Read Chapter 4:1-13...then come back..
Yes! Now we're getting into the RED LETTER stuff...!!
We know from Chapter 3 that Jesus has been baptised in water AND baptised into the Holy Spirit....Now He has the full manifested power of God residing within Him which makes Him ready for battle...
Yes! Now we're getting into the RED LETTER stuff...!!
We know from Chapter 3 that Jesus has been baptised in water AND baptised into the Holy Spirit....Now He has the full manifested power of God residing within Him which makes Him ready for battle...
So what's the first thing that happens?..You guessed it, here comes the enemy trying to mess everything up.
I love this particular portion of scripture for many reasons, but mostly because it is a perfect picture of our struggle against the enemy who is constantly attempting to steal, kill and destroy what God wants to do for us and through us.
And because Jesus must always be our role model for what, when and how to fight the good fight of faith and win the battle over the enemy, this portion of scripture gives us a template or example of what the basic steps are when dealing with satan and how to defeat him every single time !!
The first thing I notice here is that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where He was when the devil came to tempt Him. So He was precisely where His Father wanted Him to be, doing exactly what His Father wanted Him to do.
Over time I have realized that even though God tempts no man, He does lead me or allows me to be in situations where I have an opportunity to grow my faith, overcome temptations and learn to become more effective in the war against the enemy we face.The Lord allows me to be tested, so I can see where my weak points are and where I need improvement in my spiritual growth.
In my own life I have noticed when I find myself in a bad situation I wonder "Why me?"...I used to have a tendency to complain and gripe about it...Poor me :(
Sometimes my confidence would erode, or I got angry or want to pout and have pity-parties or worse throw in the towel and give up..and that is exactly what our enemy wants us to do. We play right into his hands when we do that.
The lesson that this story teaches me is that by Jesus' example here we must always rely on our faith and confidence in God's Word.
Every single time satan tempted Jesus, He is ready and armed with the Word of God to combat him with.
Jesus always slam-dunks him back with "It is written.......", which shows me the first and foremost important tool or weapon I have at my disposal is the Word of God.
The Word is referred to as the Sword of the Spirit in Ephesians 6, and . "For the Word of God is alive and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword..."Hebrew 4: 12
Don't you just love that analogy? I like to imagine that when I speak the Word it's like holding a GREAT BIG HUGE and DANGEROUS SWORD slicing right through any obstacle; physical or emotionally I may be facing.
Try it...Close your eyes and get a picture in your mind of the biggest, meanest, strongest sword you have ever seen and you are using it to attack and destroy a weaker opponent...now imagine that is what it's like when you speak the Word of God against the enemy!! I like that!! alot...:)smile
An example from my everyday life would be; when I sin the first thing the enemy does, in his attempt to damage my fellowship with God, is he whispers in my ear (mind) "Well you blew it this time, God will never forgive you for that" or "You've done that too many times, God is just not going to forgive you this time"
But I have learned to do what Jesus did here in these scriptures. I take out my Sword and slice right through that lie by saying "You're a liar satan!...It is written..."He is faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness"!!
I turn quickly and ask my Father to forgive me, and my faith in Him to keep His promise to do that, sends the enemy fleeing from me with his stupid tail tucked between his stupid legs!!
He always comes back...(v13) Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
But each time he does I will have hidden more of Gods Word in my heart and have it ready on the tip of my tongue like a sword... ready to wield it and slice right through all the lies...
The more scripture I have ready, the bigger my sword is !!
What did you learn by the story of Jesus' temptation?
The more scripture I have ready, the bigger my sword is !!
What did you learn by the story of Jesus' temptation?
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