Matthew 4:10 “Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’ 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. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.4”(NLT)
Jesus was tempted. While never removing or reducing His Godhead, Jesus was a man. In the flesh. With all the desires we face. He hungered, got tired, and as we see here, faced the same temptations you will face.
Before His earthly ministry even begins, Jesus fasts for forty days. He knows His purpose: in just three and a half years, He will subject Himself to a horrific crucifixion. Whenever we set out on a mission for God, we must be prepared for attacks from every angle. Satan starts here with a basic human need: hunger.
After Jesus’ quick rebuttal, the tempter moves to test His claim to be the Son of God, seeking to elicit a proud response based on His identity. “Throw yourself down, and we will see if you are really God’s Son,” proclaims the tempter.
After another rebuttal, Satan turns to ambition, offering “all the kingdoms of the world.” The Creator of the world, tempted by something He created. The real temptation was to pass over the next three and a half years of ministry. We face the same trap: seeing the allure of this world and forgetting our final palace in heaven.
The challenge for us mirrors what Satan did to Jesus. Our needs reveal weakness. Our pride reveals weakness. Our ambition reveals weakness. And in each case, Jesus’ defense was Scripture. Not His knowledge. Not His own strength. Simply Scripture. “Again, it is written”, he said.
Are you armed with the sword, or walking into battle without a weapon?
Where are you being tempted today?
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