Today’s Reading: Mark 1:9-15; Luke 4:1-13
One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. – Mark 1:9-13
HIGHS AND LOWS
Why is it that the enemy so often attacks us directly following a high spiritual moment in our life? We go from having our faith affirmed to our faith tested. Things go from being easy one day to difficult the next. God is glorified through our surrender as we die to the old in order to be raised to the life He has for us, and then the enemy tries to take our eyes off our God in order to tempt us to give him our loyalty.
Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’”
Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”
Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” – Luke 4:3-8
So often the devil tempts us with all this world has to offer. He makes the trade for earthly wealth and fame seem like a simple one, but it is always complicated to negotiate with the enemy. It seems harmless to get caught up in these temporary pleasures, but if we compromise and live a life for earthly gain, we need to recognize that we are submitting to the enemy’s temptations, and there are consequences that come with that submission.
Next Satan baited Jesus to test God by jumping off the highest point of the Temple and then asking God to rescue Him. Do something really reckless and then ask God for help. That is so unlike anything he would tempt us to do, or is it?
Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” – Luke 4:12
YOU MUST NOT TEST THE LORD YOUR GOD.
Satan tempts us to do something we know we should not do by convincing us that it will be simple to ask God to forgive us after we have sinned — to rescue us from our consequences. If God is full of grace and all we have to do is ask for forgiveness, then why not enjoy a time of sin or moment of weakness with the intent to simply ask God to forgive us afterwards? I believe we should take Jesus’ response seriously.
“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus. – Matthew 4:10-11
Our response to Satan’s temptations can be just as powerful as Jesus’ response was. With strength and determination, we can face temptations by declaring that we will worship God and serve only Him! We can put that stubbornness to good work, resisting Satan’s offers of temporary happiness. You are wasting your time, Satan. Go away!
GET OUT OF HERE!
When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. – Luke 4:13
Satan will be back. He is a roaring lion, seeking whom he may destroy (1 Peter 5:8). But we can be prepared for this temptation by giving God our full attention, studying the word of God, and building our faith. We can be ready to respond with both confidence and determination.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13
Lord, my heart is full of gratitude for your constant presence and strength. No temptation is bigger than my God; no enemy is more powerful than my Savior. What a blessing it is to rest in the arms of my Father. What a privilege it is to trust you in every situation. Father God, please continue to strengthen my resolve and prepare me for the temptations that lie ahead of me. May this be a year of holding firmly to my faith, daily approaching the throne of grace with confidence. Amen.
Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. – Philippians 1:28-29
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are —yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. – Hebrews 4:14-16