Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 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.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
Luke 4:1-7 New International Version (NIV)
If we ever wonder about the reality of the enemy and how he operates, the Scripture above illustrates just how bold he is. Believers accept that Jesus is the Son of God. We believe that God sent His only Son to save the world from sin. We believe that He died on a cross and rose from the grave, thereby defeating death so that we might live forever in God's Kingdom. We believe that God has given Him all authority in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). And the devil still tried to tempt Him. Pretty deep! Without Jesus, nobody is safe from satan's efforts to keep us in bondage.
Our faith is tested as we live in a world that God allows the enemy to run rampant through our lives, for now. He lies, he steals, he destroys. He knows our weaknesses and he uses them against us as he attempts to draw us away from God. It is he who encourages us to hurt and hate others. He promises us everything and gives us nothing because he has nothing to give but death. If we let him, he will try to lead us straight into that fiery lake of burning sulfur that has been reserved as his last destination (Revelation 20:10).
When we start to think we can overcome temptations on our own, we need to remember that the ultimate tempter and enemy of our souls has no shame in his game. If he thought he could break Jesus, the only Son of the Most High God, what won't he try to do to demolish us? Let us thank God for our Savior and stay very close to Him as we pray not to be led into temptation. Our strength and protection comes from the Lord. Don't ever forget that!
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