Living Victoriously
Read Matthew 4:1 – 11
“Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and [d]serve Him only” (Matthew 4:10)
The 2-face of Temptation
The Greek word for "tempt" is πειράζω (pronounced peirázō). Depending on the context, it could mean “to test or prove” or “to solicit to evil” In the New Testament, it is often used to describe a testing or tempting situation, such as in Matthew 4:1, where Jesus is tempted by the devil. Temptation can be seen then as a prove of our obedience to the Word of God or our weakness in allowing the devil to solicit us to act with evil intention. Jesus was tempted like anyone of us, yet He resisted it, demonstrating His moral fitness to do the work for which He had come into the world for.
The 3-level of Temptations
In the wilderness, Jesus was hungry after fasting for forty days. Fasting has its purpose; in this case, the Son of God fasted in preparation for His earthly ministry. Breaking a fast is a natural process, but being divine did not give Jesus the right to use His divine authority to satisfy His natural desires or choose the path of comfort over seeking God's Kingdom. To do so would have been to succumb to the lust of the flesh, which is disobedience to God. Jesus rightly quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, saying, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord," affirming His obedience to God's calling.
At the top of the temple in Jerusalem, the temptation was to throw Himself down, knowing that His Heavenly Father would command angels to protect Him. This may have seemed like an easy and spectacular way to announce the start of His ministry and achieve instant glory without the laborious effort. However, this is an example of "the pride of life." Such an act, though tempting, would have been outside the will of God, for Jesus was to come as the sacrificial Lamb for our sins. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:16, reminding us that we should not test the Lord our God.
Finally, at the top of an exceedingly high mountain, Jesus was shown all the kingdoms of the world. This was an appeal to the "lust of the eyes." In exchange for all this, Jesus was tempted to fall down and worship Satan. This temptation meant trading spiritual birthright for the fleeting glory of the world—worshiping the creature rather than the Creator. The world was made through Christ, and God's plan to banish Satan from it was already set in motion, first through the work of redemption on the cross and ultimately at Jesus' second coming (Revelation 19:16). Jesus responded by quoting Deuteronomy 6:13: "You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only."
Application
Jesus responded to each of Satan’s three temptations by appealing to the unchanging Word of God: “It is written!” If we want to successfully overcome temptation, we must do the same—use God’s Word as our offensive weapons against an inferior foe. This means we must take time to read and study His Word. You cannot go into battle each day unarmed—and yet, many do this very thing by ignoring the Bible and the principles it contains.
Prayer
Teach me to sought after you will all my heart. Keep my way pure by teaching me to keep it according to your word. Let me treasure your word in my heart that I will not wander away from it and sin against you. Holy Spirit, please be my guide and Counsellor. In Jesus name. Amen.
Matthew 4:1 - 11
4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall 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 and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.