Thursday, April 24, 2025

           Matthew 4 records Satan’s testing and tempting of Jesus in the wilderness.  Immediately after His baptism, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1).  This testing was neither brief nor easy.  The Bible tells us that Jesus had fasted for forty days and nights when Satan showed up to tempt Him.  And the Bible gives us three examples of the kind of testing that Satan put before Jesus in the wilderness.  Each one of these temptations would have appealed to something that Jesus desired to see or receive.  But it was ultimately up to the Father to determine the times and ways for these things to be granted to the Son. 
            The first temptation was, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread” (Matthew 4:3).  After such a long time of fasting, Jesus would have been under-standably hungry.  And Satan made an appeal to a very normal desire and need—the desire for food.  The temptation was not so much about food but rather seeking food in the enemy’s way rather than trusting in the Father’s way of faithfulness and goodness.  Many of the temptations we face today are rooted in the same ploy from Satan.  The desire and need may be perfectly good but Satan is offering a way to satisfy those desires that leads us away from what is good and toward what is wicked...and away from God to align with the legions of evil. Many of Satan’s strategies do not present us with overtly wicked and sinful things—just unrighteous ways to satisfy normal and good pursuits.  We might not easily fall prey to something clearly wicked, sinful or morally ugly but we could be drawn into such things by Satan’s often less than obvious appeals.
            So, how do we resist the strategies and schemes of the enemy?  Jesus gave us the answer.  It is the answer that our Lord gave to Satan at this first temptation.  He modeled the answer for us to see and understand.  Jesus responded to Satan by saying, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).  We trust God.  We trust His Word.  We hold to what we know is right, true and good.  To hold on to the Lord, we have to know Him and His Word.  To know His Word, we have to read it and apply it.  We have to know what God has said and where it connects with our lives today.
            All of us would agree that food is essential for life and survival—just as water and oxygen are necessary.  Can we not also agree that God’s Word is essential for our spiritual health and vitality—even for life itself?  Is not God’s Word necessary for us even to live as His people in His ways?  Do not let dust gather on and in your Bible.  Read it. Study it.  Rely upon it.  God has entrusted us with everything we need to serve Him and walk with Him and to withstand the devil and his ways.  We are not powerless and impotent.  If Jesus confronted the enemy by knowing and trusting the Word of God, we should do likewise.  Have some “go-to” Scripture verses that you can recite and trust in the midst of temptation and spiritual battles.  Two excellent such verses are Philippians 4:13 and Romans 8:37. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote both of these verses.  Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”  Romans 8:37 says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  We can trust these promises to sustain us in the face of Satan’s relentless, but often subtle, assaults and temptations.  These verses teach us who we are in Christ and what we can trust Him to provide for us in the face of spiritual tests and battles.  God’s Word is infinitely able to sustain and strengthen us.  Have a great Thursday!