Focus Passage: Luke 4:1-13
No one said life would be easy. There are days that I really wish that being a Christian meant that I was above temptation. I know that is not true. I face temptations every day and fail more than I want to admit. Yet, I know that there can be a good side to temptation. It can be a tool used by God to make my faith stronger and to help me learn about the “inner me”. Abraham was tested when God told him to sacrifice Isaac and his faith grew so that he was a changed man. Job was tested with boils and learned that God is wiser than we are and can be trusted even in hard times. Yet the greatest temptation was the one that Jesus faced from Satan himself. In that temptation, we see three of our greatest weaknesses and God’s answers.
We have physical needs and desires v. 4 Jesus was in the desert and He was hungry. Our first temptation is to take care of ourselves first and put everyone last. It is what makes a kid take the last cookie or makes us want to rest instead of helping someone else first. Jesus’ answer is a reminder that God will provide. God provided for the people during the exodus and He will provide for you. He sees your physical needs. You just have to trust that God will keep giving us what we need.
We want possessions and power v. 8 Satan takes Jesus to a high place and promises him the world if Jesus will just worship Satan. Our temptation is that we often want it all and want it to come easy. Why can’t I buy a new car or an apple watch? Jesus’ answer shows us that such things will not make life easier. Living with God’s character and values will provide a better life. God has a plan for you and wants good things for your life. Follow him not things which will only disappoint.
We want to know we are loved v.12 Satan’s final test was to make God prove that He loved Jesus. For us, it is the temptation of self-worth. Does God really love us? When life gets tough, we can easily accuse God of letting us down. Jesus answer recalls the time at Massah when the Israelites complained that God was going to let them die with no water. God’s children are encouraged to ask, but they should not demand. They should trust the Lord and not put conditions on God to prove Himself. Our self worth comes from the cross where we see how much God loves us.
It is nice to know that Satan can be defeated. After three tries, Satan left Jesus and waited to try again. Satan had failed because Jesus knew His bible and used the power of the word against Satan. Satan tried to make Jesus think of himself first, but He kept thinking about the Father. If we are to defeat Satan in our lives, we will need God’s help as well. We can pray that Jesus would stand at our side since he has already defeated Satan. We can arm ourselves with Bible passages or just take time to read the Bible since Satan can not stand to be near those who are in the word. If we lean on the Lord, times of temptation can be times of growth that stretch our faith. We will understand better what God’s will is for our lives and will be better equipped to handle the problems of life and to take the opportunities that the Lord wants to give.
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