Matthew 4:1-11

1. Intro.
1. Jesus "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin
2. Jesus is an example for us to follow
3. how was Jesus tempted, and how did He defeat the devil?
2. the tempter
1. called the devil - Matt. 4:1
1. when Jesus was ready to begin His ministry, He met the devil in mortal combat
2. the word "devil" means a false accuser & slanderer
1. when we face the devil we should never expect the truth
2. he lies about God, our friends, and our enemies
3. we have to be alert to recognize his lies
2. called the tempter - Matt. 4:3
1. to tempt is to test (faith, loyalty, wisdom, commitment, strength)
2. we should never think that the devil is a pushover to defeat
3. his power will test us to the max
4. we need to be prepared to do our best, anything else will fail
3. called Satan - Matt. 4:10
1. the word means an adversary, an opponent, an enemy
2. we can never make friends with Satan, he is our bitter & vicious enemy (now & forever)
3. Satan is strong, smart and tricky; and he is after you
3. the circumstances under which the temptations came
1. alone in the desert - Matt. 4:1
1. He had just been baptized, and the Spirit of God had come to Him
2. He had been fasting for 40 days
3. His great earthly ministry was about to begin
4. anyone led by the Spirit will be tested by the devil
1. the devil will try to lead us in another direction
2. the devil came to offer Jesus an easier way
2. hungry - Matt. 4:2 (physically weak)
4. the temptations
1. a temptation to preserve life - Matt. 4:3-4
1. "if thou be the Son of God"
1. He was tempted to prove this in a way that God did not intend
2. we all need to clearly see what God wants us to do
3. we do not need to prove who we are if we are doing the Lord’s will (it will be manifested)
2. "command that these stones be made bread"
1. Satan’s lie, "you can’t die yet, you must live and go on with your work" (save yourself)
2. many people have been led into sin by a similar lie
1. it is better to die in the will of God, than to live outside of God’s will
2. the Bible does not say, "a man has to live"
3. Jesus’ response was the Word of God (Deut. 8:3)
1. Jesus knew that live consisted of more than food
2. Jesus knew that it would be wrong to use His power to satisfy self
3. He would rather starve than disobey
2. a temptation to gain fame - Matt. 4:5-7
1. "cast thyself down"
1. such a stunt would have gained an instant following
2. Jesus’ reason for coming to earth was to gain followers
3. this was a proposed short-cut by Satan (many churches take short-cuts)
2. the devil assured Jesus that no harm would come
1. it was the assurance of God’s Word - Ps. 91:11-12
2. the devil was saying, "you don’t doubt your Father’s promise, do you?"
3. Jesus’ response is, "it is written"
1. Satan misuses the Word of God, but it is still trustworthy and dependable
2. we need to study the Word of God more thoroughly, so we can use it rightly - II Tim 2:15
4. "thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God"
1. Jesus knew that God always keeps His word
2. Jesus’ trust was full and complete; therefore, no test was needed
3. Jesus would not avoid danger or death when doing God’s will, but He would not needlessly endanger Himself
3. a temptation to gain power - Matt. 4:8-10
1. "all these things will I give thee"
1. no offer could be more tempting than this (a short-cut to being King)(no cross, no suffering)
2. the devil is a liar
2. "if thou wilt fall down and worship me"
1. this was the price that Satan ask for all this power
2. the price was to high, but many give themselves to the devil for far less
3. Jesus’ response
1. the offer was intolerable & He would hear no more - "get thee hence"
2. again the decision was based on Scripture - Deut. 6:13
3. Jesus’ choice was to do it God’s way (no short-cuts)
5. after the temptations - Matt. 4:11
1. the defeated devil leaves Him, but he will be back
2. the angels came to help Jesus
1. they did not come until Satan was gone
2. Jesus had no special help from heaven during the temptations
3. Jesus had the same help all of us can have: the Word of God and faith
3. the devil and us
1. believe it or not, the devil is still alive and active
2. we too can beat the devil and overcome temptation
3. God is faithful in helping us to overcome temptation - I Cor. 10:13