Before getting into the subject, let's tackle the question of why we are tempted. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Mt 4:1). Jesus taught us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation", but here the Spirit is leading Jesus to be tempted by the devil. Yes, we should pray. But God decides to allow us to be tested for two reasons; 1). To know what is in our hearts and 2). To know whether or not we would keep His commands (Dt 8:2). When Abraham passed the test, God said: NOW I know that you fear God (Gen 22:12). Every test will be a journey that will prove transformative. By the time we emerge out of the temptation, our batteries will be recharged

Now let's talk about the power of God's word. Matthew 4:1 starts with, "Then." Then Jesus was led by the Spirit...So we ask the question, "When?" we look back to the previous verse to pick out the answer - When God told Jesus that He was His beloved Son. In Mark 1:11 it is crystal clear that God addressed Jesus directly saying, "You are My beloved Son.” Now, what was the need for God to assure Jesus that He was His Son? Did not Jesus know that?

Jesus is now 100% God and 100% human. He is tossed about by all the doubts and confusions human beings go through, and the devil is taking advantage of it. Immediately after God authenticated Jesus' Sonship, the devil clandestinely challenged it. He asked Jesus, "Are You what the word of God said You are? If so, prove it”(Matt 4:3). He is challenging the word of God. Jesus was not tempted for three days as we may imagine but forty days (Luke 4:2). Jesus did not in a flash say: Go away, Satan. He struggled, turning the problem over in His head for forty days. It was mental torture for Him. "Am I God's Son? Was it the voice of God?" raged through His mind. When His emotions that had gone haywire settled and He took victory over the conflict, He chased away Satan and they parted ways. But Jesus knew that he would return tomorrow.

During the forty days, on the one side, He was talking to the Father and on the other side to the devil. The devil was talking to Jesus but the Father's voice was conspicuously absent. Why? He had already spoken. When Eve was tempted, God did not warn her, "Eve, remember what I told you." No, she was left to decide based on what He had told her. In Psalm 103:20, we read of the "voice of the word”, which modern translations have abandoned. If we listen intently, we can hear God's word speaking to us.

At times we ask God why He is not speaking to us. He has already spoken and we have to go by it. Some preachers say that they heard from God this and that, and confuse people by encouraging them to hear God's voice. They make people open to deception. Some say the Bible alone is not enough. You talk to God and God will talk to you. We are all in for rough times. Even the most savvy among us can be duped. Examine, verify and debunk false teaching.

If Jesus had asked, "Father, why are You not coming to My rescue? The devil is harassing Me. Tell Me what I should reply," His Father would have replied, "I have already told You. That's it. Go by it. "Now let's briefly see the temptations Jesus encountered.

Temptation 1

"IF You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread" (Matt 4:3). Why was it important for Jesus to be sure that He was the Son of God? During His three and a half years of ministry He'd be repeatedly questioned, "Are You the Son of God? If so tell us." At the end of His ministry, on the cross, He had to face the same taunting - "IF You are the Son of God, come down from the cross, and we will believe You. "God had forsaken Jesus. Did He still believe that He was the Son of God? Absolutely yes! Like Job, Christ stood His ground saying, "Even if He kills Me, I would still be His Son. He has told Me so. I believe that.” "I have treasured the words of His mouth more than My necessary food," said Job (Job 23:12). What is necessary food? Food after fasting for 40 days. "I don't need to turn these stones to bread. I have words that My Father spoke with His mouth. Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God"- not Google or YouTube! If you come to that point of esteeming God's word, you will defeat the subterfuge of Satan. Your mind will not be attacked by Satan. Then angels came and ministered to Him (I think by serving manna). That's what will happen to you when you refuse to fall for Satan’s hype and stand on the word of God.

Temptation 2

Satan quotes from a Psalm, "IF you are the Son of God... throw yourself down...angels..." jerking it out of context (Matt 4:5,6). All the demons knew that Jesus was the Son of God. They fell prostrate before Him and confessed it. Yet the liar was taunting Jesus, He was not. He may also challenge us, "Why diseases, why defeats, why problems, why no angelic protection, why no miracles if you are God's child?" Never tempt God by asking, "Why Lord?" The second time also Jesus quoted God's word saying, "It is also written..." (Matt 4:7). Thus, He put the devil to shame. He refused to prove His Sonship by cheap gimmicks, rather apprehended the devil not to tempt God.

Temptation 3

Failing twice, the devil tried a different surreptitious strategy. Do you know why Jesus was crucified? Because He said He was the Son of God (John 19:7). Now the devil is subtly tempting Him to escape the cross. "Why call Yourself the Son of God and be crucified? Be a monarch and enjoy life. Why be unrecognized, be a street preacher and suffer hunger?” Jesus pushed the suggestion aside with a resounding "No.” He is stalking you and plays the same trick with you. "You are a nobody, problems, fear, sickness, no money, no comfort, no praise, no recognition. Come, I will shower you with all you need." Many have worshiped the devil and are now swimming in riches. Always remember that some flowers bloom in the park and are appreciated by all. Others bloom in the dark or wild where nobody sees them. Yet they bloom their best and glorify their Creator. God made them both. Some apostles are not even mentioned a second time. All need not be Pauls and Peters (Rom 12:3). Move onward and upwards wherever you are. Jesus would have witnessed many crucifixions and torture. Yet He did not give in. An angel came and delivered Peter from the prison. Later, when he was arrested to be executed, he might have expected an angel. But no angel came.

At the end of 40 days, Jesus said, "Get behind Me, Satan.” The devil could confuse Him no more. Now Jesus was thoroughly convinced He was the Son of God. He did not buckle, He battled. He gave the devil his due. There is no more conflict in His mind because He stood on the word of God. So what? He came out of the wilderness in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14). When you stand on the word of God and overcome the subtle power of Satan you will come out of temptations in the power of the Spirit. The devil said, "If You are the Son of God, make these stones bread.” People said, "If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross" (Matt 27:40). Though Jesus possessed divine power, He refused to use it when challenged by the devil or people to prove that He was indeed the Son of God.

In Matthew 16:16 Peter confesses, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." See how subtly Satan gets into him. He who showed all the world to Jesus and promised Him kingdoms is showing up through Peter tempting Jesus to escape suffering. Jesus said, "Get behind Me, Satan." Same words, same temptation, same rebuke. Note how Satan was disturbed when people recognized Him as the Son of God. In John 6:68-71 Peter said, "To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." When Peter confesses Jesus as the Son of God, see what Jesus says: "Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" He blacklists Judas. What was the need for Jesus in that context to speak of Judas who was the devil? Because, in his heart of hearts, Judas did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God and Satan was there incognito. The horrifying flashback of His forty days of fasting and how Satan challenged His Sonship struck Jesus. Now, His disciples believed He was the Son of God and Satan was still waging guerrilla warfare.

The reason why the devil was so bent on manipulating Jesus to doubt His Sonship can intrigue us but give us a peep into the workings of the mind of Satan. Let us analyse

1. It is by believing that Jesus is the Son of God, one will have life in His name (John 20:31). John says that His writings were to make us believe this. In short, unless one believes that Jesus is the Son of God, He will have no eternal life. One who believes has. That's why the antagonist was playing on the mind of Jesus. If Jesus had any doubt that He was the Son of God, people were not going to be saved to enjoy eternal life.

2. Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart" you may be baptized. And the Ethiopian minister said, "I believe Jesus is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37). Then He was baptized. He changed from night to day and became a subject of the kingdom of God. If people believed this truth and were baptized the number of Satan’s congregants would fall precipitously hence his anxiety.

3. When Saul was converted, he lost no time in preaching Christ in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God. It had an incendiary effect and countless Jews were ushered into the kingdom of God. This revival unnerved Satan (Acts 9:20). Today if we preach this truth in churches and people put their faith in the Son of God, their ranks will swell to thousands and Satan will be crushed. Small wonder he tried to sow seeds of doubt in Jesus' heart.

4. "Who is he who overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 Jn 5:5). Victorious life overcoming the world is based on the faith that Jesus is the Son of God. Satan is the prince of the world. When we overcome the world by believing this foundational truth, we overcome Satan who is holding the world in his iron grip. And Satan doesn't want it. So, he shuddered when Jesus soldiered on out of the wilderness as the Son of God.

5. "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God" (1 Jn 4:15). The devil cannot tolerate our communion, fellowship and union with God. Then how would he want Jesus to proclaim Himself as the Son of God?

6. "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil" (1 Jn 3:8). The evil genius knew his works would be pulverized if Jesus arrived on the scene as the Son of God. If only he could make Jesus confused about His Sonship, his works would thrive. That is why he showed no signs of backing off with one temptation. He tried to lure Jesus to the bait that hid the fatal hook.

Jesus stood on the word of God that came from heaven proclaiming, "You are My Son, whom I love; with You, I am well pleased" (Mark 1:11). He did not have to turn stones to bread for His survival. He lived by the word that came from the mouth of God. Otherwise, He would have jumped from the pinnacle of the temple and killed Himself. He took victory over the devil by and through the word of God. Thus, He returned in the power of the Spirit; standing tall, shoulders thrown back, with a determined courage!

The word of God is powerful (Heb 4:12). Confront Satan with it. The liar cannot stand against the truth. Take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers! (Eph 6:12). Our power should overcome that power like the rod of Moses swallowing the magicians'.

As we wind up, let me tell you - Rightly did Jesus say, "You are in error because you don't know the Scriptures or the power of God" (Mt 22:29). Jesus is tying up the Scriptures and the power of God. Let me reiterate: We will not err if we place our confidence squarely on the Bible as the only infallible standard. Let it become our soulmate!

Dr. Lilian Stanley
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Vellore 632006, India
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