They simply opened their tent flaps each morning and feasted on the provision of God.
But now Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, is in the desert. He too is hungry, but He is not complaining. But there is no bread raining down from Heaven! The only thing coming down is accusations from the Devil: go ahead and use your power as the Son of God to turn these stones to bread because it doesn’t seem like Your Father is going to come through for you!
Now you might ask, “What’s the problem with turning a couple stones into bread and having a meal?” Well, nothing. Except that when you give Satan an inch, he takes a mile.
Jesus had the authority and the power to make the desert into a bakery! He could have called down canoles if He so desired. But Jesus is on a mission to save the world. He would not use his power and authority for selfish purposes.
Here’s the deal. If the Devil can get Jesus to distrust that His Father would care for at every level, then Jesus would not trust His Father enough to complete His mission. Jesus was hungry for food, but He was also hungry to do fulfill the will of the Father. He had to trust in God’s promises of provision for everything in His earthly life. Satan’s goal was not to get Jesus fed. His goal was to distract Him from the mission by getting Him to focus on other things that feed the flesh.
DISTRACTED FROM THE PURPOSE OF GOD
Folks, every day you and I are tempted to get distracted from the purpose God has for our lives. God gave every one of us gifts, abilities, talents, influence, and so much more. He allows us to use those things to supply the needs of our family. We use the skills He gave us to literally put bread on the table. But God expects us to use those gifts for His glory and mission.
We must resist the temptation of Satan to let our gifts become god’s! God the Father knows our needs. He knows where we are at every moment of our life. Nevertheless, because we live in a fallen world there are times we get in a bind. We make mistakes. We mess up. We sin. And is in those moments that the accuser of the brethren shows up to stand against us and cause chaos in our hearts and minds. He whispers, “See, God doesn’t hear you! You’ve prayed and no answer has come. God has abandoned you. God doesn’t take care of His people. Just go find your own way of taking care of this mess!”
In those times when we wring our hands and count our pennies that temptation comes to distract us from God’s promises, power, and goodness. In these moments we must remember this: we do not just live by the physical, we by the spiritual.
In the physical it seems like everything is falling apart – but in the spiritual God is working all things to our good.
In the physical it looks like sickness and disease is winning – but in the spiritual God is the healer of all our diseases.
In the physical it feels as if God is nowhere to be found – but in the spiritual God has never left us and will never forsake us.
That is why Paul told the Corinthian church, “…we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). The enemy would like nothing better than to get you distracted from living out your God-given purpose. If he can get you worried about this thing or that thing – then your mind is on something other than Christ! And when your mind is on something other than Christ you get distracted from your God-given purpose.
We must trust the word of God and the God revealed in the word. I am not sure how else to put it: we must trust God’s promises. We do not merely live by the blessings of God; we live by faith in the Son of God (Gal 2:20). But what does that look like?
It looks like time to read and study the Bible.
It looks like taking time to meditate on the Word of God.
It looks like seeing the Word as our primary source of strength and hope.
It looks like obedience to the Word of God.
It looks like putting our priority on our relationship with Christ – Who is THE WORD OF GOD (John 1:1, 14).
I challenge you take time the time to examine your priorities. What are you placing your trust in that is replacing trust in God. Hey, listen, I stand guilty as charged. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit leads and guides back to the path of trusting God. We simply need to follow.
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