Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The temper came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple.”If you are the Son of God,” he said “throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give You,” he said, If You will bow down and worship me”. Jesus said to him, “Away from Me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him. – Matthew 4: 1-11
In the wilderness Satan tempted Jesus to doubt He was the Son of God; to distrust His Father’s promise to “supply all His needs; and to lust for something that He wanted before God would be willing to give it to Him and in doing so, to become His own “God.”
The temptation was one of lust. The sin of lust is defined as desiring to have what you want when you want it. Jesus had not eaten in forty days and, naturally, He was very hungry. Lust means you can’t wait. Lust is immaturity. Lust is not always, or even necessarily, sexual. Lust includes a drive for fame or fortune to the exclusion of the more important aspects of life. Lust includes living beyond one’s means, wanting what you want when you can’t afford it. Lust means wanting to live your own way rather than trusting God and living God’s way, accepting that God’s way is better even when you don’t understand the goal God has in mind. Adam and Eve failed on the sin of life’s necessities, specifically appetite (Gen. 3:6). Jesus succeeded where they failed, and He made it very clear that spiritual food – devouring God’s Word – is just as important to life as is physical food (Matt. 4: 4).
Satan attempted to put doubt in the heart of Jesus that He really is the Son of God. He was seeking to disqualify Jesus as the Messiah. Had Christ “put God to the test,” He would have sinned, thereby disqualifying Himself from being the Messiah. Satan tempted Jesus to jump in order to force God into protecting Him. Jesus would have put Himself in unnecessary danger to manipulate God into saving Him from destruction. The Bible tells us that God is sovereign, God is in charge – and we are not. We cannot manipulate or control God. God controls us. God is “operating all things according to the counsel of His Own Will” – NOT ours. (Eph 1:11). Jesus didn’t have to jump to prove His trust in the Father; He demonstrated it by trusting in God’s word.
How many times do Christians test the Lord by saying, “Lord, if you do so and so for me, then I’ll know that you love me.” Patients with serious diseases often say, “Well, I’ll try God’s Health Plan for awhile, to see if it works,” apparently to see if God really means what He says when He promises to “heal ALL our diseases” in Psalm 103:3 “if we follow His laws, commandments and decrees.” (Deut 7:11-15). If a Christian truly believes God as he says he does, he will follow God’s Health Plan with 100% commitment, permanently, never questioning or doubting the ultimate outcome. The true Christian believes that God will do what He has already promised to do – whether it is to “heal ALL our diseases” (Psalm 103:3) or to “supply ALL our needs” (Phil 4:19), or to “save us” (1 Tim 4:19).
Satan again tempted Christ to try to manipulate God – to save Jesus unnecessarily – almost to perform a trick, or magic. This is the sin of presumption. Often Christians say about a particular problem, “Well, it’s in God’s hands” without spending the time and energy needed, so that the outcome will be appropriate. Somehow they think God would work it out for them without them having to do anything. Others take unnecessary risks, such as extremely hazardous hobbies or sports that put the person’s life in danger with the remark, “Well, if it’s my time to go, then I can’t do anything about it.” That is the sin of presumption – purposely putting oneself in harm’s way with the response, “whatever will be, will be.” Living recklessly, whether financially or physically, puts God to the test, and becomes the sin of presumption. We want God to save us from ourselves, but He would not do it. We will have to reap what we have sown.
Putting God to the test is often the result of our own impatience, of wanting now what God will give us later. Such impatience demands that God ‘hurry’ what He is doing. It is often in times of adversity that our tendency to put God to the test becomes evident. We may very well place conditions on God, things that He must do for us in order for us to acknowledge that He is present with us, and for us to worship Him.
Finally Satan tempted Jesus to “save the world” in an easier, far less humiliating way than death on a cross. Satan offered the Lord a “Quick Fix.” If Jesus would just bow down to Satan He would not have to go through the severe beating and blood loss, the crown of thorns on His head, being nailed to the cross as a common criminal, being ridiculed and abused by the Roman soldiers, or the derision and mockery of the crowd. Jesus would not have to die! But the price for Christ would be – to sell His soul to the devil – and lose the authority to save the world.
Beloved, be wise; don’t you know that Satan is a fallen angel? He is real, not symbolic, and is constantly fighting against those who follow and obey God (John 10: 10a; Ephesians 6: 12). Satan’s temptations are real, and he is always trying to get us follow in his way or our way rather than God’s way. He tempted Adam and Eve (Genesis 3: 1-7) and Jesus Christ (Matthew 4: 3, 5-6, 8-9), and continues doing the same to every human being, except those who are already his slaves and in his trap. The devil’s temptations are usually focused on three crucial areas, namely: physical needs and desires; possessions and power; and pride (1 John 2: 15-16). We should remember that temptation itself is not sin. We sin when we give in to temptation and disobey God. We must guard at all times against the attack of the devil (1 Peter 5: 8), always be determined to turn away from and overcome temptations (Matthew 4: 4, 7, 10) and continue to look unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrew 12: 2).
Have a victorious week as you receive grace to overcome all temptations!
Your brother, Vicar & Archdeacon
Igein Isemede.