I just want to highlight this power-filled moment for Christ. His very next act is to go from power to weakness. He goes to the desert and spends forty days fasting. He goes from strength to hunger. When does Satan show up? When the human Jesus was hungered and weakened.
For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. - 1 John 2:16 (NIV)
What is the first thing Satan tempts Jesus with? Physical nourishment. The same attack that worked on Eve – the lust of the flesh. He told her that the fruit was good to eat. He tells Jesus that the rocks under the authority of the Son of God could also become nourishment. Satan’s first line of attack usually has to do with physical pleasure.
Whether it is food, sex, or some other pleasure, Satan and his henchmen-“beings” size up a person and then they work to lure that person into that pleasure. Satan waited forty days because it took him forty days to find anything worth tempting Jesus with, and the best thing he could come up with was rocks! This also shows Satan can be patient.
Next, Satan tempts Jesus with the pride of life. Jesus the life-giver is being tempted with life. When Eve saw that the fruit was good for food and would not kill her, she ate it. The pride of life will sink many people. They bet their entire life on what the have or have done. They pride themselves in things believing that those things or accomplishments are what make them eternal. But the Bible says such things will pass away. The soul is the only thing we posses that is eternal. We can live it up but at what cost?
Throw yourself down Jesus and God will save you. Satan knows Scripture. He knows how to blur it with life realities. He wanted to crush the physical life of Jesus. But God had other plans and Jesus would die the way He planned. Jesus is not a show-off; He is the Savior, the Suffering Servant. He thought more of our lives than about a moment of short lived fame.
Satan was not finished. He tempted Eve in three areas: the lust of the flesh (uncontrolled physical pleasure); the pride of life (placing our hope and trust in things and stature); and finally the lust of the eyes. Look at all that I will give you, says Satan, if you will worship me. Satan is pathetic. He offered the author of the universe a small portion of what God already possessed. This is His creation; it is not for Satan to give. But that is not what Satan was after. Eve looked and saw something she wanted and decided it was worth going after. King David saw Bathsheba, wanted her, and killed her husband for it. Countless times our eyes fall to things that we deemed ours, and we do not count the cost of how we will get it. We plunge ahead regardless of how it will affect others all because we wanted it.
Selfishness springs up from this desire. Satan wanted Jesus to become selfish and to want all the power for Himself. To fall for this temptation, Satan knew Jesus would have to dishonor His allegiance with the Father. Three temptations all worked on humanity for thousands of years – until now. A fully human Christ had come to change the path of man forever. The very same Scripture that Satan misused was the very same Scripture that Christ used to defeat the deceiver.
I have not thought of this before until now – Satan was a chief angel who heard the words of God and knew them fully. All he wants is the worship due to God. Why? Because he is selfish. How does he try to get it? He tries to mimic the Creator of the universe. Satan is not an original and everything he offers is false.
“It is written” are the immortal words of Christ. It is written because it was first spoken in heaven and is now taking place on earth. It is written for us who need to hear God’s words and review them frequently. It is written so we also can speak to the temptations that we face with words of power and of insight. It is written because He loves us too much to leave us as we are. It is written to provide a refuge for us so we too can fight the good fight. Should I go on?
- How many times have you fallen to a temptation? Have you searched God’s Word to help you overcome that temptation?
- How do you use God’s words to comfort you when you do face temptation?
- Are you listening to God or are you being swayed by the mimicker?
- Do you recognize the times you are weak and most vulnerable to Satan’s attacks?
The devil left and the angels came to attend to the needs of Christ. When we stand (Ephesians 6:13), we are not standing alone. We are standing under the strength given to us by Jesus. We can also tell the devil to get lost by the authority of Christ. God will attend to our needs, but we have to let Him. Read your Bible today and see what it is telling you. Look at how He is attending to your needs and give Him thanks.
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