We all are tempted and we succumb to temptations and many times regret as we fall to the temptation. Devil’s biggest weapon against the beloved is temptations. He is the master to deceive people through it. Because the word says he is a roaring lion looking to devour someone with his temptations and make them fall to Sin. At the same time Jesus has given us many tools for us to overcome temptations. We read Jesus was tempted 40 days and 40 nights. So how did Jesus overcome temptations ? so that we follow the foot steps of our Saviour to overcome them in the world.
Some may procrastinate and say, Jesus overcame as he was son of God. I cannot do as I am an ordinary man.. I will give you reasons why we should use Jesus as reference point for this learning. As he has gone thru all the temptations we are experiencing and he has overcome them.
He was tempted in every way possible by Satan, yet he did not sin - Hebrews 4:15 'For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. '
He helps all who are tempted as he himself has experienced that by himself - Hebrews 2:18 'Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.'
We read in Matthew how Jesus was tempted in wilderness. he was tested on three fronts
1st Target for Temptation is Self desire
Matthew 4:2-3 'After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” '
Jesus had fasted 40 days / nights and he was hungry, his ‘Self’ was hungry.
Satan questioned Jesus “If you are the Son of God”
Satan knows he is the Son of God, but he is just enticing (in tamil உசுப்பு ஏத்தி விடுவது) his ‘self’ to prove that he is the Son of God. This is a trap he sets for us.
In our case he can question us “are you are a child of God?”
What did he tempt Jesus on ?
He asks him to turn the stones to bread - Satan knows that God has made miracles on these Stones
God’s miracle with Israel in Desert of Zin - Numbers 20 :1-20, I have taken a few verses for showing what God did.
Numbers 20:2-3,5,7-11 'Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They quarrelled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord ! Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!” The Lord said to Moses, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.” So Moses took the staff from the Lord ’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. '
After they bury Miriam (Sister of Aaron / Moses) the whole Israel community was agitated as they had no water in desert. They thought of their old life and started cribbing ,why they got them out of Egypt ? this place is terrible for them.
Moses and Aaron looked to God for help, he asks them to speak to a rock
In anger Moses struck the rock to make water pour in front of their eyes.. The word says, the rock gave water to community and their livestocks - Israelite were around 600K + Live stocks (average of 3 per Israelite ) close to 1.8M lives drank water out of this rock.
Satan knows this story more than any of us. Inspite of this he asks Jesus “tell these stones to become bread.”
He does not ask him to change to water, he uses his self situation to make it to bread - See the deceptions of satan how he twists the situation.
Jesus response was Matthew 4:4 'Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” '
Learning from Jesus - We should apply to our life
Jesus did not prove to Satan that he is “Son of God”, likewise we also need not prove to Satan that we are the “Child of God”
Emphasis was on Matthew 4:4 “..But on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ we can defeat Satan when he tempts us on our self
Ephesians 6:17'Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. '
We have to be regular in our bible meditation, and saturate ourselves with his words for his words alone can be the 1st line of defence for us
David used to meditate the Word day and night he shares his experience - Psalms 119:11,15-16 'I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. '
1st Line of Defence is using the word, it has to be in our hearts and minds then only we can use that as a defence. Word cannot be stored in our heart and mind vague, it has to be remembered we need to memorise it.
I am weak in memory of Bible verse. I follow simple techniques to remember like I keep one verse as wall paper in phone, when I see that I remember the verse invariably.. seek a technique that suits you to memorise bible verses. My wife uses a bible app to memorize
Read this word again and again. 1st time you read you will not understand, do it again and again. The word will transform and be registered. The more it transforms us, we have the confidence to fight the enemy.
Satan is afraid of the word of God, thats why he deters us from knowing / reading the word.. you may spend time listening to sermons etc.. its of no use unless you read the word and meditate on it..
As you read this word again and again, the Holy Spirit will act as a helper in times of these temptations to bring the word. I am very weak in remembering the exact word, but with God’s help I am able to overcome my weakness. Ask God to help you in weak areas.. As the promise is Hebrews 2:18 'Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.'
“Away from me, Satan” - Matthew 4:10 'Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ” '
We are his sons and daughters, we are clothed with his body and all his crowns of victory - Galatians 3:27 'for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. '
We are to use the words of Jesus to take the temptations head on In Jesus Name I say - “Away from me Satan”
He will leave us with the temptation .. we will also be surrounded by angels that Jesus sends for us to rescue..
The reason he sends angels is he wants us to be guarded from sin. Temptations leads us to sin only when we give in to Satan.
The word says - Resist he will flee away James 4:7 'Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. '
We will continue this in next part - 2 to see other 2 temptations that Jesus went thru to see how we can learn from that and overcome the same..