Satan Tempts Jesus

 Luke 4:1-14

We can see in this portion of scripture that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit (the capitalization here means it was God's Spirit who led Jesus out) into the wilderness. There He was tempted for forty days by the devil. He was tempted to provide for His hunger, to worship Satan through which Satan would give Jesus the authority and glory which had been delivered to him, and to tempt the hand of the Father by making him protect a foolhardy and unnecessary jump. Each of these temptations would have made things easier or more glorious for Jesus in the short term but would have caused Him to fall short of the glory of God. We understand that Jesus did not sin, He responded to these carnal, self-serving tests with His Father's word of truth. The devil left Him until an opportune time. Matthew 4:11 reads "then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him".


So, the same angels that Jesus would not call upon to help Him accomplish Satan's temptations were there to minister ALL HE NEEDED after the testing had been completed and Jesus had won the victory over self and Satan. Luke 4:14 reads "then Jesus returned IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT". He had won a victory over Satan's attempt against His soul and the Father saw to it that He received what He needed.

Satan's temptation found no place in Jesus. How much room in our soul is ground for Satan's sowing? May he turn us aside from the word and will of God as he pleases or will we fight the good fight of faith (that revelation of God we know we have)? Jesus responded to Satan's attempt with what He knew about/from the Father. Is that how we respond? We thank God for the blessing of the revealed word of God unto the hearts of men. With that revealed word men (women included) are empowered to bind what has been bound in heaven, to loose what has been loosed in heaven. That is what Jesus did in this passage. He responded with what He had. To him who has more will be given, to him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

Study to show yourself approved, for faith comes by hearing from God and hearing from God comes by the word of God. From the written word to your heart by the anointing of the Holy Spirit- then you will have it, it will be your faith! When the devil comes, give it to Him, just like our Master did, and you will have the same victory, in Him!