“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Mathew 4:1
Satan has infiltrated the world with His evil intentions. You can find His influence in the media, government, and social values. He is everywhere wreaking havoc!
The goal of Satan is to destroy the influence of Jesus in this world and draw you away from God. He is at work today to find a weakness in your armor and lure you away from God.
Jesus is the perfect role model for dealing with Satan.
After Jesus was baptized He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Jesus did not eat anything for forty days and was hungry after fasting. Satan approached Jesus to attempt to draw Him away from His Father.
The first tactic of Satan is to appeal to your immediate needs and offer a shortcut to satisfy your desires. In this situation, Satan challenged the authority of Jesus and he told Jesus that if He was the Son of God turn the stones into bread. Jesus responded “Man shall not eat by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Satan knew Jesus was the Son of God and was urging Him to prove His authority to overcome His hunger. He was trying to get Jesus to weaken in His relationship with His Father and make a decision from self.
Jesus was living in oneness with His Father through the Holy Spirit and knew that every good and perfect gift comes from heaven. Satan disguises His temptations in the form of an appealing gift but they will only lead to misery and destruction.
The second tactic of Satan was to take Jesus to Jerusalem standing on the top of the temple of God. Satan told Jesus to jump to the ground and the angels would protect Him. Jesus responded “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” The lesson in this temptation is you cannot make decisions on your own and expect God to support you. If you place self will over God you will always fail. You have to be one with God and His Spirit has to go before you!
The final tactic of Satan was a lure to power and wealth. Satan took Jesus to the top of a mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. Satan told Jesus He could have all this if He would bow down and worship Him. Jesus said “Away from me Satan! Worship the Lord you God, and serve Him only.”
The world offers you choices to obtain wealth and success. They may seem attractive at the time but will only lead you into troubles and misery unless you are yoked with Christ.
There is a way that seems right but its end is destruction. This is why you need the wisdom of Christ.
Remember, the laws of God are alive in your heart and you will not stumble if you are yoked to the Holy Spirit.
Jesus will never lead you astray. His ways are perfect!
Hal Hollister Ministry 