Sometimes we feel that if the Holy Spirit leads us, it will always be "beside quiet waters" (psalm 23:2). But that is not necessarily true. He led Jesus into the desert for forty days of difficult testing by the devil. He may also lead us into difficult situations. When facing trials, first make sure you haven't brought them on yourself through sin or unwise choices. If you find no sin to confess or unwise behavior to change, then ask God to strengthen you for your test. Finally, be careful to follow faithfully wherever the Holy Spirit leads.

Temptation will often come after a high point in our spiritual life or ministries (see 1 Kings 18;19 for Elijah's story of great victory followed by despair). Remember that Satan chooses the times for his attacks. We need to be on guard in times of victory just as much as in times of discouragement.

The devil who tempted Adam and Eve in the garden, also tempted Jesus in the desert. Satan is a real being, a created but rebellious fallen angel, and not a symbol or an idea. He constantly fights against God and those who follow and obey God. Jesus was a prime target for the devil's temptations. Satan succeeded with Adam and Eve, and he hoped to succeed with Jesus too.

Knowing and obeying God's word is an effective weapon against temptation, the only "offensive" weapon provided in the Christians "armor" (Ephesians 6:17). Jesus used Scripture to counter Satan's attacks, and you can too. But to use it effectively, you must have faith in God's promises, because Satan also knows Scripture and is adept at twisting it to suit his purpose. Obeying the Scriptures is more important than simply having a verse to quote, so read them daily and apply them to your life. Then your sword will always be sharp.

Why was it necessary for Jesus to be tempted? First, temptation is part of the human experience. For Jesus to be fully human, for Him to understand us completely, He had to face temptation (see Hebrews 4:15). Second, Jesus had to undo Adam's work. Adam, though created perfect, gave into temptation and passed sin on to the whole human race. Jesus, by contrast, resisted Satan. His victory offers Salvation to all of Adam's descendants (see Romans 5:12-19).

Satan may tempt us to doubt Christ's true identity. He knows that once we begin to question whether or not Jesus is God, it's far easier to get us to do what he wants. Times of questioning can help us sort out our beliefs and strengthen our faith, but those times can also be dangerous. If you are dealing with doubt, realize that you are especially vulnerable to temptation. Even as you search for answers, protect your- self by meditating on the unshakable truths of God's Word.

Sometimes what we are tempted to do isn't wrong in itself. Turning stones to bread wasn't necessarily bad. The sin was not the act but the reason behind it. The devil was trying to get Jesus to take a shortcut, to solve Jesus' immediate problem at the expense of long-range goals, to seek comfort at the sacrifice of his discipline. Satan often works that way - persuading us to take action, even the right action for the wrong reason or at the wrong time. The fact that some- thing is not wrong in itself does not mean that it is good for you at a given time. Many people sin by attempting to fulfill legitimate desires outside of God's will or ahead of His time- table. First ask "Is the Holy Spirit leading me to do this? or is Satan trying to get me off the track?"

Often we are tempted not through our weaknesses, but through our strengths. The devil tempted Jesus where He was strong. Jesus had the power over stones, the kingdoms of the world and even angels, and Satan wanted Him to use that power without regard to His mission. When we give into the devil and wrongly use our strengths, we become proud and self reliant. Trusting in our own powers, we feel little need of God. To avoid this trap, we must realize that all our strengths are God's gifts to us, and we must dedicate those strengths to His service.

The devil arrogantly hoped to succeed in his rebellion against God by diverting Jesus from His mission and winning His worship. "This world is mine, not God's," he was saying, "and if You hope to do anything worthwhile here, you'd better recognize that fact. Jesus didn't argue with Satan about who owns the world, but Jesus refused to validate Satan's claim by worshipping him. Jesus knew that He would redeem the world through giving up His life on the cross, not through making an alliance with a corrupt angel.

Here the devil misinterpreted Scripture. The intention of Psalm 91 is to show God's protection of His people, not to incite them to use God's power for sensational or foolish displays.

Christ's defeat of the devil in the desert was decisive but not final. Throughout His ministry, Jesus would confront Satan in many forms. Too often we see temptation as once and for all. In reality we need to be constantly on guard agains the devil's ongoing attacks. Where are you most susceptible to temptation right now? How are you preparing to withstand it?

Luke 4:1-13

* * * * * * *

All through this, I have heard how people will think this stupid. How no one will be interested in reading this. How it is too long. No one will finish this. I might get in trouble for copyright infringement. There is no truth to this. The others at God's Page will probably want me to quit, because I am doing nothing but causing trouble. Enough??? Yes it is. People don't have to read this if they don't want. I've been called stupid before. Copyright infringement? Not! No truth? Then why is he trying to prevent me from putting this info on God's Page? I know... do you?

* * * * * * *

Email: God's Page

What The Bible Says About...
Satan, Demons, Deception & Sin ~2... ~3... ~4... ~5
Welcome To God's Page*
Welcome To God's Word*